Hyperhidrosis Support Group

Primary hyperhidrosis is the condition characterized by abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature. Some patients afflicted with the condition experience a distinct reduction in the quality of life. Sufferers feel at a loss of control because perspiration takes place independent of temperature and emotional state.

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Skin & Hair
/ Hyperhidrosis Support Group

HH for 20+ years - Oxybutynin!

DontSweatIt
DontSweatIt

     Hello my fellow Hyperhidrosis friends (wet handshakes all around!)!  I hope that my story helps someone out there!!  I was around 11 when I first realized that my sweating was MUCH worse than any of my friends.  My HH affects my hands, feet, and underarms.  Severe, dripping sweat.  I survived middle school and high school by avoiding social situations, buying clothes according to their camoflaging colors/patterns and their absorbency levels, and always having paper to 'fan' myself (just fanning my hands, but pretending to fan myself!).  I tried any product I could get my sweaty hands on!  I tried applying men's antiperspirant on my hands, wrapping them in saran wrap, placing socks over them, and going to sleep (didn't work).  I tried Certain-Dri (worked somewhat, but made my hands feel chalky).  I tried electro devices (didn't work...and it was painful!).  HH affected every aspect of my life.  Every. single. aspect.  


     In my mid-twenties, I had had enough.  I started feverishly researching.  I seriously considered the surgery where they severe a nerve in your spinal cord; if they severe the correct nerve you will be sweat-free, if they severe the wrong one you will be paralyzed!  I FINALLY read a post on a HH forum about Oxybutynin Chloride.  I talked to my doctor and obtained a prescription for it.  It took about 4-6 weeks for it to kick in to my system.  (I really believe it takes that long because your MIND has to wrap around the fact that you are no longer going to sweat all the time.)  After 4-6 weeks, my sweating had decreased by about 80%.  It's been almost 10 years since I began taking Oxybutynin and I would say 90% of my sweating is completely gone.  


     If you are suffering with HH, it's worth a try!  Talk to your doctor and get their opinion.  I take 5 mg of Oxybutynin Chloride each night.  (This is the generic for Ditropan; don't get Ditropan, it does not work for HH)  The prescription for Oxybutynin costs me $5 per month.  I hope it helps you like it has helped me.  Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information.  I wish you the best!!    

Thankfullanyway
Thankfullanyway
Dontsweatit, Thank you so much for this information. I'm a 62 year old male who has lived with HH of the hands and feet all my life. Up until now I have just tolerated the embarrassment or compensated for it one way or the other. I did live what appeared from the outside to be a normal life. I got married, raised three children, worked my way up the ranks of the fire department to Station Captain, and retired after 30 years on the job. But the entire time avoiding any hand shake that I possibly could and feeling and seeming unsocial to others. HH also had a huge negative impact on my marriage and contributed in a large part to my divorced. I was unable to take ballroom dancing classes with my wife which she loved so much and interfered immensely with our sex life. Now that I am divorced and trying to date again this condition is just killing me. I just cant take it anymore and must do something about it. I have just started on my journey to resolve this problem. I would like to ask you one question though. Have you had any negative side effects from taking the Oxybutynin Chloride ? Thank you so much again!
DontSweatIt
DontSweatIt
Thankfull,
I'm glad you read my post! I am so sorry that you've suffered for so long with hyperhidrosis. I understand everything you wrote; the condition makes you an outsider. I used to avoid hand contact at any cost!!
Congratulations on starting your journey to resolve this - you deserve it!! The only negative side effect I experienced with Oxybutynin Chloride when I first started taking it was fatigue. I just changed the time I took it to right before bed; problem solved. Other than that, I haven't experienced any other negative side effects. My doctor also does annual blood tests on me to ensure the medication isn't affecting anything else and they've come back fine each time.
Good luck, sir. I hope it works for you as well as it has for me.
JessieJackson
JessieJackson
IT all depends on the level of excessive sweat you have. I have heard of people that have Oxybutynin that actually end up getting irritated skin, had some hearing loss, and vision loss. Those are not things that I am willingly to risk just to get rid of my excessive sweating. I looked into other options for my underarm sweating, where Certain Dri worked really well for me. And the really important thing about this brand is the variety. They understand that not all hyperhidrosis treatments are the same. They have a 12%, a 20%, and a 25% product that is built based on the idea that everyone body is different so that everyone needs a different type of anti perspirant. After trying a couple, I noticed that the 20% worked the best for me. Not too strong, but not weak enough not to work. I know that Oxybutynin works for some people, but I'm not going to weight them against the possibility of me losing my vision or hearing.