Thank goodness for Drysol!

I tried on wedding gowns yesterday, and I didn't have to worry about leaving sweat stains on the gowns.

Now I only need to figure out how to stop leaving sweat stains on the poles on the subway train.

Wikipedia woes

I had posted a link to my blog on Wikipedia, assuming it would be acceptable because I'm writing this blog as a public service, not to make money or promote myself.

My link kept getting removed, and I wasn't sure why.

It turned out that a Wiki editor had removed the link because he considered it to be spam.

So I wrote to the editor, whose user name is Mwanner:

Hello Mwanner: I'm writing to find out why you removed my Sweaty Palm Diaries blog from the list of external links for the hyperhidrosis page. I'm writing the site as a public service to people with hyperhidrosis, looking at treatment options, studies, and related psychological issues from a patient's point of view. I am not profiting, nor do I wish to profit, from the website in any way. The users who find my site through Wikipedia do not consider my link to be spam, and if you read their comments, they thank me for helping them by writing about this socially embarrasing condition.

I would be most grateful if you would reinstate my link -- http://sweatypalmdiaries.blogspot.com/.

Best wishes,
Tiara


Here is his response:
Two reasons, both covered in Wikipedia's External links policy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:EL -- thou shalt not add links to your own site, and blog links generally are a no-no. Why not work on the text of the article? We need that much more than we need more external links.

Cheers!
Marc

OK, he makes some good points. I can't change to Wiki policy, and I see how it makes sense, but it would be nice if they allowed links to blogs like mine that are created to help others.

Does anyone have other suggestions on how to raise awareness of my blog? I don't want to do all this work if no one sees it.

Blame it on the brain

According to a Mayo clinic study, hyperhidrosis originates in the brain: "...one part of the brain controls the sweating response to body temperature, while another area controls the sympathetic, or emotional sweating response. For reasons unclear to hyperhidrosis researchers, the emotional component is in overdrive. The result is typically a healthy individual who perspires excessively, even in mildly stressful situations, such as a handshake or job interview."

Happy Holidays, All You Sweaty-Palmed Lovelies!

May you enjoy good food and festive fun with good friends and loving family who love you for who you are. Let's get out there and represent. If there's a few of us at every party, then the dry-palmed people will feel left out. (-:

I used to drink a lot so I wouldn't feel really nervous at parties. After a few interesting "learning experiences," I can say with 100 percent certainty that I'd rather be sweaty and sober than drunk and dry.

What's everyone doing for the holidays? How do you feel about going to holiday parties...nervous? excited? a mix of both?

Here are some tips from the International Hyperhidrosis Society for staying sweat-free over the holidays.
Love,
Tiara

Iontophoresis

Several readers have asked me if I've tried iontophoresis. Yes I did, many years ago as a teenager. I worked long hours at minimum wage to buy the Drionic equipment and use it in my bedroom, hoping that my siblings would not see me and tease me. It hurt like hell! And it didn't work. But that was a long time ago, so I'm sure the technology has improved.

The doctors at a medical conference I attended recommended the Fischer galvanic unit over Drionic. I tried it briefly at the conference, and it didn't hurt so bad.

Anyone else out there try iontophoresis? Seems like one of the best options out there for the palmar hyperhidrosis.

Study compares palmar and axilliary hyperhidrosis

Botox information

A blog called BotoxCorner discusses the use of Botox to treat hyperhidrosis. It was hard to tell who is writing this blog and why, and whether he has any conflicts of interest that would make his blog less trustworthy. But it is worth at least checking out.

I saw Botox treatments (underarms and palms) administered at a medical conference. The doctor used ice cubes to numb the area just before the shots. The patients flinched a little but did not seem to be in major pain. There was slight bleeding from the area covered. Palmar injections are said to be more painful than axilliary injections. Iontophoresis seems to be a preferable option for most people.

The other problem with Botox is that it is expensive and not always covered by insurance.

I am wavering between treating my palmar hyperhidrosis and not treating it. I seem to be doing OK without the treatment.

Talking to your parents about hyperhidrosis

"John," a reader of this blog, wrote to me asking for suggestions on how to tell his parents about his hyperhidrosis. I think John is very smart to put some thought into this, because your approach will help determine what kind of support you will get from your parents.

I think I could have handled this issue better as a teenager. I used to put on a tough facade...I would pretend I didn't like any kind of activity that might expose my hyperhidrosis. Dances are stupid. Theater is stupid. Church is stupid. Class rings are stupid. Group pictures with the swim team are stupid. Sometimes I even believed what I said. It was easier to reject everything than to show up at the group picture with my wet feet making marks on the floor or to have someone notice my class ring *and* my sweaty hand. I definitely wouldn't advise the "tough facade" approach to talking to parents.

When I did ask for help, I was told that I was lucky to have my problem compared with other people's problems. I had enough food to eat, a healthy body, good grades in school...what more could I want? Yes, there are always people who are worse off, but hyperhidrosis is a real problem. In fact, studies show that treatment of hyperhidrosis improves one's quality of life more than treatment of many conditions that are considered more serious.

So before you ask for help, I suggest rehearsing what you're going to say and letting your parents know how the condition impacts your social life. Tell them about the time no one wanted to dance with you because of your sweaty palms, or the time a teacher made fun of you in front of others, or whatever might have happened to you because of your sweating. Tell them that non-surgical treatment is available from dermatologists, and your visit is most likely to be covered by health insurance. Print out information from the internet (especially www.sweathelp.org) to show to your parents. Try not to get angry if you don't get the response you want...it may take your parents some time to understand what you are going through. Finally, mention the problem to your doctor at your next office visit. The doctor could talk to your parents about the need for treatment. Hyperhidrosis is a common problem (3 or 4 percent of the U.S. population), so I would be shocked if your doctor even blinks an eye when you talk to him or her.

The International Hyperhidrosis Society has a lot of good information for teenagers, including an "ask frances" column written by a teenager who got treatment for her hyperhidrosis. Scroll down the page to see a letter that addresses this issue in great detail.

I'd like to write more about this important issue, so please feel free to jump in and offer your thoughts and suggestions for me and John.

Thanks for writing, John, and please keep us posted!

Singapore Support

Any people in Singapore with hyperhidrosis reading my blog? If so, check out the Singapore Support Group. It's great to see folks banding together to support each other.

The Wet Hands Club

At first, the Wet Hands Club sounds like a good idea: "The Wet Hands Club is possibly the first of its kind in Malaysia, formed as a support group for people with palmar hyperhidrosis, or excessively sweaty palms."

Three "wet hands sufferers" formed the club "as a platform to share their experiences in order to help other people with hyperhidrosis."

Yes, I'm all for people with hyperhidrosis supporting each other and sharing experiences. That's what this blog is for. However, in an effort to help HH sufferers, the club negotiated "for an interest-free instalment payment scheme with Maybank-Visa for those wishing to undergo the video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy procedure at a selected private hospital in Kuala Lumpur." No mention of the all-too-common side effects of this procedure. Too many patients report compensatory sweating much worse than ever.

Please, Wet Hands Club, make it clear that surgery is a last resort. There are many less-invasive treatments for people to consider before the surgery.