Emily

United States

Since I was in elementary school, I've dealt with extreme overactive sweat glands in my hands, feet, underarms, and most recently, groin. It doesn't matter if I'm cold or hot, nervous or calm. Since 9th grade, I've been taking an oral medication that has significantly decreased the amount of sweat, but even with medicine, it's a huge problem. It comes out so heavily, making me wet, uncomfortable, and self conscious. I've learned to pick outfits according to how sweaty I think I'll be that day. I separated myself from groups of people and Sunday school classes because I didn't want to touch anyone or be called gross. As a child, my pencil would slip out of my hand while writing, and my paper would become soaked. I'd leave puddles on the keyboard in typing class. The driver's ed teacher had to wipe down the steering wheel for the next student. I learned to live a life of hiding. As an adult, I still prefer my distance from people. On my wedding day, I couldn't even hold my husband's hands at the altar because they were dripping and swollen with wetness. I had to go barefoot because the heels kept slipping off my feet. The ring almost didn't fit because my fingers were so swollen (think pool fingers). To top that off, sweat was literally dripping down my arms while I said my vows. I embrace my condition more now than I did, but as a school aged girl, it was so much harder to deal with. While the medicine I take has helped, I get anxious about running out. A day without the pill (& sometimes even if I take a full dose), my whole body becomes a water fountain. I started sleeping with a towel in high school because it was hard to fall asleep with wet hands. Thank God for the medicine I take (glycopyrrolate), but I so desperately want a more permanent and more reliable solution. The creams don't work. The fancy deodorants don't work. Sweatblock worked for a while, but it tore up my skin. Carpe is good to use in addition to, but I wouldn't rely on it working independently, at least for me. Botox is expensive and painful. Someday I hope to get a surgery where they clip a nerve that somehow controls sweat release, but until then, I will gladly be an advocate for hyperhidrosis awareness. It is an under-Researched, misunderstood condition that needs a REAL solution. It physically affects school life, work life, and home life, as well as self esteem.