new here, need to vent..

[layal]

hi all, I am new to this forum. I joined to communicate with other sufferers but also to vent. I absolutely hate this condition! I have been suffering from severe axillary hyperhidrosis for the past 8 years! in addition I get sweating of the trunk, neck, back and even groin, and all-over nightswears! Initially, in my teen years, I didn't even know this was a medical condition. After some research I finally went to the doctors 2 years ago and was prescribed 'driclor' - an overnight antiperspirant. Whilst it does stop the perspiration for a couple of days, I find it incredibly uncomfortable to use. I barely sleep the nights when I use it due to the very uncomfortable stinging/prickling/burning. Also I have brown skin which pigments really easily, and the use of this antiperspirant has left the most unsightly pigmentation all around my under arms (such that I NEVER show them now!). I have been to my GP (I live in UK) several times to discuss alternative treatments, but unfortuantely I have found them very unhelpful. They simply tell me there's no other suitable treatment option. I find this all so frustrating and I can't bear the thought of suffering with this the rest of my life; how will I cope when I go away with friends, when I have a live-in partner, when I'm pregnant?? The fact that this will never go away depresses me so much. And I can't even where clothers I like; like I said the pigmentation is so hideous I no longer wear sleeveless tops or dresses, so as if the hyperhidrosis itself was not bad enough that is an additional worry.
I know you all must be fed up with your conditions as well, sorry if I seem very self absorbed but this problem really gets to me so much and I really need to vent! How does everyone else cope??
thanks for reading!

 

[coriander1992]

Hi,
I just have something to say about Driclor...
I have found that if you use a hair dryer on a cool setting on your underarms before you apply it, and after applying it to dry the soloution, it greatly reduces the irritation.
Also only apply it to the middle of your underarm (where the hair grows) because that is the only bit that sweats i have read, and this also greatly reduces irritation.
HH really is a terrible thing
best wishes.

 

[teandtoast]

know how u feel layal
im from uk to and have been prescribed driclor
like corriander said ...i use a fan to dry it after use ..eases the pain a little and make sure u dont over apply which can be something else which causes pain
still dont find it that effective tbh used to about 3yrs ago when first got it prescribed but now even after breaks from it does not much

really not looking forward to summer...want to quit my job as dont know if i can go thru another whole summer being stuck in a hot office sweating away

with regards to going away with friends etc I dont anymore...Ive missed out on so much last 3yrs since getin it really pisses me off....dont sleep round friends houses anymore or go anywhere where i will be out for more than 6hrs as after that if have been sweating whole time feel disgusting
lost loadsa mates because ive basically turned into a hermit almost go out once a week now n get drunk ...one thing look fwd to every week

fckin hate this condition

 

[layal]

thank you both for replying.
coriander, yea i use the 'hairdryer' trick and even talc just to make sure the area is completely dry (because i read somewhere that the irritation is to do with the driclor reacting with water).. nothing seems to work really to stop the irritation, and i cant even stop using it as theres no other treatment..
teaandtoast, sorry that you are finding this so hard as well. i know i feel i have missed out on so much because of this. i feel so uncomfortable in social conditions when i know im sweating. i just have to sit with my arms glued to my sides.. and in fact, my problem is not just axillary, although armpits are the worse, pretty much my whole body sweats profusely.. i hate talking to ppl because i sit there and feel myself burn up and sweat!
such a nightmare!!
i wish there was sweat proof clothing!!

 

[coriander1992]

oh, i'm sorry that method hasn't worked for you

Have you tried looking on the net for other treatments?
I have found many others on the net, and have recently been trying new ones out to see which ones suit me best.
Unfortunately doctors and therapists etc. don't seem to be very knowledgeable about treatments for HH.

good luck

 

[camcamcam]

first off i feel ur pain HH is pretty horrible, but at least u live in the UK, i live in a dessert that is always 100+ in the summer, i really need to move. I think i may have something that could help with ur sweating though, I've tried that overnight deoderent, which helped a bit, tried hundreds of botox injections iin each of my hands which did nothing but hurt real bad, then i heard of this surgery called ETS, now im not reccomending this surgery but it did cure my facial blushing and sweating as well as my hand sweating and helped with the underarms, but it actually made me sweat more on my back, chest, groin and legs. and there are horror stories out there about this surgery really ruining peoples lives. What i would reccomend looking into is a prescription called
-Glycopyrrolate TB 1 mg- after my surgery when my body got sweating so bad i started taking this and it really helped decrease the sweating. try to talk to a doctor about it. And maybe use it and a little bit of that overnight deoderent.

 

[appletree]

hello Layel,
My name is mark, I also have hyperhidrosis all over and so can completly empathise with you. I am in a relativly positive mood right now, this condition is very much a mental struggle as well as a physical one because it can lead to such intense feelings of self loathing and depression.
the key to avoiding these horrible feelings is to remind yourself that although you have this condition it's not your fault, i know this sounds really obvious but i hated myself (actually i still do a fair bit) because of this.
i am currently unemployed and i seem to have just been taken of my college course because of being absent all the time
this is all down to feeling very anxious and insecure around other people.
this sounds bad i know..but i am trying so so hard at the moment to not let this get me down.
My best friend knows about it (i had to tell him! we play computer games all the time and i think he might have noticed that the gamepad/keyboard is dripping wet after a while so i just told him)
he wasn't grossed out by it, I won't say he was understanding because unless you have this condition i don't think you can truely understand the effect it has however he was accepting, he didn't think i was gross or anything and he is an awesome guy.
he is my only friend i have discussed this with, i do have a few other friends as well but i am a quiet guy and keep myself to myself.
I want to get a job but i feel extremely limited in my options because of this hh thing.
I have gone through a terrible period of depression last year and this year, i am trying so hard to be positive about things though, focus on things that make you happy, however small, however silly they might seem.
new tv shows, friends, music that you love, good books, random stupid things that make you smile.
i hope this helped hun, i know exactly what you are going through.
catch me in a few days and i'll probably be a wreck again.
but hey i'm trying hard
if you have msn or anything you can talk to me about this anytime.
[email protected]
I hope you are feeling better xx

 

[layal]

thanks for the replies!
camcam thanks for the suggestions.. to be honest so far the only treatment i've been offered is driclor the overnight deoderant which i got sooo much irritation with. i tried talking to my doctor about it, but she basically told me that "theres no cure for hh, so it's either driclor or nothing".. unfortunately she was so unhelpful, and made me feel really uncomfortable even discussing it. and livin in uk i have to go with the treament the gp offers, unless i go private which would be way too expensive!

 

[rosieposie]

Hi,
I live in the UK too, but only have auxilliary sweating. I went to my GP a year ago, he was very understanding and perscribed me driclor, this, of course had no effect and I just lost more sleep due to the irritation. I went back and he reffered me to a dermatologist who perscribed me a cream called glycopirolate. This worked for 2-3 days then lost all effectiveness- and smelt horrible (i dont want to know what was in it!). Then I was reffered to the surgeon, he refused surgery due to the risks and said "they are to high especially for a person so active and young" (i am only 16). He did however book me in for botox. I am due to have it on monday and fingers crossed it will work- otherwise i'm out of options. If your GP wont refer you you can change GP's till you find one that suits you. Or you can even change practices- just keep going! I wish you all the luck in the world.