Hello fellow HH sufferers...here is my story.

[Mr_Drips]

Hey, everyone. I just thought I'd come in here and tell my story and maybe get some answers. I am 20 years old, and I have had HH all my life. I have it in my hands, feet, AND armpits. It is not so pronounced in my armpits, but my feet and hands have it pretty bad. My hands go from a bit clammy and cold, to dripping wet. It depends on the situation I'm in, how hot it is, and how stressed I am. I have learned to live with it. I am done highschool, and I made it through highschool without anyone noticing too bad, except when people have to shake my hand, or when I'm playing video games and I pass the dripping controller to my buddies. Or when I'm in class and my hands are dripping all over the paper I'm writing on...


I hate living like this, and I've decided, enough is enough. When I was in school, I was actually pretty popular. I was in drama class, vocal class. I am an artistic person. I am into graffiti art, djing, producing (rave music...jungle/dnb, house, trance, techno, etc). I have much to offer the world, but I just wish I could be more confident, and not have this condition hold me back. It has always held me back in terms of relationships (what will she say when I can't hold her hand because my hands are wet?). Everytime I have to shake someones hand, all the times I could have had sex, it's holding me back. It's the reason why I don't have a girlfriend, and even though I DO have confidence, and I DO love life, I don't think I am quite living to my FULL POTENTIAL. If I didn't have this condition, I would be out there talking to chicks whenever, wherever...

Years ago, I went to a dermatologist. He recommended drysol. I tried it and it didn't seem to work that great. Afterwords he just said to me that I would grow out of it, that he has never seen a 40 year old with hyperhidrosis. I am not about to wait til I'm old to see this condition go away. I want to enjoy life, and be confident, but it's ruining my game with girls, and I'm tired of it. I will NOT live with this any longer.

This is where you guys come in...I am going to book an apointment with the dermatologist in the next few days, and I'm wondering, what are the best treatments out there? I am not looking for botox, because I don't want compensatory sweating, and I don't want any surgery as that is just too much. I was thinking iontopheresis. If anything, I don't even care about my armpits too much, but my hands, everyone uses hands all the time. They MUST be dry...anyone got any suggestions? I am at wits end!

 

[DaaaBulls]

Well you can search around the hyperhidrosis forum and read all of the information there. That is probably better than any posts you will get in here.

And you do not get compensary sweating with botox.

 

[HH]

Hi Mr drips

I would definitely try iontopheresis my friend, if drysol had some effect then I think iontopheresis should work well. I by-passed the whole seeing a derm thing and just brought my own machine. I use the idromed 4 GS. My hands are dry now, as long as do 1 half-hour treatment a week. This is the only draw back with iontopheresis, you have to do one or two treatments a week to keep it under control. At first I did two weeks of initial treatments-about 10-15 minutes everyday on around 10-12mA. Then cut back to two treatments a week, now its one a week.
The water also plays a big part in its effectiveness-hard water is best. Luckily I live in a very hard water area.
Botox costs a lot unless you can get it on insurance or something and don't even think about ETS surgery so iontopheresis is a good option.

good luck

 

[margiehope]

You could also read the posts here about Robinul/Avert. Most derms seem ill-informed about this med, though. (No money in it for them is my cynical view.)

 

[hyp-hi]

I totally feel for you Mr. Drips. I experienced the same examples such as the video game controller and paper in school. HH is one of the main reasons I stopped playing video games.

I'm glad to hear that you still have confidence even with the condition.

As for treatments, I also started with the drysol which didn't really work that well like you mentioned. Right now I take Glycopyrrolate tablets (Robinul) which I have found to be the best solution so far. Others have had success with iontopheresis. I haven't tried it myself, but you might want to give it a try. I also recommend browsing this forum as most topics have been discussed in depth. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

 

[generation7]

I use iontopheresis but it doesn't really work good for me as others. I have to use it 15min everyday to get somewhat dry for that day. The water quality is really the key so you might be lucky and live in a hard water area.