My back :'(

[Jenni]

I've always had a sweaty back - sweaty everything really! But after my ETS surgery for my hands, the compensatory sweating is now SO bad on my back ::, which is preferable to the hands but still horrible.

I can't even explain how down it gets me. I am constantly worrying about it, I always have to wear 2 layers of clothes & even then the outter layer gets wet with a huge patch, then I feel disgusting & self-conscious & also uncomfortable because my back is wet!

My friend invited me to Italy last night & immediately I said yes but then I remembered my back & said I didn't want to go - it's bad enough when it's cold, let alone somewhere hot.

I occasionally take probanthine, which works only slightly, my GP won't put it on repeat so I use it SO sparingly & it dries my mouth, nose, throat & eyes out to the point it's uncomfortable (I wear contact lenses & the dry eyes make them hurt)

Does anyone have any suggestions? I've read the sticky at the top for solutions but was after something 'back specific'!

I'm seeing my GP for something unrelated at the beginning of July but if there's any medication/prescription roll on I can ask for ...? I had Anhydrol Forte for my hands before the op - can you use that on your back?

Last time I went I asked for a referall to the surgeon (was going to ask about botox/gland removal/any other option) but I didn't book the appointment on time - oops. & I've decided not to ask for another referral just yet as I am in the process of losing weight - will that help at all?! I've lost over a stone so far.

 

[karl:-/]

Loosing weight can only help if not for HH but your long turn health I've had the ops too back,chest,stomach all sweat just as bad if not worded than my hands and armpits did after months of depression,anxiety geting no where, my dermatologist gave me "Ditropan" (oxybutynin hydrochloride) 2.5mg 3 times a day its my first day to day but I haven't had the courage to go any where else other than the gym. Because in my mind its ok to sweat there,just not waiting for a bus,sat doing nothing. You must know all about the situations.. tomorrow I'm going try and go out... Not gona promise my self but ask for that I'm not sweating now as I type this too you so it must work I'm just to in my head to go places **** I Sound like a reject. Any way hope this helps

 

[JR25]

I've always had a sweaty back - sweaty everything really! But after my ETS surgery for my hands, the compensatory sweating is now SO bad on my back ::, which is preferable to the hands but still horrible.

I can't even explain how down it gets me. I am constantly worrying about it, I always have to wear 2 layers of clothes & even then the outter layer gets wet with a huge patch, then I feel disgusting & self-conscious & also uncomfortable because my back is wet!

My friend invited me to Italy last night & immediately I said yes but then I remembered my back & said I didn't want to go - it's bad enough when it's cold, let alone somewhere hot.

I occasionally take probanthine, which works only slightly, my GP won't put it on repeat so I use it SO sparingly & it dries my mouth, nose, throat & eyes out to the point it's uncomfortable (I wear contact lenses & the dry eyes make them hurt)

Does anyone have any suggestions? I've read the sticky at the top for solutions but was after something 'back specific'!

I'm seeing my GP for something unrelated at the beginning of July but if there's any medication/prescription roll on I can ask for ...? I had Anhydrol Forte for my hands before the op - can you use that on your back?

Last time I went I asked for a referall to the surgeon (was going to ask about botox/gland removal/any other option) but I didn't book the appointment on time - oops. & I've decided not to ask for another referral just yet as I am in the process of losing weight - will that help at all?! I've lost over a stone so far.

Hi Jenni. Sorry to hear what you're going through but can 100% relate to it (I had ETS done twice followed by a Lumbar Sympathectomy). Back sweating is horrible isn't it, especially as it's a very difficult area to both disguise and treat.
To be totally honest I've now basically given up on trying to stop my back sweating, one of the reasons been that it's such a large area to try to cover. I did have some mild success with Secure Wipes from pharmacy.ca - Canada's internet pharmacy years ago. They use glycopyrrolate/robinul prepared into cotton pads that you apply to affected areas. However although these were fairly okay, in warm-hot weather I would still sweat like hell through my back so when I added the cost (which was a lot, with getting them shipped to England) with the side-effects (dry mouth, dry eyes, overheating feeling etc) and the limited effects I decided to stop buying them.
The medication used in them (glycopyrrolate / robinul) is I believe sometimes available over here on the NHS. I tried these in capsule form from the same Canadian pharmacy years ago, but again, the cost/side-effects/limited positive effect outweighed the benefits. A doctor was willing to prescribe me it in powder form over here years ago (which as far as I know is still how it's precribed here) but there were negatives such as I think it took a week or two to be prepared, then it had to be used within maybe a fortnight, + the doctor made me feel guilty about it's cost to the NHS, so I never bothered actually using the prescription.
So basically the only thing I've ever found which helps slightly on the back (without all the side-effects and huge cost) is Odaban. This is similar to Anhydrol Forte but has several advantages such as it's in a spray (rather than roll-on) so you have less waste I would say. Also because you can reduce waste (over-use) you also have less side-effects like irritation.
Of the countless things I've tried over the years this is as good as anything I've tried. It's not great for the back, but you might find it helps a bit, and it can (as far as I know) be used on pretty much any body area.
Apart from this I have (like I said earlier) stopped buying and trying other stuff now to stop my CS and have instead over the last 4-5 years been trying (in vain so far admittedly) to try and repair the damage that the NHS do when they perform ETS / LS. I currently take like a superfood powder blend which has loads of B Vitamins for example. These are all supposed to help with nerve damage, but again in all honesty I've not had any miracles yet.
If you have had no real help so far from GP's or dermatologists it might be worth trying to get a referral to a neurologist. This is what I've finally managed to do after 10 years of horrible side-effects and dramatically reduced quality of life. I'm seeing one in July, and am basically going to explain that I will do anything and go through any amount of physical pain to try and get my old (pre-surgery) body and life back. Okay it's 1,000,000 to 1 that they'll be able to do anything, but gotta be worth a shot eh.
So anyway like I say the only thing I can think to try on your back might be Odaban, or you could ask your GP about Robinul / Glycopyrrolate, but remember these do carry side-effects like the propronalol that you've been taking.
There are of course other cost-effect things you can try like talcs, body powders etc, but in all honesty I've not found these very helpful simply because of how large a body area a sweaty back is to cover!
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

JR25

 

[karl:-/]

Had my first day out after taking Ditropan for 3 days... Anxious isn't the word to describe how I felt, I don't know what is but once I was out in the open air, my nerves eased slightly and I managed to walk around with my jacket open. With no MASSIVE patches on my chest or stomach,my mind had forgot about my HH I felt free!!!

After a while hunger crept up,food,out doors and HH what are the chances?? Good!! Not half as bad as I thought,food for some reason after my ETS ops has affected my eating habits. All over head sweats but these meds chilled it down a bit. So results not bad not a total fix but an improvem none the less... If any one can relate to?? When my HH kicks off I'm anxious, but when I'm on my meds and not sweating I'm far worse with anxiety. That's they'll stop working I now I need to get this owt my head, why does the anxiety seem more apparent in my mind??

JR25,, How do you cope? I'm mean like do you work??, what's your social life like?? Apart from the gym and going out today I don't get upto much... What's your secret?

 

[JR25]

Had my first day out after taking Ditropan for 3 days... Anxious isn't the word to describe how I felt, I don't know what is but once I was out in the open air, my nerves eased slightly and I managed to walk around with my jacket open. With no MASSIVE patches on my chest or stomach,my mind had forgot about my HH I felt free!!!

After a while hunger crept up,food,out doors and HH what are the chances?? Good!! Not half as bad as I thought,food for some reason after my ETS ops has affected my eating habits. All over head sweats but these meds chilled it down a bit. So results not bad not a total fix but an improvem none the less... If any one can relate to?? When my HH kicks off I'm anxious, but when I'm on my meds and not sweating I'm far worse with anxiety. That's they'll stop working I now I need to get this owt my head, why does the anxiety seem more apparent in my mind??

JR25,, How do you cope? I'm mean like do you work??, what's your social life like?? Apart from the gym and going out today I don't get upto much... What's your secret?

Hi Karl. To be honest I find many things incredibly difficult. The only way I cope is by wearing an under-shirt (t-shirt) most of the time, and trying to have things to look forward to / feel positive about (at the moment it's the upcoming appointment that's keeping me going I guess).
Yes I work. Again I don't really have any tricks apart from the under-shirts and just trying as hard as possible not to sweat buckets (for example I drink a lot of water to try and keep as cool as possible, but sometimes that doesn't help).
I have a social life, but have not had a girlfriend for years because of all the damage that's been done. :'(

 

[karl:-/]

Sh.it man what kinda damage?? If that's not being too rude... When I read your post they seem so calm,relaxed almost you come across so peaceful,

I find it hard to imagen why your single?

I would of never thought you find incredibly difficult to cope... Keep posting dude I'll take your positive thinking into account lol....

 

[JR25]

Sh.it man what kinda damage?? If that's not being too rude... When I read your post they seem so calm,relaxed almost you come across so peaceful,

I find it hard to imagen why your single?

I would of never thought you find incredibly difficult to cope... Keep posting dude I'll take your positive thinking into account lol....

No of course not mate. By damage I meant the nerve damage by the two types of sympathectomies - I could give a very long list of side-effects that I've had to put up with for 10 years, and these have without doubt stopped me from having relationships and other enjoyable things that 'normal' people are able to have.
All I can say to anyone reading this who may be considering surgery is please don't do it. For me, the side-effects are just simply not worth the benefit of dry hands or feet. I would swop my current existence for my old life (pre-surgery) in a second.

 

[karl:-/]

I'm with you there mate,turning back time never seemed so appealing. The list of side affect I know all to well I tell my doc about the random stabbing pains on the left side my chest. He looks at me like I'm insane :-/ plus I've got a constant pain where my nerves have been well burnt out...

How old are you? And do you live in UK? I'm guessing your a guy..

 

[JR25]

I'm with you there mate,turning back time never seemed so appealing. The list of side affect I know all to well I tell my doc about the random stabbing pains on the left side my chest. He looks at me like I'm insane :-/ plus I've got a constant pain where my nerves have been well burnt out...

How old are you? And do you live in UK? I'm guessing your a guy..

Oh right, really sorry to hear that mate. Have you been tempted to see another doctor? I recently changed my GP (who I'd been with for years) to a different medical practice, and though it's probably too little too late (as far as the nerve damage / CS is concerned) I'm still glad I did.

I'm 29, from England, and yes I'm a guy.