help with hyperhidrosis

[jay77]

I recently got botox on my hands again and it did not work for my fingers or the around the edges of my palms. I also started using drysol with it. I recently noticed that my fingertips feel very numb. It is like I lost feeling in them. My hands are also very hard to move. They are very dry, but will still sweat if I am hot or stressed.

Also, I am a nursing and just started learning how to use a blood pressure cuff. Is anyone else in a health care related field where they have to take blood pressure? I could not take the blood pressure because my hands were sweating and I could not turn the small knob to release the pressure. Hyperhidrosis has never had a huge affect on my school work, but now it is very awkard taking a pulse or trying to take blood pressure with sweaty hands.

And has anyone had bad side effects with antiperspirants on hands. I have used antiperspirants on and off for years and I am getting weird side effects. I get a tingling feeling in my hands and feet. I read that multiple sclerosis is related to aluminum so now I am paranoid about that.

 

[corranhorn]

I was a medic. Wear gloves, always, even in practice. Use the back of your index finger for pulse if needed, it's sensitive and not as sweaty as the front. I'd carry vinyl gloves, they are the most sweat friendly. In my medic training, during practice, they didn't care if you wore nitrile, latex, sterile/non, vinyl, etc. In a care setting they will of course. You'd be surprised how many people in medicine have sweaty mitts from things like obesity, thyroid issues, etc.

Another tip, on the blood pressure cuff, you will most likely use digital in a care setting. In practice, this may help you..... get powdered nitrile gloves, and cut the tip of the index finger off when ready to do a measurement on the cuff. The powder will stay on your finger tip and give you grip. All this stuff sounds weird, but I suffered from severe HH with no treatment, and I hid it successfully the entire time. Everyone just thought I was super sterile/OCD by wearing gloves all the time

 

[jay77]

Thanks so much for the response! Did you ever face any other challenges in your job from hyperhidrosis?

 

[Sprawling]

All of us with palmer HH face challenges. If it involves the using our hands, things slip and slide. I'm sure nursing has it's challenges and I find it great that you are sticking with it.

corranhorn seems to be offering some good advice. Keep at it! Inspiring that you want to work beyond your challenges.

 

[corranhorn]

I sure did face challenges brother. Any hands on job where you encounter people and touch them, or computers, equipment, paper, etc will be a challenge. Here's the reality you face: 2 years of nursing school is going to blow. You will be in close contact with your peers studying beside you, with limited contact to patients. In a care setting as an RN, people are sick or hurt and you will ALWAYS wear gloves when touching them. And when you finish, you ALWAYS wash your hands, and dry them. I'd focus on HH as related to training. I always saw nurses not wearing gloves for one reason or another. Don't be one. As a medic, sometimes we had gloves rip and in rare occasions, didn't wear them because of intense situations and time was critical. I had a few remarks made. Most people receiving care from any type of healthcare professional (unless it is routine like a dental or eye visit) don't notice it as much as they would in the outside, relaxed working world. Find a type of care you enjoy, and do it. Neonatal, peds, ICU, flight, ER... theres dozens of specialties. Training will suck, have no doubt. I'd minimize it by trying some easy meds like drysol or glyco. Be aware, glyco may mess with your ability to retain information. It makes me a bit woozy sometimes. Good luck brother. Follow your heart and don't let your condition dictate who you are. I've seen people become giants in their fields with far worse conditions and circumstances. Carry on!

 

[corranhorn]

Plus as a nurse, you will be making $$$ with great insurance coverage. Your shift work will give you a lot of time off and you can experiment with treatments like botox, etc. that are expensive.

Edit: I had a buddy who was an RN and he suffered from social anxiety badly. He made it, did his time in the trenches in the ER, and now he is the assistant to a plastic surgeon. He does pre surgical evaluations for breast augmentations. Needless to say, he enjoys the job.

 

[mapleman330]

Hey OP, have you tried antiperspirants? Early on, I cleared the shelves looking for something that would stop the sweating, but nothing seemed to work. Fast forward two years later, when I started using Dehydral on my hands. After the first day, my hand was noticeably dryer, but I would still start sweating in high-stress or hot situations. After about three days, the spots I applied Dehydral to were completely dry. No sweat would get through- it would occasionally flush, but never flood like it used to. My fingertips seemed to take a bit longer to succumb to Dehydral, but this was negligible. However, it certainly does take a toll on appearances- your hands will most likely start cracking... It didn't register to me, as stopping the sweat was the priority.
Best of luck, message me if you have any questions!

 

[Sprawling]

Antihydral which is a little stronger than Dehydral has helped me at times. I've even combined Antihydral with Odaban.

Lately, Ionto has been working fully. My hands have been too dry, constantly cutting myself. Ionto works in cycles for me. Either works completely well or about 50%. Severe Fibromyalgia complicates my treatments.