Excessive head and face sweating
Posted , 301 users are following.
I am 63 and for the last 22 years have suffered with excessive sweating on my head and face, which seems to be getting worse. This is uncomfortable and embarrassing. If I do anything even slightly energetic (hoovering, ironing etc.) it is worse, and it takes a long time for me to cool down. I was referred to a dermatologist who prescribed pills, which just dried up my eyes (red, sore and bloodshot within 30 mins) and mouth (making it impossible to eat or even speak). She point blank refused to consider any other treatment, even telling me botox does not work for the face, which i know is untrue. This condition, to other people, seems trivial but it is not. In the summer I cannot go outside, so I can't even play with my grandchildren. I certainly couldn't go out shopping or to a social event, the sweat drips off me and my hair is drenched within minutes. I obviously cannot use make-up, or even have a decent hairstyle, which zaps the confidence. I do have a thyroid problem but that is well controlled. I am a little overweight but not much. I have other non-related medical conditions (arthritis, fibromyalgia). Has anyone any experience of the new gadget around which includes a mask for the face, plugged into a machine - sorry I can't remember the name of it. I know they are very expensive but I am desperate. Any helpful tips would be great. Thank you.
29 likes, 808 replies
Ali001 gill22568
Posted
Hi. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this forum. I have been sweating excessively from the head and face for about 4 years now. No idea what brought it on, but it is so embarrassing. I have a good job which means I need to client on client sites and I am always worried about sweating from my head. When the sweat drips down my face I go red in the face and it makes it worse. When I have a shower it takes me 30mins to cool down. At weddings, parties, family gatherings all I'm thinking of is sweating. It's taken over my life and had a huge impact on everything I do. I live in Southeast England and I'm 35 years old. Please advise if you've found any treatment that works.
peterc64 Ali001
Posted
Hi Ali, yes we have all just stumbled across this site. The good news is we have discovered a drug called oxybutynin which your local GP can prescribe for you. I have been on it for about a week and have not had any sweating at all which is amazing. The only down side is that some people can't take it because of other conditions , mostly heart conditions from what I gather. anyway see your doctor and see if you can have it. If you can it will change your life. Let us know how you get on.
peterc64
Posted
By the way, it's not a cure, it just treats the symptoms so if you stop taking the drug the sweating might return. My GP says there is no cure as they don't know what causes the sweating in the first place but it is way more common than you would expect it just that most people with the condition don't talk about it. From reading this forum it's seems to hit people for no reason at all, everybody is different. I so hope this drug will help you too.
Ali001 peterc64
Posted
Thank you so much Peter. I'm so glad I found you guys
robe63208 gill22568
Posted
peterc64 robe63208
Posted
Go to your doctor and ask to be put on Oxybutynin . I have been on it for a week and haven't sweated once since. Most people able to have it with out problems. The main side affect is a dry mouth but as long as you drink some more water you should be fine. Let us know how you get on.
Peter.
courtney09591 peterc64
Posted
Hi Peter,
I just got some of these to try, I took only 2.5mg before bed & the next day I felt awefull! Headache, dry nose, my mouth wasn't too bad actually, disorientated, drowsy & driving was horrible. I was devestated as I had read people getting some amazing results with it & was hoping it would get me through the summer. I have hyperhydrosis which affects my hands & feet, never dripping but always clammy & the rest of my body sweats with heat! Did the side effects ease with time for you??
Courtney ??
peterc64 courtney09591
Posted
Sorry to take so long to reply as my mother in law passed away and so I've been busy. The only side effects I had was the dry mouth . It's been a few months now and the dry mouth is still a problem . At times it is unbareable other times not too bad but it is always there. Apart from carrying a drink around with me when ever possible , I also make sure I have some butterscotch or some other hard lollie which I can suck on just to get moisture in my mouth. I tried a gel I got at the chemist but I always just seem to swallow it and it made me want to throw up. So the medication has down sides but it's better than sweating all the time. I have had a few nights and days where I have still sweated even on the meds but only about four over two months which isn't too bad. Remember these meds aren't a cure , just treat the symptoms so I keep hoping someone will come up with a cure. I haven't got into the warm weather yet so I don't know what will happen then . My doctor told me I have to be very careful because these tablets reduce my ability to sweat when it's hot so I have to be careful about overheating because the body uses sweating to cool down when it's hot.
How often did you try the meds ? Has the side effects reduced yet ? Do you have any heart conditions ?
cindy102784 peterc64
Posted
courtney09591 peterc64
Posted
Sorry for my late reply I've had exams & only just finished. No I don't have any heart conditions & I only took the tablet the one time because the side effects were too bad so I didn't take it again. I've just ordered an iontophories machine so hoping that will help for my hands/feet. They do have a face attachment which I mite try if it's successful, however the tablets would fe super handy if they worked as I only need them I hot days in summer
courtney09591 peterc64
Posted
Ps sorry to hear your mother in law passed, hope you & your family are doing okay ??
anita91480 gill22568
Posted
I am from the US, 55 years of age....I too sweat profusely from my head and face...I have PTSD and high blood pressure...I find that if I go out in public, am around more than a handful of people my head starts to sweat and then my face gets red and sweats...my doctor said I do not have hiperhidrosis as there are areas that don't sweat....I don't want to take any more medications than I already take...I'm wondering about laser technologies that are used on the underarms to stop sweating...if they can be used on the face and head and if so, does it work?
peterc64 anita91480
Posted
i don't know anything about laser stuff. Better check with doctor about that. See if you can have oxybutynin , only two small tablets a day , 5ml each. If you can it will stop the sweating. I know you said you didn't want to take extra tablets but there is no cure for this condition as they don't know what causes it yet. But these tablets deal with the sweating totally, the only draw back is once you stop taking them the condition will return. But there is always hope that they will find a cure eventually and in the meantime at least you won't be sweating.
Peter.
amy94570 gill22568
Posted
Hi Everyone,
I am thrilled to find this forum, I have the same problem as all of you. My head and neck sweats like a faucett. Then it runs down into my shirt, and it's gross. I have whole days where my hair never dries because my head starts sweating as soon as I'm out of the shower. I have fans everywhere, and need hours to get ready beacuse if I move too quickly I will flip that switch and start dripping sweat which makes it impossible to even get dressed. Then I'm frustrated and angry and start snapping at my poor husband. It doesn't matter if I'm cutting up an apple or going out to get the mail, I end up sweating from my head like I just ran a mile in the sun. It affects every single area of my life, and I hate it. I have Lupus, Sjogren's Syndrome, chronic spinal arthritis and stenosis with two major surgeries already on my neck and lower back. This is where I may differ from you all. I do have an ultra-rare genetic illness called Fabry Disease that causes either anhidrosis (unable to sweat at all) or sometimes hyperhidrosis (you guys know what this is). From birth I was the non-sweating variety, but didn't know it was due to a genetic disease that only my mom and I have in my immediate family. So I grew up never sweating but overheating very easily. I could not sweat no matter what. I wasn't diagnosed until 2011. I started treatment for the disease which consists of all day infusions every other week. About 8 months after starting these treatments, I went from never sweating to starting to sweat but only from my head. But it was still tolerable. Now, it's so bad that part of me wishes I'd never started treatment. The sweating doesn't help me cool down, in fact it makes it worse, and takes hours to cool down once that "too warm" switch is flipped inside my body. The inability to regulate body temperature is a known problem in Fabry. And not just because of the sweating issue, but because of actual damage to nerves controlling the autonomic nervous system that helps controls our temperature. I have to be on these treatments because Fabry also causes widespread pain, damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, and many other things, and if I stop treatment these things will hit fast and hard. The treatment only slows the disease, it can't cure it. Add to that the fact that I have to be on several medications that cause sweating and I don't have a chance in heck of getting rid of this problem. I'm seeing the dermatologist on Tuesday to ask about these medications everyone here keeps mentioning here, because I just can't take this humiliating problem any more. I'm tired of having to carry wads of paper towels in my purse so when I start sweating in an elevator or in the produce section of the grocery store, I am ready to mop it up. I'm sorry to know others experience this too, but I'm also comforted that I'm not alone. Cheers!
jeanne70329 amy94570
Posted
I'm new on this site but am thrilled to have found it! I have seen many doctors, but not one has ever heard of it, very disappointing! I asked about Botox and got one estimate of $800 and another for $2,000.00; my insurance won't cover, but am thinking about asking one of the doctors to appeal that denial. I read one post from a gentleman who said that it works, and highly recommends it. incourage you to investigate. Best of luck to you