Excessive head and face sweating

I did try the first medication on your list and it seemed that I then started retaining fluid which then goes against the medication I take to get rid of xtra fluid for my blood pressure. Thank you!

Hi Sarah. I am going to the Dr today. I'm going to ask about oxybutin. I'll let you know what he said.

Dude, I tried this oxybutin. I can tell you my experience but it might not be the same for other people. I have moderate HH.

I take 2.5mg, before an importan meeting or something at work, I don't use it all the time. It takes 1h 1.5h to kick, depends if you're on empty stomach.

Effectiveness -> 7/10

It stops general sweating from your whole body but not totally. Perhaps with a higher dose it could stop more.

Cons

* Dry eyes

* Blurry vision

* Dry mouth and throat

* Difficulty to focus (the worst)

The worst for my like I said is the difficulty to focus and concentrate. I use it at work most of the time but since I need to be 100% in my senses this is not good... it turns me in a zombie... not good, thus I don't use it too often anymore.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

 

My friend, you are NOT alone!! You have found a place where we all know your suffering is from excessive sweating. And, we also share relevant information we may get.

And, speaking of information, I don't know if you have read the comments here, but if you browse this comment section, you will find not only the various types of medications that can help control your excessive sweating, you will also find info about how some doctors--specifically dermatologists--can help control your excessive sweating by utilizing Botox injections. Next week I have an appointment with a dermatologist who actually has experience using Botox, specifically for head and face excessive sweating. Not every dermatologist is familiar with using Botox injections on the head and face, so I strongly suggest that you call the doctor's office before making an appointment and simply ask if the doctor does, in fact, use Botox, AND how much experience her/she has had using the Botox on the specific areas on your body that sweats excessively. You really don't want a doctor who has little to no experience doing it. I wouldn't want to go to a doctor who's answer is something like, "Sure! I've read about using Botox, so I'll give it a try!"😳

I don't know where you live, so I'll just say that generally speaking your best bet in locating someone who does Botox is finding a teaching hospital (normally they are close to a college/university), and calling them to ask if they do Botox. Next, I will suggest to begin with dermatologists closest to call and ask if they are experienced using Botox.

Good luck!!

Hi Sarah, I started on glycopyrrolate about two months ago and it's really helping me.  I take one x 1mg tablet a day and can go up to three.  The most I've taken is two tablets and haven't had any difficult side effects.  I asked my dermatologist about Botox and she said that, while she has done it on people, she has never known it to be covered by insurance for face/head treatment.  I'm not sure where you are - I'm in the Boston area.  Just some feedback ahead of your visit.  Good luck!

Im taking the same thing. I have built up a tolerance to it though and am up to 3mg a day now. I don't take it on weekends if i don't have to. Ive found the worst side effect to be the brain fog. It reduces your choline levels. While i plan to continue taking it... i do worry about long term side effects from reduced choline as well as the unknowns. It is definitely effective for me though. The only thing that works. I can't imagine my life without it anymore at this point. My HH made me very antisocial, wheras now i feel like my old self again. I used to dread meetings...

I take it right when i wake in the morning and do not eat for two hours after... i found this to be most effective.

Oh and im in hot and muggy FL.

Yikes, I'm not sure I could live in FL!  I'm English but live just outside Boston now.  Fortunately, even though we do have hot muggy days, we have fresh warm days and cooler nights too.  I lived in TN for a few years and hated doing anything outdoors.  My sweating definitely got worse in the past 10 years though and I can break a sweat just sitting at home.  My husband and I have a business and I work from home now but we attend quite a few industry events and I always dreaded them until I found the med.  We have a dinner on Thursday and I'll probably take two tablets that day.  It was such a relief to find this group!

Question for you altygirl and anyone else that has experience with glycopyrrolate - did you see immediate results? Or did it take a few days? I've taken 1mg 1x/day (that's all my dr wants me to take right now) for about 2 weeks now with no visible improvement. So disappointed.

Well the good thing about FL is that in the summer everyone is sweating, so i blend in. I seem to have a worse time with the HH in the cold. It's like my thermostat is broken. It's either that, or looking at the bright side... maybe it's a genetic adaptation that would have served us well back in the cave people days. Liquid cooling our human engines.

Also a heads. Up... if I'm going out somewhere late in the day or evening, i make sure to eat light that day. The glyco only works for me on a really empty stomach. I have found that if im out late and eat late, an early morning dose will not be effective.

My doctor is also monitoring my liver through blood tests. It's in the safe range right now, but was elevated after i began taking this med. I am not a big drinker... but i will have one or a few casually on the weekends. I either don't take the medication those days or i ensure i take it very early.

You know, that's exactly what my mum has always said about me .... that my thermostat is broken!  And I struggle more in the winter in heated houses/shops.  I see people in coats and scarves in waiting rooms or shops and I'm stripping off to short sleeves  

Hi, i have found that different manufacturers pills seem to dissolve differently. The manufacturer i have now... i have to break the pill up into quarters and take with warm water. I take it on an empty stomach with only water... and nothing but water until i can feel it kick in... which is usually 2 hours. The previous manufacturer that i can't find anymore... i never had to break the pills up. It could just be me... but this is what works for me. I wish you the best! It's a difficult problem to have. We all feel ya.

My most problem areas are my forehead and my back. I have a thing of drysol that i use sometimes or i devote a stick of the extreme 24 hour antiperspirant for non-armpit use. it works for me.. and no noticeable resodue. have to get the extreme or clinical protection ones. The glyco takes care of 95% of my sweating issues though.

I think I noticed it within a few days.  My doc told me to take 1 for a week, then increase to 2 and so on but I found I didn't need to.   How long does your dr want you to stay on 1mg?  

I feel ya! Im from the north originally.. I used to have mainly armpit sweaties, which i finally controlled with the right antiperspirant. it seems as soon as i got control of that.... my head started to be the problem area. I will definitely say that glyco has changed my life and outlook on life though. The thought of the possibility that i might sweat would make me sweat even more in the past. I got sick of hearing "are you ok?"... i would usually default to "im not feeling well" as a response. People probably thought i was sick all the time.

Have you read any of my comments in which I talk about the possibility of treating our problems with excessive sweating using Botox injections? I haven't seen any comments yet of anyone who has had it done, however, I have an appointment with a dermatologist next week (26th) who offers Botox treatments. I really, really hope 🤞🏼that I will be able to bring you all some good news! In the meantime, I've been suggesting that everyone here contact any and all dermatologists within at least a 100 mile radius, and ask if the doctor utilizes Botox treatment as an option. AND, specifically ask if they have experience in using that form of treatment on whatever body part(s) is causing you the most problems. Good luck, my friend!!

Hi Racingirl,

I didn't try this yet, I've read some reviews about it though and I can summarize the following :

Cons

* It's quite expensive

* Depending on the country it's not covered by the social security

* It's not definitive, it last some few months though, maybe 3 or 4

* It doesn't help for generalized HH since it targets only an specific body region.

* It might lead to compensatory HH

Pros

* Seems to be effective let's say 8 or 9/10 in the body region where you are using it

* If you have localized HH in one or two specific body regions, this might be what you are looking for... since it will reduce notably your HH in this places.

Hope this helps,

Let us know how it goes with the doctor,

Regards

MrJonas,

You are spot on with regards to your list of "cons". I have researched the Botox treatment option, too. And, the only reason I am even considering it is because I have had unsuccessful results with both medications and doctor prescribed creams. I had some pretty bad side effects with the meds, and after putting the creams on, if I sweated (which is a big DUH!!) it would feel like my head and face were on fire! So, because my excessive sweating literally rules my life {for example: I have a funeral to attend this Sunday and I'm already dreading it because I know that by the time I am paying my respects, my hair will be quite literally soaking wet and dripping sweat. It is SO EMBARRASSING to be the only person at a funeral who looks like they came there right after they got out of their swimming pool... Sadly, I have become a "hermit"--only leaving my house for doctor appointments...and, I always wear one of those absorbent ball caps, and use one of my handheld fans.

And, most people assume that I must really like the winter weather--when temps can drop down well under zero (Fahrenheit). But, they couldn't be more wrong in that assumption, because some of my MOST embarrassing moments have occurred when I have ventured outside. You see more times than I'd like to admit, it has been brought to my attention that although the outdoor temps were below zero, I have been advised that I actually had STEAM coming off of the top of my head. I was mortified!! Now, the only time I go outside in the wintertime is in my own yard, and with only my family with me. So, I guess I'm willing to ignore the cons if Botox treatment will give me my life back...😥

Wow... I did not think of this idea, but I am sandwiched between [u]hospital schools[/u]: VA Tech and UVA. I will inquire about the Botox idea with a dermatologist who has experience with treatment of Head Sweating. Thank YOU for posting about this, Racing Girl. It was worth scouring through all the other pages of comments to find this idea. My heart reaches out to each of my comrades who are suffering with this disorder. If I find the answer, I will post immediately. God Bless.