SWEATING.ie

Which Treatment?

Certain treatments for hyperhidrosis work better than others depending on the area being treated. Click on any of the tabs below where you are experiencing excessive sweating to find out which treatment is most suitable for you.

Treatments

Hand Sweating

Driclor and Anhydrol Forte can be used for treating hand sweating, and are the first thing to try. Do read instructions carefully.

Hand sweating alone is successfully treated by Iontophoresis. Most hospitals have iontophoresis machines, but it is impractical to have to go there weekly for the rest of your life. This is the reason people purchase a machine for home use. While this necessitates buying a device, it is done at home, in private, and is totally safe. Many international hyperhidrosis centres consider it their first choice of treatment, because of its effectiveness, ease of use and safety profile.

Although Botulinum will work in the hands, there are several reasons why it is not a good idea. The hand is very sensitive and because of the large number of injections needed to cover it is very painful. In addition, the muscles are close to the skin, and there is a risk that they may become affected by the toxin, leading to weakness in the hand.

ETS is 99% effective at curing hand sweating – palmar hyperhidrosis. The effect is permanent. It is also 80% effective at curing armpit sweating – axillary hyperhidrosis – when done at the same time. However, ETS is a fairly major operation and, like all operations, has a risk of side-effects and complications. Still, if iontophoresis is not an option, and the sweating is very severe, ETS can be life changing. ETS is performed by vascular surgeons – your GP could refer you to one.

Armpit Sweating

Aluminium Chloride applications are the first thing to try to treat armpit sweating. These are called Driclor or Anhydrol Forte. Make sure you read the directions carefully. One useful hint is to blow dry each armpit with a hair dryer immediately after application.

The most effective way of stopping armpit sweating – Axillary hyperhidrosis – is by injecting a dilute solution of Botulinum into the skin of the axilla. Using a very fine needle to make the procedure almost painless, approximately 16 injections are made in each armpit. No anaesthetic is needed and the whole process takes less than 20 minutes. Results are seen within 2 days. A first treatment lasts on average 6 months, and subsequent treatments an average of 8 months.

Although ETS has been used for armpit sweating, it is unwise to do so if this is the only problem. ETS will stop sweating in the whole of the arm and hand as well as the axilla, and so the risks of compensatory hyperhidrosis are too great for this to be a usual option.

Some surgeons have developed a technique of lasering the armpit sweat glands and then sucking the dissolved glands away. This is a new process, and is only available in a few centres. It is considered still experimental

Face Sweating

This may happen with or without facial blushing. The best treatments for facial sweating are;

Odaban A spray – noted to be less irritation than Driclor & the other roll on applicators and no gradual resistance from the sweat glands. www.odaban.com
‘Secure Wipes’ (topical glycopyrrolate). These are like a tissue or pad which are wiped across the area. The glycopyrrolate prevents synaptic transmission as the “messenger” acetylcholine is inhibited from stimulating receptors on the sweat glands. These have to be ordered from Canada. Link.
‘Sweat-stop’ (body spray and lotion in Forte and Forte plus+) A spray and a facial lotion used for excessive perspiration. www.sweat-stop.com (have to be ordered from Switzerland)

Facial Flushing

Virtually always flushing is an overactive physiological response to stress or exercise. It will often respond to psychological treatments and hypnosis will usually improve it. This is the treatment of choice for facial flushing.

Facial flushing, blushing and sweating have a control from the sympathetic nervous system. If medical causes of flushing, blushing and sweating have been excluded and all conservative treatments have failed to make a difference, then ETS can be used to treat this. As the nerves controlling the blood vessels and sweat glands in the face come from the sympathetic chain in the chest, ETS is the best option to cut these. Most vascular surgeons are very slow to operate for blushing, for fear of side effects.

Foot Sweating

Many people have sweaty feet. This is usually due to footwear – particularly nylon socks or plastic shoes. In particular, sweaty feet tend to smell due in part to the overgrowth of bacteria which thrive in the moist and warm conditions.

Conservative treatment of sweaty feet is usually effective by following such advice as regular washing of feet, antiperspirants, cotton socks, light leather or open shoes.

Fairly often this can relieve the smell to an extent but often does not get over the moisture of the sweating and further treatment is needed.

Iontophoresis works in 80-90% of people for the treatment of sweaty feet and has no side effects. It is considered the treatment of choice when conservative measures fail.

Sympathectomy of the lumbar sympathetic chain is possible but not advisable. The lumbar sympathetic chain controls ejaculation in the male and orgasm in the female – loss of these is not usually acceptable to cure sweaty feet!

Groin Sweating

Groin sweating, while rare, can be a very distressing symptom. It can treated by injecting a dilute solution of Botox into the skin of the groins, but this can be very painful and an anaesthetic is usually needed. We do not use this in the Morehampton Clinic, for that reason.

Specific helpful treatments that people have found useful are:

‘Secure Wipes’ (topical glycopyrrolate). These are like a tissue or pad which are wiped across the area. The glycopyrrolate prevents synaptic transmission as the “messenger” acetylcholine is inhibited from stimulating receptors on the sweat glands. Order online: www.pharmacy.ca (have to be ordered from Canada)
‘Sweat-stop’ (body spray and lotion in Forte and Forte plus+) A spray and a facial lotion used for excessive perspiration. www.sweat-stop.com (have to be ordered from Switzerland)

SWEATING.ie

Which Treatment?

Treatments

Driclor and Anhydrol Forte can be used for treating hand sweating, and are the first thing to try. Do read instructions carefully.

EXCESSIVE SWEATING?

We are here to help.

About
FirstChoiceBeacon

Contact Info

SWEATING.ie

Which Treatment?

Treatments

Driclor and Anhydrol Forte can be used for treating hand sweating, and are the first thing to try. Do read instructions carefully.

EXCESSIVE SWEATING?

We are here to help.

About FirstChoiceBeacon

Contact Info

About
FirstChoiceBeacon