# Excessive Sweating



## bugfreak (Feb 21, 2009)

Just curious as to if anyone else has this problem. I seem to sweat a lot on my hands and feet, especially right around this time of year. Of course, getting nervous/anxious exaserbates this problem.

Today, for example, I raised my hand and contributed during my chemistry class. Afterwords, I was sweating so bad for about 15-20 minutes afterward that I couldn't really take notes well. I stopped all together for a while because the sweat would just not stop flowing. ( i might add that i was somewhat cold before this since the a/c was kicking in and i even put my light jacket back on). All the while I couldn't help but be scared that someone would notice how profusely my hands were sweating and of course that just created a cycle for a little bit.

:cry help!


----------



## striker (Jun 20, 2008)

Its simple to fix it. I have overcome it.

your body responds to heat by sweating. If your body is sweating too much, then it means its working hard to keep the heat in check.

The simplest thing you can do is switch to a diet that produces less heat in the body

Reduce these heat causing food items such as eggs, go easy on red meat & chicken.
ie., eat them once a week till your body normalizes. Also avoid Tomatoes and citrus fruits. lastly, Avoid being in the sun too much. 

On the other side of keeping your body cool, eat lots of juicy fruits, water melons etc..
Fresh Coconut water is excellent for keeping the body cool.

Try it for a week and see how it heps you


----------



## bugfreak (Feb 21, 2009)

thanks for the input.

i think it's very possible that i have hyperhidrosis. After reading briefly about it, it seems like i may be doomed. seems the general concensus to "fix" it are not that practical or effective. i don't have any medical coverage and i've been unemployed since january so i can't go to a doctor this sucks

anyone else have any input/advice?


----------



## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Not really got useful advice. I sweat a lot too though it's not usually triggered by nervousness but by the mildest physical exertion. All I can suggest is wearing natural fabrics like cotton or silk, and a sweater that you can easily remove. I'll try the diet tips suggested by striker


----------



## Johnny_Genome (Nov 11, 2003)

Hyperhidrosis and social anxiety are pretty common together. I would recommend a medication like Glycopyrrolate. Sweating and anxiety seem to fuel each other. If I'm sweating I feel much more anxious, and if I am anxious I start to sweat. The difference is really night and day for me after taking meds. It got to the point with me that eating certain foods would trigger sweating.


----------



## bugfreak (Feb 21, 2009)

Johnny_Genome said:


> Hyperhidrosis and social anxiety are pretty common together. I would recommend a medication like Glycopyrrolate. Sweating and anxiety seem to fuel each other. If I'm sweating I feel much more anxious, and if I am anxious I start to sweat. The difference is really night and day for me after taking meds. It got to the point with me that eating certain foods would trigger sweating.


thanks.

i guess i'll try to get to a doctor if i ever get any medical coverage. till then i'm screwed but at least there is some hope. i am glad to hear that there is medication that might be helpful.


----------



## bheslop (Oct 17, 2008)

I had sweating in my hands for years. I tried every diet every medication and still sweat would drip everywhere. I couldnt do my school work with out it getting soaked. It was not just in social situations but even when i was alone. I got the surgery done a year ago, and i can say that it was the best decision i have ever made. A lot of people speak negatively about it but i have had no side effects and all positives from it. I no longer sweat on my hands. I had a slight compensation of sweat on my back for a few months but that went away. I know you said you dont have medical coverage but i would try to get it. It is truly a life saver. I can actually hold hands with someone now! Anyways good luck i know how ya feel!


----------



## Pathetic (Dec 4, 2008)

Well I started to get Excessive Sweating something like a year ago. Now when I am walking I always feel tense, because I think others can be watching how I look or walk, and I start to sweat. This really sucks. I was sweating sometimes even at winter and now weather is getting warmer and I already starting to feel how will this be hard for whole spring-summer season. When I get to school I feel that my back is all wet, armpits also, but these can be hidden, so the worst is that my forehead also gets wet. I also sometimes get blushing just out of nowhere and when it's warm I start sweat and blush together. It's hard life for me...


----------



## ThirdEyeGrind (Feb 7, 2006)

bugfreak said:


> Just curious as to if anyone else has this problem. I seem to sweat a lot on my hands and feet, especially right around this time of year. Of course, getting nervous/anxious exaserbates this problem.
> 
> Today, for example, I raised my hand and contributed during my chemistry class. Afterwords, I was sweating so bad for about 15-20 minutes afterward that I couldn't really take notes well. I stopped all together for a while because the sweat would just not stop flowing. ( i might add that i was somewhat cold before this since the a/c was kicking in and i even put my light jacket back on). All the while I couldn't help but be scared that someone would notice how profusely my hands were sweating and of course that just created a cycle for a little bit.
> 
> :cry help!


Talk to your doctor about Beta Blockers. They're a group of blood pressure meds that gives you relief of physical symptoms of anxiety like you mentioned (like sweating). Goodluck.


----------



## Rikk (Mar 18, 2009)

*Excessive Sweating caused by subconscious anxiety attack?*

Hi, my name is Rikk and I am a 26 year old male that suffers from excessive sweating of the underarms. "Hi, Rikk".

My story isn't much different than anyone else's. I go through the usual string of super fun nonsense. I've been going through it since I was 16 or 17. You know the drill - changing shirts two and three times a day, sneaking around blow driers to dry out my shirt's underarms when I can, wearing sweatshirts over my t-shirts religiously, normal antiperspirant doing absolutely nothing for me, the embarrassment, etc. High School was brutal.

I've tried the super strong prescription antiperspirant, but it causes rashes and excruciating itching, and usually only serves to moderately reduce my sweating for a day or two. After that, it has no effect whatsoever. I've tried the off the shelf "prescription strength" stuff that's recently become available, too. Nothing. It's a total joke.

I even once bought an e-book for 40 bucks that suggested I buy a luffa sponge and scrub my underarms in the shower, and to avoid using soap. It had the usual length of quotes from happy customers saying it totally stopped their sweating. No change for me.

I've begun to think about when I sweat the most. It's usually in social situations, around other people. It'll sweat through my shirt a moderate amount by myself, like if I'm playing an intense video game or working hard on something, but it's always the worst when I'm around other people. Even just hanging out and relaxing with a friend, laughing and having a good time - I'll sweat buckets in my underarms and it ends up ruining my good time.

Here's the thing though - I don't feel anxious or even a little nervous in these situations, or if I do, I am totally unaware of it.

I'm in the entertainment business, I host a moderately successful internet show (thankfully I wear a thick black costume so the strains don't show) and I am the lead singer in more than one band. I have no problem being in front of large groups of people. In fact, I adore it. I love performing.

So what's my problem? Is it some weird subconscious thing? I will admit I don't enjoy being around most people simply because most of the people I know are through my music contacts and they all like to drink like fish and do drugs and I want no part of those things, but I'm not a total shut in. I'm not agoraphobic. I don't feel like my nerves are shot and I'm having a panic attack around other people. On the other hand, I certainly don't mind being by myself for days at a time so I don't have to worry about sweating in public.

I have noticed in the past my sweating was greatly reduced when I would go out alone with just my (now ex) fiancee. It seems to depend on the person(s) and my relationship with them?

I suppose I should see a doctor and get a physical to see if it might be a thyroid problem or anything, and my mother does have diabetes type 2. But I have a bad history with doctors not listening to me whatsoever about medical issues and blowing off what I tell them, then throwing some half-baked prescription that doesn't help at me to make me go away so they can make their tee-off on the golf course.

Anyone else like me out there?


----------



## bugfreak (Feb 21, 2009)

thanks for all the responses.

i think i am going to muster up the nerve to go to the university health center and see if they can help at all. i'm paying for the service out of my tuition anyways, so i've got my fingers crossed that they might be able to prescribes meds if appropriate or at least give me a possible diagnosis.


----------



## bugfreak (Feb 21, 2009)

Hey guys! I started my new job last week so I haven't had any time to be on the computer between work, school/studying and family.


I made an appointment at the university health ctr last week and saw a proffessional the next day. That day, I had the worst day I have had in probably over a decade. I had to leave class cause of the sweat, which caused me to be anxious, which caused me to sweat more... and on and on. Felt like I took 10 steps backwards on the SA which I've managed to control for the most part for many years. i even cried for a minute in the bathroom. anyway, the health lady prescribed Drysol. I think it's been helping; we had a bit of a cold spell so I will test it out more this week. I also have an appt with the mental health portion soon, so I am VERY VERY grateful that I can actually seek help and I have an opportunity to progress.:boogie


----------



## John_in_SF (Mar 1, 2009)

Sorry it hit you so bad during class. Sweating attacks can be like panic attacks—they strike out of the blue. A couple of days ago it happened to me on a crowded city bus. I already had a slight fever from a sinus infection. As soon as I became aware of the sweat beading up on my forehead, the deluge began.

Let us know how the mental health approach progresses. Super-antiperspirants can help but the real fix is to attack the anxiety.


----------



## La_Resistance (Feb 3, 2009)

My problem started 1 year ago as well, in the summer.

When ever I get anxious around other people, for example a work meeting or being in class, one the physical symptoms I get is sweating. I don't have problem with hands and feet, it's much worst as it's on my chest, stomach, back and forehead. The sweating is excessive, and as someone else mentioned, both the sweating and the anxiety feed each other. 

Now what I described above is in anxious situations where the temperature is normal or cool.

But I do experience heavy sweating in the summer for no reason as well, something that does not happen in winter. This started last summer, I've become it seems extremely sensitive to heat. Chest, back, stomach and forehead as usual. 

When summer ended and winter arrived, I didn't experience the sweating unless in an anxious situation. But now that the hot weather i coming back, I'm already experiencing those symptoms. I just hope it doesn't ruin my summer. I need to find a solution for this.


----------



## The Storm (May 11, 2009)

"Hi, Rikk". 
Re. Rikk's comment : "sneaking around blow driers to dry out my shirt's underarms when I can"... 
I love the thought that even as I'm doing it, there are actually other people all over the globe furtively leaning under a hand dryer in a public toilet, anxiously watching the door and hoping not to get caught! Next time I end up doing this I'm sure I'll think of this thread and smile at the thought.

I started sweating when I hit puberty. I always thought that it was my incessant sweating that set off my anxiety disorder, because being a 14 year old girl who sweats like a lumberjack isn't really the best thing for self-confidence, but hearing what you guys have to say makes me reconsider the connection.

Anyways, I've dealt with this "situation" for nigh on a decade, and so I've accepted the fact that I will sweat when I'm nervous, I'll sweat when I feel great, I'll sweat in any and every season, I'll sweat when I'm sitting at home watching telly, I'll sweat my deoderant off 15 minutes after getting out of the shower... as I'm sure you all know, it goes on and on.

I'm actually so accustomed to this issue that I can clearly remember every time over the past 10 years when I HAVEN'T sweat. It's so eerie thinking that maybe your deoderant has started to work after all (but then the next day- or hour- everything's back to normal again!)

Sorry for if I've written too much- I'm still trying to get used to the fact that there are so many people here who are going through exactly the same things as me! It's so overwhelming reading all this stuff!

Regards,
Jessie the sweat fiend


----------



## joejoe (May 16, 2009)

wow didn't know there were so many of us. I too have had stress induced hyperhydrosis that was so humiliating during my teenage years that I'd have to wear at least 2 layers of clothing to mask the axillary dampness. Or I'd have to wear really baggy t shirts and sometimes resorted to taping paper towels there. To those that laugh, you have no idea, on a relatively cool day talking on a telephone the sweat would seep down half my shirt, visible with my hands down to my sides. I did some research when i was 18 and even thought about getting surgery to get the sweat glands removed, but my primary care physician consulted with a dermatologist and suggested Drysol (Aluminum Chloride Hexahydrate). After using as directed, 2 weeks later i didn't sweat at all, and I was really emotional. No real reason to hide! well I made up other excuses later.

Only side effect down the road was compensatory sweating. So though I didn't sweat from my underarms, i tended to sweat more from my back, anterior chest, and forehead. After 5 years of use or so, I ran out and was somewhat scared but then pleasantly surprised to notice that my axillary sweating was fairly normal even without the medication so I haven't been using it, except for a few days before going to a dance club where i sweat profusely from the forehead during even the slightest movement on the dance floor. 
So when you do get medical coverage ask about Drysol. It will really change things for you.

EDIT: sorry didn't read all the posts and hope Drysol works for you


----------



## Mr. SandMan (Aug 24, 2007)

i had this problem...

i got perscribed an antipersperant called 'drysol' and it works very well, i would suggest to go to a dermatologist....


----------



## yellowpaper (Nov 13, 2007)

I have had hyperhidrosis for ages, but mainly just my armpits. I've used Certain Dri for like 7 years. It works pretty well, but I haven't experimented with anything else. Sweating sucks, yes. 

I also overheat a lot. I think it's because ALL of my sweat tries to come out through my armpits but I block it off with the anitperspirant, lol.

Anyways, like the first person said, maybe the diet change would help? However, I'm vegan, so I don't eat any meat or eggs, and I'm prone to heartburn, so I don't eat much citrus or tomatoes, and it's had no effect on my sweating, personally. My sweating is mainly anxiety triggered. But maybe it can work for you. A change in diet can really affect things.


----------



## refined_rascal (Dec 20, 2005)

I sweat a lot when I get nervous or through physical exertion. But If I become hot by any other means (such as it being a hot day) I don't nessesarily sweat as much as turn bright red. 
Yep, my body is f**ked up.


----------



## Freedomfighter001 (May 18, 2009)

I have been sweating profusely going on 12+ years now. I tried all the antiperspirants I could find but only slightly reduced the problem. I have really bad SA and believe that it is this that should be targeted and not the mechanism for which sweat is delivered. With a degree in Exercise Physiology, I have a better understanding now that sweat is a very good thing. With out the production of sweat and the means to deliver it out of your body, you would over heat and die. Trying to block this process to curb unwanted sweat stains is probably the worst thing you can do. I am still looking for a positive method to decrease my anxiety which ultimately will decrease my sweating in social situations, however knowing that it is bad for my body to try and shut down an essential mechanism to maintain body temperature I will use any approach other than antiperspirants or botox under my arms. 

Earlier in the post someone recommended not eating eggs, chicken, meat, tomatoes and citris fruits as well as staying out of the sun. Not to deviate from your point of staying away from highly metabolic foods but these are some of the healthiest foods you can put into your body. Getting plenty of sun as we all know is vital to your overall health and consumption of vitamin D. With protein being the macro-molecule that raises RMR resting metabolic rate higher than any other food, this is good to know when trying to lose weight as well as curbing ones appetite as protein's effect on satiety is much greater than fats and carbs. 

So what I am getting at here is that one should not look to alter ones own body to mask a condition or a symptom such as getting rid of the bodies sweat delivery mechanism or restricting ones diet from healthy foods, one should go to the source of the problem and directly attack it. For myself, I believe this to be my seratonin levels. I have not taken anything as of yet, just doing research and listening to others with my problem and looking for the best possible solution with the least possible side effects.


----------



## northern (Jul 25, 2010)

I can relate.

I've been having this for as long as I can remember and I believe it's gotten worse over the years. Either that or I haven't been as aware of it as I am today. It sucks. I'm at a point where it's always on my mind no matter what I'm doing. (Unless I'm just chilling at home that is.) I've also found myself blowdrying my shirts in public restrooms, lol.


----------



## norwood2222 (Mar 31, 2013)

*sweating*

I too sweat badly on the face only.. it turns red and just starts to pour off my face. happens in social situations I try and have a paper towel in my pocket to wipe my face when no ones looking.. used to sweat on the arm pits badly but I used certain dri and it stopped then started on the face.. I would rather sweat on the under arms then the face..


----------

