Excessive head and face sweating

Awesome.. Thanks, I'll talk to my Dr at my next appt..

Hi Gill22568 although it has been two years I am going to respond because other people might have the same problem as you. As soon as you said "fibromyalgia" I automatically thought of the medications they use to treat that condition. Once type of medication are SSRI's (paxil, prozac, zoloft) and all of those are known to cause excessive sweating. Other medications play a part too- blood pressure meds, opiates, and a whole slew of others. I would check your meds and or ask your pharmacist if one could be the culprit. 

I was just going to tell u im doing the exactly the same thing ur doing. I cant even fix my hair cause its dripping and my face is pouring sweat. I just want to know what can i do r take to be normal so i can go out dry. Please let me know what i cando. Thanks

Hi Everyone,

New here. I too have been dealing with excessive sweating of head/face/neck. My Dr referred me to a neurologist due to burning skin w/rash accompanied by sweating. Long story short, I've been diagnosed with Small Fiber Neuropathy. Everyone here with excessive sweating particularly those with diabetes, autoimmune or thyroid issues, this neuropathy may be your cause. Prayers & well wishes to all. - Adrianne

I am so happy to find this site, i am at my wits end with this over heating. Just this week I have missed out on my sister's 60th, my niece's engagement that is without all the others.

I can honestly say having fibromyalgia and other problems and this sweating has ruined my life. By the time you do your hair and get ready you look like someone has chucked water at you and i find the more i think about it the worse i get. I am 49 married with 3 beautiful daughters & 2 gawjus grandsons, but for the last 6/7 years ive hardly stepped outside the front door because i am so embarresed by it. My family are good but i honestly really dont think or realise how much fibro has affected my life, and i think that they go here we go again same old excuse. I am really depressed to a point were i think why am I here because i am only existing. If i didn't have my girls i honestly think I wouldn't be here today. I was always the life and sole of the party, always having party's in my home and such fun with my girls but from the age of 37 thing just changed rapidly. I take a lot of prescription drugs just for my body to function but this over heating and chronic fatigue has taken over my life.

I just want some normality in my life so i can do things with my family especially my grandsons. Please if there is anyone out there that can suggest herbal or from the doctors to help me with these 2 problems i would be so grateful. Big hugs to you all.XXX

So happy to have found this forum!  I’m 46, and the excessive head and face sweating began about 2 years ago.  I’m a male and in the US.  I have excellent health insurance, so I have seen so many doctors and specialists, had a hundred tests done, blood work done, vitamin levels checked, scans of everything, stress tests.....you guys know the routine.  I’m a non-smoker, average weight, 1 cup of coffee a day, on no meds, person.  I ended up at a psychologist who thought it was anxiety driven.  I was put on 30 mg Paxil, given Ativan to use as needed, as well as a beta blocker (Propranolol) to lower my blood pressure in high stress situations.  Still sweated at the slightest amount of activity.  I kept the air conditioning at home running at 65 degrees and a small fan on my work desk.  As cooler months approached, it became very difficult to blame this on summer heat and it was really affecting my social life.  The only thing that I seem to have in common with some of the earlier posts are mentions of spine surgery.  I had a spinal fusion in my 20s and some minor nerve damage from that surgery.  I also tried 10 sessions of hypnotherapy with no luck (not covered by insurance!).  Then, I found Avert (glycopyrolate) and ordered it from a pharmacy in Canada.  It took some playing around to figure out the right dosage, etc., but I found that taking 2mg at bedtime and a 1mg pill in the morning worked amazingly!  No sweating!  I could have shed tears of joy!  I have some dry mouth issues, but it’s totally worth it to me.  I chew lots of gum and have hard candies that help.  I hope that this helps someone else.  Good luck!

Thank u so much. I know exactly what u mean. Im not only dealing with my health but i have to put with family stuff and i shouldnt have to deal with this man.

Oh, Gill...knowing that you've had this issue for 22 years is both heartbreaking for you and gives a feeling of hopelessness to me.  I'm 55YO and had this issue since 2013; when I began chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Yes, I have anxiety and panic attacks; the sweating is horrible during those.  Like you, the simplest of chores causes intense sweating.  My primary, cardiologist and dermatologist are all aware of hyperhydrosis and agree that that is what it would be called...but tell me there is nothing confirmed that will help.  

My sweating is from my head; as in my scalp.  I believe that I have an autoimmune issue; since chemo...there are other issues that are related to various autoimmune causes; but can't even find someone who will attempt to narrow down what it is and how to stop it or live with it.

I can't even fathom a life of this going on forever and ever.  I've done a great job of working to isolate myself.  I do about 99% of shopping on-line, as stores are horrible for me.  i now order groceries on-line and pick them up at the curb.  Even something simple as going into a drug store to pick up a prescription causes sweating.

I carry 3 fans in my purse, with extra batteries, I have cooling cloths, cooling wipes and a washcloth to attempt to minimize the sweat.  Of course, it doesn't work.

I'm beside myself trying to find resolution; the thought that it may never happen is crushing.

I am a 55 year old female in the same situation as many responders to this post. Thank you for talking about this very weird thing, that is also strange, life-altering and so confusing. 

I first noticed my scalp sweating profusely about 2 years ago, and thought I had failed to notice the triggers...I blamed the summer humidity. But then, it got rapidly worse, and more intense, I began to wonder,... when did I actually start wringing the sweat out of my wet hair? And, when did it become possible to saturate a towel with my hair sweat? 

On a warm spring day, I stopped what I was doing, contemplating the hot months ahead (no pun intended...a head? Bahahaa) while the trickling streams of sweat began to pour off my hair onto my shoulders. I had become a nervous wreck trying to avoid the inevitable, but I knew I was headed (there's that pun again!) for a desperate showdown with my dog-grooming clippers.Then, I remembered an episode on "World's Freakiest Events" streaming on Netflix, about a mouse plague in Australia. There were millions of tiny mice swarming everywhere, overwhelming everything, ...and EVERYONE. It was apocalyptic,even mind-bendingto me... and I am a ridiculous animal-lover... I realized this disorder is similar to this, except swarms of ants are crawling all over you... each drop of sweat taking a life of its own, like an invasion. I processed this before I found the nerve to shave all but 1 inch of the hair off my head. And then, ... RELIEF! Yes, I wanted to cry, looking at my reflection,...but the crawling had stopped, for a while. The air was interacting with my wet scalp, and it felt wonderful. 

Now that I can think clearly, I want to know if there is any common thing that happened to each of us that possibly triggered this problem... Did any of you suffer an environmental catastrophe, like mine?  (Exposure to black mold destroyed my nasal cavities and introduced crippling Multiple Chemical (Fragrance) Sensitivities, aka Environmental Illness) ...Or, do you have a common hormonal imbalance? (I have a thyroid problem that is supposed to be in "normal" range with Synthroid)....Did any of you gain weight just before your disorder began? (My side effect of Depo-provera was 50 lbs.of weight gained within a 6 month period)  

The reason? I am just starting to get really serious about investigating this problem because, like many of you, I can not go outside from May-October. Also, I think the disorder is progressive, meaning it takes less to trigger the intense sweating than it took previously... Like today, sweat was dripping from my almost-shaved head...in the middle of October! Why? I had the audacity to do some indoor plumbing with our central air set at 72 degrees! (But, the humidity was quite high outside. I just never noticed these things until I turned 53 years of age... WTF?)  Also, I am usually melting while wearing the least amount of clothing I can get away with. Relief? I do get some relief from a product I found on Amazon...a neck-cooling wrap. Also, I cut old t-shirts into strips to wrap around my head. The haircut helped a lot. 

For me, the SEVERITY of my symptoms seem to be directly related to HUMIDITY, AIR MOVEMENT and my PERSONAL ACTIVITY at the time. But surely, there is more to this! Right?.... WHY NOW? 

I read today that "head and scalp sweating (gustatory hyperhidrosis) is related to an overstimulation of the olfactory glands and salivary glands."... (Seriously? Like a new hypersensitivity to chemicals, perfumes, colognes, and laundry fragrances? That's spot-on, folks.) I welcome your thoughts and insights. Please know that. You. Are. Not. Alone.