Excessive head and scalp sweating Any ideas?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello I am 70 years old female and have suffered head and scalp sweating mostly in the summer on days when it is hot. I have never liked the heat but it got worse after the menopause. On days when it is hot I find it hard to go out anywhere as very soon my hair is soaking wet and sweat is running down my face and neck apart from feeling drained. I remember preparing for my daughters wedding trying to dry and style my hair and I could not get it dry. It was a very warm day in July. I had a large hat so it did not show in the photos. I too have an under active thyroid since I was a round 45. I don't think it is that because a few years after starting the thyroxine my other daugher got married again on a warm day and I did not have problem (this was before menopause which was not until my early 50s).
I have put up with it for years it also happens in a hot restuarant or when cooking a roast dinner for the family. I also suffer from anxiety and we are going to a family wedding in August in the south of England. We are now in the north and will face a 4 hours journey down plus the wedding. I am dreading it if it turns out to be a hot day. I realise it might not be as we never know in the UK how the weather will be. Only last year I visited family for grandsons birthday but had to come home early as it was so hot I could not cope with it nor could my husband who has other health problems. Any hints would be much appreciated. I don't think people realise how this problems affects us. I know that nearer the time I will be getting anxious and praying it will not be hot on the day which is not a nice thing to think as they will want a nice sunny day for the wedding if possible. I don't think doctors are really interested and besides I have other health problems to deal with.
1 like, 7 replies
sheryl37154 libralady13
Posted
My severe face and head sweating was caused by a prolactinoma finally diagnosed after 6 years, and I was ready to jump off a cliff. It was constant, whether the weather was hot or cold.
As soon as I was given Cabergoline it was a miracle. The excess prolactin was causing my oestrogen hrt to be ineffective. I cannot function without my oestrogen. I am 66 years old and have been on it since age 39, with no problems unless my gp messes it around. I refuse to change anything now. As soon as my oestrogen gets low, the sweating starts.
There is a wonderful product available in the UK called MagiCool. It is a cooling spray for the face, neck, anywhere really, I even sprayed it on parted hair to get to my scalp. I can't get it in Australia anymore. I found an old can in the back of the bathroom cupboard and it still worked.
BTW, if you are deficient in Vit D3, it can cause sweating plus a whole heap of other things. Mine was low, and I ticking off nearly every line of symptoms. If you are low go for a practitioners brand Vit D3 drops. They are more effective than tablets.
And Vit B12, deficiencies in this can cause a whole heap of problems, as does too much. Injections are more effective if you are low in B12.
Tell us how tests go for you and if anything works.
bill09319 libralady13
Posted
I am a big time sweater... It has actually ruined some aspects of my life. I take glycopyrrolate which helps when I need it... But the reason for my post.. is I just started doing "whole 30" and I am noticing after cutting out grains that I must have a major wheat sensitivity. Already my sweating has been slightly reduced after only a few days using the program. Joint and weird bone pains are going away... Upset stomach no more... I'm hoping it will reduce sweating more as I get through "the carb flu" and I can get off the meds. I have seen a lot of posts from people with celiac disease saying they sweat excessively after wheat consumption. I don't know if that will apply to you, but figured I would mention it at least. Id do anything to live a normal life..
libralady13 bill09319
Posted
Hello Thanks for your reply. Your post is interesting you hear so much about people going gluten free even if they are not celiac who of course have to. I was only watching a program yesterday on tv and they said that sometimes your body it telling you to reduce your gluten products rather than take them out of your diet altogether. They interviewed a girl who had gone gluten free but also noted that she was now cooking from scratch hence no processed food. She started gluten again and apart from a couple of days of stomachache she found she was able to eat gluten again with no adverse health affects. I have thought about it but have just decided to not to go gluten free as I have both diverticular disease and IBS and it is essential I don't get constipated which I am prone to. My gp did a test for gluten and it was negative.
With regard to the sweating it only happens when it is hot especially if I go out a short walk can leave my hair soaking wet. Thins like cooking a roast dinner often means when I come to eat I look like I have just washed my hair. I don't think that I sweat anymore than anyone else on the rest of the body. I am overweight so that does not help. I really don't like the heat though as it makes me feel ill and worn out. I am still playing about with my diet and just trying to find out what does and does not suit me. Can I ask did you eat a lot of carbs? Maybe after a while off them you can go back but reduce the amount. I think it really comes down to processed food and of course still counts as processed. I thank you for your comments and will bear it in mind but not sure if that is my problem. Anxiety is my big problem mainly to do with health problems so that probably does not help. I will google glycopyrrolate
mandy30537 libralady13
Posted
libralady13 mandy30537
Posted
Hello Mandy I wish I knew what to tell you to do but I have not really found anything that helps. Are you in the uk and if so South or North then you will know we are having a heat wave at the moment. I come originally from London so know what it's like when it's 32c at least here in the NW of England it is slightly lower but still too hot for me. I have never really liked very hot weather but never suffered with this head sweating until I when through the menopause and I am now 70 and still have the same problem as I mentioned I am overweight so that might be part of it. As you say how can you go anywhere nice with dripping hair. I remember at my daughters wedding 15 years ago it was a warm day and I could not even dry my hair with a hairdryer. I went to the church with damp hair luckily I had short hair and a big hat and the driver rode round a but with the air conditioning on which helped for a while. By the evening with all the dancing etc my hair was wet and messy but I just got on and enjoyed my self. Believe me I know how you feel. Fortunately my arms are not too badly affected. I am sorry you are suffering as well and that I can't offer you any remedy although one of my replies 5 months ago does talk about reducing carbs please do read it from Bill 09319. . I do remember that once I went on a diet and only ate 1 slice of bread a day and felt really well (I have various other ailments). I do now I am not gluten intolerant thought as I have had a blood test for another reason. I do know some people think they feel better all round if they reduce their grains. There is also a spray Magicool? but I did not find it helped that much. I do hop you can find something that helps. Will post a gain if I find out anymore.
libralady13 mandy30537
Posted
Forgot to mention you don't by any chance have either under or over active thyroid that definitely affect temperature control in the body One of the classic symptoms of underactivity is feeling the cold even in warm weather and the opposite for overactive. I do know that you can actually have either with being underactive which I am but on medication since age 45. I get very cold spells even when it is pleasant outside say in the spring and of course as I mentioned have difficulty with hot weather. Do let me know if you have thyroid problems.
sheryl37154 libralady13
Posted
Yes, it did work, but then my gp upset my oestrogen hrt and while I was on holiday in France my head started dripping with sweat again, on to my chest, shoulders, back - you know the details. Then I got a cold when the temperature suddenly cools especially in the metro tunnels, and the evening because my head and upper body is wet.
She had told me to reduce this hormone by half so I went back to full and a week or so later, I stopped sweating. So insufficient oestrogen plays a big part in my sweating problem. All is well now with the oxybutinin patches and effective oestrogen, cross fingers.