blong
Active member
Hi everyone,
I have been reading this forum for about 3 months, and I wanted to thank all of you for all of the time and effort that you spend helping other people with HH. I have severe palmar/plantar HH and I struggle with the daily anxiety, depression, and stress that goes along with it. It is hard being 19 (Pinker I strongly relate to you) and in school dealing with this disease. It is such a relief to find out that you are not alone and the tips and information at these forums is vastly superior to anything the dermatologist told me.
So much of the site is based on stories of what has worked, not worked that I thought it would be beneficial to tell my story, and an outlook:
I developed it (or started noticing it) around 1st grade. My family was completely unhelpful in adolescence and preteen years because they did not understand (or did not bother to find out) the way in which it can damage someone’s life. I lived off of 20% aluminum chloride solution on my palms through high school which helped but never gave me 100% dryness. Since about one year ago it has become increasingly ineffective and I have looked into other treatments.
I started iontophoresis (MD-1) 6 months ago with unsatisfactory results, even with crushed gylcopyrrolate. I think I did it too often (everyday, 10 min one polarity, hands and feet, 40 min total) and with too high a current (23 A).
So I went back to drysol (20%aluminum chloride) when I went to college (Virginia Tech, GO HOKIES!) which was so unsatisfactory that I began to fall into deep depression. I ended up battling insurance to the point where now I am approved for botox in my palms for a year. I have only done one treatment so far and with it I am happy to say that it has made me completely dry in my palms! (at least at the area around the injection sites). Its effects lasted for 3 months and it has been wearing off since (right now at 4 months I only sweat 20% of what I used to) and I am going back soon for another treatment. I only had ice for the pain and it was completely tolerable.
I am studying to be a Chemical Engineer (B.S.) here at Virginia Tech, finishing up my Freshman year. As bad as HH is, it makes me kind of unsocial, it does drive me to study harder and be better academically and competitively (sports). I think it is because of a drive for stability, so much of HH is a rollercoaster ride searching for a stable (hopefully good) quality of life; and by insuring financially success you can kind of do that, and insure that you can afford any potential treatments that my come out.
I have read some posts about how HH affects peoples dating life and looking for someone of the opposite sex. I am proud to say that I have found a great girlfriend who loves me for who I am and accepts my HH and its affects on me. She is a great support. So guys, there are (pretty) girls out there for you!
Anyway I am glad to be a part of this forum and again I thank you for your help. I am especially impressed with Pinker whose detailed summary has helped tremendously! I am amazed that you too are 19 (well 20 now with a Bday in april) but has such a expertise in the area. My hats off to you. I want to end with saying that HH has been a blessing in that it has helped me search for god, and I hope that anyone who is desperate and reading this will put out a prayer for help!
God bless,
-Ben
I have been reading this forum for about 3 months, and I wanted to thank all of you for all of the time and effort that you spend helping other people with HH. I have severe palmar/plantar HH and I struggle with the daily anxiety, depression, and stress that goes along with it. It is hard being 19 (Pinker I strongly relate to you) and in school dealing with this disease. It is such a relief to find out that you are not alone and the tips and information at these forums is vastly superior to anything the dermatologist told me.
So much of the site is based on stories of what has worked, not worked that I thought it would be beneficial to tell my story, and an outlook:
I developed it (or started noticing it) around 1st grade. My family was completely unhelpful in adolescence and preteen years because they did not understand (or did not bother to find out) the way in which it can damage someone’s life. I lived off of 20% aluminum chloride solution on my palms through high school which helped but never gave me 100% dryness. Since about one year ago it has become increasingly ineffective and I have looked into other treatments.
I started iontophoresis (MD-1) 6 months ago with unsatisfactory results, even with crushed gylcopyrrolate. I think I did it too often (everyday, 10 min one polarity, hands and feet, 40 min total) and with too high a current (23 A).
So I went back to drysol (20%aluminum chloride) when I went to college (Virginia Tech, GO HOKIES!) which was so unsatisfactory that I began to fall into deep depression. I ended up battling insurance to the point where now I am approved for botox in my palms for a year. I have only done one treatment so far and with it I am happy to say that it has made me completely dry in my palms! (at least at the area around the injection sites). Its effects lasted for 3 months and it has been wearing off since (right now at 4 months I only sweat 20% of what I used to) and I am going back soon for another treatment. I only had ice for the pain and it was completely tolerable.
I am studying to be a Chemical Engineer (B.S.) here at Virginia Tech, finishing up my Freshman year. As bad as HH is, it makes me kind of unsocial, it does drive me to study harder and be better academically and competitively (sports). I think it is because of a drive for stability, so much of HH is a rollercoaster ride searching for a stable (hopefully good) quality of life; and by insuring financially success you can kind of do that, and insure that you can afford any potential treatments that my come out.
I have read some posts about how HH affects peoples dating life and looking for someone of the opposite sex. I am proud to say that I have found a great girlfriend who loves me for who I am and accepts my HH and its affects on me. She is a great support. So guys, there are (pretty) girls out there for you!
Anyway I am glad to be a part of this forum and again I thank you for your help. I am especially impressed with Pinker whose detailed summary has helped tremendously! I am amazed that you too are 19 (well 20 now with a Bday in april) but has such a expertise in the area. My hats off to you. I want to end with saying that HH has been a blessing in that it has helped me search for god, and I hope that anyone who is desperate and reading this will put out a prayer for help!
God bless,
-Ben