Sweating Like A Pig
It all started off in my last year of primary school, my body was going through its transformation and I began sweating from my armpits. In the second year of secondary it was worsening but manageable, heading into the third year the sweating decided to change direction and took a detour to my feet. I remember coming back from school and taking my shoes off after a long day and the smell was unbearable and my feet would leave streaks of sweat patches on the wooden floor giving it the appearance of just being mopped. The worst thing was I wasn't that active at school it wasn't as if I was running around at break and lunch times playing football, my feet had no excuse to sweat to the extent they were. Soon I had no alternative but to visit my GP and ask for advice, I was prescribed a roll on deodorant which can be used all over the body.
However, for those of you new to my blog, you won't be aware of my Eczema and the deodorant would sting my feet leaving them itchy and sore. A few years later and the sweating took a final detour this time to my chest and back. I went back to my GP and was advised to try the roll on deodorant again, I pleaded with my doctor telling them how it doesn't work. It wasn't until I came home one day took of my shirt and took a photo and the second I showed it to my GP I was immediately referred to a dermatologist.
And here is the photo... it's a big step for me sharing this publicly.
My GP did advise that there wasn't much that could be done for me, I was informed about a machine which sends little currents through your body but is most effective in your hands and feet and so wouldn't be much use to me and previously on the NHS you could get Botox injections to help stop the sweating but this treatment was no longer available on the NHS. I visited the dermatologist and immediately I was diagnosed with Hyperhidrosis initially my GP thought the route of the cause may have been an overactive thyroid but the blood tests came back negative.
I was deflated on hearing it wasn't due to an overactive thyroid, there went my hopes of a treatment plan. Nevertheless, the dermatologist prescribed me some tablets and off I went. It was only about two weeks into the course of the tablets that the time has come for them prove their effectiveness, I was off to Turkey. Whilst in turkey the temperature teachers in its mid 30's and guess what not a single drop of sweat left me body. I was euphoric after years of embarrassment and sweating controlling my life it had finally been cured. I touched down back in England and would often wake up with an incredibly dry throat causing me to stop taking the tablets. I put it down to probably swallowing some of the sea water and adjusting back to the food back here at home.
A few months later my next check up was due and I told the dermatologist how they worked perfect until I came back form Turkey, he recommended I up my dosage to 8 tablets a day providing the tablets had not previously caused any dryness to my throat, I said no and left happy hoping these tablets would work again. It wasn't until I left the historical car park that I realised the tablets were responsible for my dry throat and not the sea water, I was gutted as my prescription wasn't worth getting as the tablets were causing irritably symptoms and now I'm still waited almost a year later for my next appointment.
Everyone would always say how it was the heat causing me to sweat which annoyed me as my back would be outing with sweat in the pouring down of rain and even snow. After a few google searches it became apparent my sweating was most likely caused by my anxiety. I've tried to relax as much as possible and not get worked up and to my surprise my sweating has become management. That was until today when I experienced a lot of anxiety standing in queues in shops, I thought I got over this but today was my worse day in months and just look what happened.
I wasn't even out that long it must have only been about an hour. This is the worst my sweating has been in quite some time. I'm stuck it's a catch 22 and never ending cycle, my anxiety sets off my Hyperhidrosis and when I start sweating I become even more anxious knowing people can see the sweat patches on my clothing and by becoming more anxious guess what...I sweat even more.
I cannot describe how controlling Hyperhidrosis is. It is extremely uncomfortable, imagine panicking 24/7 about sweat patches of odours on your clothes, worrying about having to shake someone's hand or take off your shoes in someone's house and even sitting back in a chair fearing you may leave a wet patch behind. Sweating is incredibly depressing, I just hope one day I will receive the appropriate treatment to tackle and beat my sweating.
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