Health
Related: About this forumNow will you believe me when I say I sweat A LOT?
This is me after three miles of WALKING in low-to-mid 70°s F, mild humidity. Not running, not jogging, not stopping every 100 yards to do 50 push-ups, just moderately brisk walking at about 3.5 MPH.
If this was me at the end of the Boston Marathon, that would be another thing. This is me after a fucking three-mile walk in the park in comfortable weather over level terrain, wearing short sleeves and short pants.
And no, I didn't spill any water down the front of my shirt. I even sweat a fair amount when the temperature is in the 60s or 50s. I'm twice as sweaty as this when the temperature is in the upper 80s or higher.
In the past I've complained about how getting so very sweaty makes the logistics of exercise more difficult. The reactions I get are typically like this:
1) People think I'm exaggerating.
2) People think I'm just being a wuss about a few beads of sweat.
3) People are sure I'm talking about just as much sweat as they sweat, but that for some strange reason I've never noticed that they sweat as much as I do, or that maybe I'm just overly self-conscious or vain.
4) The obnoxious variety of fitness fanatic will be certain I'm just looking for an excuse not to exercise.
5) People think I should be happy because sweating is good for you!
The very last thing anyone seems to consider is that maybe I do actually sweat excessively and that sweating like this can be a major pain in the ass. Some people tell their friends that they've been abducted by aliens and they're better believed than I am about a mere issue of perspiration.
A quick shower doesn't fix this either. If I immediately hop into a shower after exercise -- hot, warm, or cold -- I come out still sweating. I need at least 15 minutes of staying damn near completely still with a fan or an air conditioner blowing directly into my face before I've cooled down enough that a shower is going to do any good.
Sweating like this makes scheduling exercise difficult. A 30-minute workout is really a one-hour workout because of cool down and shower time. I'd love to make biking to work a way to get some exercise -- my job is only about six miles from home -- but I'd be a wreck by time I got there, especially if the weather were warm -- where "warm" is defined as anything over 50°.
The only doctor who ever seemed to take my complaints seriously suggested that I might have "an over-active sympathetic nervous system". He said that the some beta blocker, the same thing used to treat high blood pressure, might help, but no guarantees and that I might find the side effects worse.
aquart
(69,014 posts)Silent3
(15,210 posts)Of course, even 50% reduction would only get me part way to where I'd like to go, but I can give it a try and see if it helps. Thanks.
aquart
(69,014 posts)Thought I'd mention it.
Silent3
(15,210 posts)Now maybe it applies to all kinds of sweating, but I should point out that where I really sweat the most (not pictured because I wanted to hide my face) is from my head. Sweat pours off my face, forehead, neck, and upper chest.
Armpits aren't a particular problem for me. My feet barely sweat at all.
aquart
(69,014 posts)Just do NOT use it daily. Save it for special events and take it two hours in advance.
unblock
(52,213 posts)nolaboy
(29 posts)skepticscott
(13,029 posts)going to hell with the rest of us heathens, you are SO screwed.
Silent3
(15,210 posts)skepticscott
(13,029 posts)the brimstone is killer. And the drinking fountains are Christians Only.
ben_thayer
(375 posts)EXACTLY like me! If the temp is above 65, mild exertion or even mental concentration will cause sweat to literally RUN from my face and into my eyes. People who don't suffer from Hyperhidrosis can't appreciate what it's like. Takes almost ALL the fun out of Summer!
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)I sweat mainly from my head and it's a mess exercising, public speaking or just walking to work when it's humid.
When I speak in public, I just carry a big towel and apologize when it's time to wipe down. It usually gets a good laugh, especially when the collar of my shirt is soaking wet. I'm thinking about doing like the basketball coach John Thompson by draping a towel over my shoulder all the time.
When younger, I had bad underarm sweating issues -- but years of heavy antiperspirants apparently killed/clogged the sweat glands and it moved more to my head.
Every doctor I've mentioned it to, said it's good for you. In some respects it is. On a humid, hot day, I can easily lose 4 pounds by exercising hard for about an hour. Probably helps the kidneys too.
I too have to cool down after showers. Have been using fans lately. I used to be big into bicycling, but could never ride to work because of similar issues to what you describe.
The past year, I've been taking Sage Leaf capsules. It does seem to help some in normal activities, but not so much exercising. Haven't tried the tea.
Some other treatments are botox, some electrical treatments, even surgical severing of some nerves. Read about a treatment for head/facial sweating where they deflate a lung and go in and cut some nerves from spinal cord. But, seems a bit extreme to me.
Feeling a bit bloated now, so time to go work on the punching bag. I'll be soaking wet, but will smile when I get on the scales afterward. Will probably eat a pizza in celebration.
Good luck, and don't sweat it (sorry, couldn't resist). There really are worse things.
Warpy
(111,255 posts)Causes and possible treatments are at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004518/ There are also surgical treatments but those are reserved for people whose sweating has become disabling (yes, it happens).
Docs don't take it all that seriously because it's usually not life threatening, it just interferes with quality of life.
Mine is right at the hairline. I think lovingly of Botox injections in the summer but I've been too chicken to do it so far.
Silent3
(15,210 posts)...about what should be a simple thing to believe. It's weird, and damned annoying, how some people just don't get it.
It's not life threatening, but it does make trying to lose weight and get fit all that much more difficult. And then there are social situations where the sweat starts up and just won't stop and it's very awkward to deal with.
Warpy
(111,255 posts)or even low dose benzodiazepines. Print out the NIH sheet I posted and take it with you if you have to.
Sgent
(5,857 posts)really helps me with my problem. I also have tried Terazosin (an alpha blocker) with less effect -- although it does have some preliminary studies back it up. Both of these types of medicines are very commonly used for blood pressure, so the side effects are very well studied for long term use -- and tend to be fairly mild.
I suffered from sweating severe enough to elicit comments from people all the time. Just walking from the parking lot to my house of office could have me drenched from head to toe. My entire front and back soaks even my dress shirts and and other areas.
"Classical" hyperhydrosis usually involves the armpits or feet / hands, rather than the body as a whole. According to my doctor, the type I have with chest / neck / hairline involvement is rarer, and must be evaluated to make sure its not something more serious -- I had to have a stress test, EKG and echo. Also, certain psychotropics can cause these issues, so if your taking any of them you may want to try and switch.
Good luck, and I hope you find something that works.
MineralMan
(146,295 posts)hyperhydrosis as a side effect. Zoloft is one of them. There are others. Do some research on hyperhydrosis on the web and you'll find information on causes and possible treatments. It also occurs in some people without any real reason. Lots of info on the web.