VerySweatyBetty.com

Want to thank our member and guest for this wonderful blog. You are a pure gem.

If you want to help us RAISE AWARENESS on living with Hyperhidrosis, please join in our cause.  We are one of the highest viewed sites and our Alexa ratings are high.  What could be better than trying to get our little voices out to make one big one.

My story,

I have had palmer hyperhydrosis since I can remember (I’m 25) and it has caused me no end of bullying through school with people not wanting to hold my hand etc.   I have tried all the creams available and, although they work well to an extent, they make my hands so dry and sore that I can’t use them for any length of time.

Since having my son I have also developed it in my armpits (and also a bit in my feet though not quite as bad) and now my problems have really started.

I work in a high school as a learning support assistant, and even though I wash everyday and use various deodorants etc. throughout the day, I have kids refusing to sit with with me because ‘I smell’ and now have my boss on to me trying to get occupational health involved as she has had ‘complaints from other staff’ about my condition.

I have explained many times that I am doing all I can to control my condition and that the last time I spoke to a doctor about it I seemed to know more than they did!  (So basically don’t think HE will tell me anything I don’t already know!)

Also I myself do not always notice any odor so I need the other staff support to tell me, but to no avail.   They are even telling me that if I don’t “SORT OUT THE PROBLEM” then I may not be able to CONTINUE WITH MY JOB!

I am also suffering with work related stress at the moment which is only exacerbating my condition, and now with them ‘on my back’ about it it is only getting even worse in both respects! (The only strategy they have suggested to ‘help’ is that I change my clothes at regular intervals during the day. With the amount I sweat this would be about every 2 hours or so to avoid any trace of sweat patches or smell so I would need 3 changes of clothes everyday at work! Plus I could just imagine the kids asking “Why have you changed your top Miss?”   So it is just not practical in my view!

I also have a problem with my amateur dramatics society when,  at the last minute I was given a very thick,  hot cloak to wear onstage.   I informed them of my condition and that I would be likely to faint with the heat and loss of water if I had to wear it,  (I once came VERY close to fainting onstage in the past and only just made it backstage before I literally collapsed in a chair!)   I was told to “GROW UP AND GET ON WITH IT“!                                                                             “EVERYONE SWEATS”,  and finds the cloaks hot but they just get on with it!”   Evey night of that show I used to just about make it through the scene and then have to rush to sit on a chair and drink loads of sports drink before I was fit for anything. even then if one of the older members wanted the chair I was expected to give it up as I was ‘Just being silly!’

I really think more should be done to, PROMOTE AWARENESS,  for this condition to the general public and medical staff,  as people seem to have no idea about how debilitating this condition is or how hard it is to ‘just deal with it’. They seem to think we can just stop the sweating but we can’t!

How we can all relate to this, what would you advise our kind member?  We all suffer the same.  Please join us in our battle to raise awareness on this awful affliction we all share.  Feel free to leave comment, join us in our forum www.verysweatybetty/forum

The more we help the STRONGER WE BECOME.

Tell us your story, join the forum to make this possible, help for the better cause.

One of our members Al brought this to my attention, and we thank you for this.

However, as she said, “was my ETS in vain after reading this?”  She suffers badly from many complications from this surgery he whole life has changed since that dreadful day!  

It makes me think will this change how the world see’s excessive sweating caused by Hyperhidrosis or is it just another flash in the pan and a fashionable trend?
We are going to open up a debate about this and would love your thoughts on this.  Would you take this pill and want to smell like Roses or flowers?    I guess you can choose a sent, could it be as simple as this?  It is not the miracle we were hoping for on the Sweat Front!  Will that pill ever be available for us to remain dry without using one for a different medical problem but have the nasty side effects that go along with them??? 
We have to keep the dream alive and  here at VSB  we are on a mission to help raise awareness, join our Hyperhidrosis Awareness Campaign. 
Thoughts on this please and lets get this debate going, join us in the forum or on our FB page, Sweaty Betty.

Copied from ABC News, to read more please visit their site.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/pill-future-turn-sweat-perfume/story?id=14819832

Those sweat stains could be the equivalent to a spritz of cologne if Lucy McRae’s research pans out.

McRae, an artist based in the Netherlands, hopes to create Swallowable Parfum, a perfume that can be ingested through a capsule and emitted through perspiration.

The pill is still in the research phase with no scheduled release date as McRae works with synthetic researcher, Sheref Mansy, to develop a prototype.

“My main aim is to provoke and make people think in a completely different way about how make-up can be [used] in the future,” said McRae.

The 31-year-old was inspired to develop the line after watching a documentary on Ray Kurzweil, a computer engineer who won the National Medal of Technology and who has written numerous books about how machines will shape the future.

Swallowable Parfum

Lucy McRae is developing pill that turns… View Full Size

George Preti, a scientist at the Monell Center which specializes in taste and smell, says pills that claim to change body odor similar to Swallowable Parfum are often not effective due to the body’s digestion process.

“How much of what they do that will make it through the digestive process and [into] the blood remains to be seen,” said Preti. “A lot of things will get taken apart in the acid in the stomach.”

Since taking a daily dose of perfume isn’t yet possible, McRae is staying with her scent of choice, Mona Di Orio, applied with a traditional spritz.

McRae’s Swallowable Parfum is the latest in a trend of cosmetic companies attempting to reduce beauty regimens to pill form. In recent years companies such as Heliocare and Murad have released pills that claim to provide sun protection. However these pills do not provide the same protection as traditional sunblock.

Hello all,
It has been a while since my last confession, err I mean post!…Just joshing I have brought up a very important subject and I think once you know what your MAIN TRIGGERS are you may be able to avoid or have your Hyperhidrosis under better control.

We have been chatting about it on our wonderful forum and Private Facebook page,  we all seem to complain about the same things!!!!

If you have just been diagnosed with Hyperhidrosis then this is the place to be and find out what can help you and what not to do, plus our friendly members and us the volunteers behind it all, with out us there would not be a VSB, I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of mine (Anne), Beverly and Kris’s hearts.  For making it a special place to come and find the support you need while living with this awful affliction.

OK, TRIGGERS…
They are out there and we do digest most of them daily with out even giving it another thought or sit on it or try to avoid it.

I would love the input on this and if I miss any out please add to my Trigger list.
What turns me on the most is,

Humidity,

Sunshine,

Caffeine,

Anxiety,

Stress,

Tobacco,

Alcohol,

Spicy foods,

Cooked foods,

Sitting still,

Movement,

Lotions, hand creams or bubble bath,

hot showers or baths,

Smells,

Time of the month for our Lady members,

Menopause, pre monopause,

Our # 1 hate of all is , Plastic chairs or anything plastic or vinyl…this is one of our huge pet hates!  Ban the plastic chair !!!

While suffering from TRIGGERS it is best to recognize them and try to avoid them or adjust them, for example, I love coffee, instead of drinking it hot I have compromised and now drink it cold with ice.  Does not trigger me as fast and I have really come to enjoy it.  Cut down on that spicy curry that makes you sweat from head to toe, spicy is not a HH’s friend and will make you break a sweat and turn bright red from chest to face.

Hand creams or body lotions, potions and all can be awful for us also, especially the woman as we tend to get sucked into it more than men, plus if you live in a dry winter climate the need of these is vital.  I do find that if I do lotion up after a shower in a matter of ten minutes it is sliding off me and face cream always is a challenge for me!!  I tend to get so much sweat under my eyes and top lip that I can’t apply any concealer or powder.  (Can’t wear foundation as that just slides off too!)
One of our worst is every day life, in a social society we live in, we can’t always avoid this or hide away with a fan blasting on us…we have to use our savie and do the best we can, there are ways of concealing your sweating so others can not detect it.  (Lots of hints and tips on our forum.)

Anxiety, stress as it comes hand in hand with Hyperhidrosis….rather like what came first, the chicken or the egg theory?  What came first for us?  The sweating or the stress that made us sweat?  Rather a catch 22, or did they both arrive together?  Give that some pondering.

With Christmas around the corner we all know that Christmas staff parties will begin and so on, we have to attend at least one.  I don’t know about you but I cringe and want to say, “No way, I am not going”  But I have to at least one.  The panic begins….full blown sweat on on what can I wear, will they see my soggy mess?  Can I please just go with a paper bag on my head?  In reality, No we can’t.  We have to think outside the box and think of how our HH will behave. 

What I am trying to tell you is know what triggers you, write it down, could be something I have missed.  Once you know your main ones than avoid them if your in the social eye and this will help your self esteem and confidence.

Ohh, Halloween is around the corner and finally I get to wear a mask or a paper bag on my head so no one sees the sweat, is that a trick or a treat?
Come on in and discover so much more at our forum, we are now installing a chat room to talk privately about your sweaty bits and bobs, hope to see you there.

Anne, Beverly and Kris xxx

Forum link

Meeting someone new is always a big thing, no matter who you are. Sometimes, even meeting people you already know can be nothing short of a nightmare, especially if you suffer with Hyperhidrosis. In fact, when you have an embarrassing illness, the stress involved in meeting anyone new for the first time can be enough to put you right off. I don’t have to point out that meeting a new potential partner is one of the biggest things you’ll ever do, this could be the person you spend the rest of your life with.

This subject has come up a few times lately. It seems love is quite possibly in the air! Some of our members have recently mentioned a potential new romance on the horizon. I think it’s probably got something to do with the cooler weather, it seems to go a long way to make us feel better about ourselves. Summer is incredibly stressful and we pretty much live to get through it as intact as we possibly can. It’s always a huge relief when September arrives, we know there’s around six months before we start hotting up again.

With all that pressure on you, one of the first things that will go through your mind (especially in the warmer weather) is your Hyperhidrosis. Will you sweat when you’re on a date? When should you tell the other person? What would you tell the other person? How will they deal with it?

Well, I can’t really answer the final question because the truth is, it’s not for everyone. The chances are that you probably have an 90/10 chance they will be fine with it. Most people won’t have a problem with it. Before my HH kicked in really badly, it used to come and go. When it went, I’d not give it a second thought. During one of the ‘dry’ times, for a few weeks/months I had a boyfriend who suffered with it. We’d hold hands, I’d wipe mine down my jeans when we stopped holding hands. It didn’t occur to me to mind. I vaguely remember ‘the conversation’ we had about it, I’m sure it went something like “why are you hands always wet?”. Him: shrugged “I dunno”. Me: “oh”. And that was that. There are some who can’t deal with it, but that’s life, it’s nobody’s fault. We need to see it for what it is, honesty. It’s one of those ‘take it on the chin’ things. Chances are, with those odds, you may not even have to deal with a moment like that. Even if you do, you’re not alone. But, when do you mention it, and how?

Timewise, there are two ways of doing this. You can either be up front and lay your cards on the table. The advantages are that if the person does have a problem with it, you can walk away from the person without having spent the time fretting about how they’d take it – and maybe even getting to like them. The only real disadvantage is that at this point in your relationship, they don’t know you. This would immediately put you at a disadvantage and maybe even give the sweating a chance to dictate the outcome rather than you being in control. The person might get the impression that it’s a big thing in your life – and if they think you see it as a problem, then you’re taking the chance that they will, too.

The other option is to take it as it comes. I call this the ‘mermaid/merman’ technique. You can call it what you like, but if someone asks you why you have wet hair or wet hands, it helps me to give it a ‘nice’ name. Just the word ‘Hyperhidrosis’ sounds depressing to me. Replying with “Oh, that! I’m a mermaid!” sounds more confident and less like I have a problem – and doesn’t bring the mood down. There’s only so much you need to tell anyone and it’s just another ice-breaker. Only say what you’re comfortable with.

I’ve tried both ways and I’m more comfortable with the this technique. The advantages are – you’ve come to like each other and they might see past the sweating side of things a little easier because they have had a bit of time to get to know you. You’re also not imparting that it’s a disproportionate issue for you. Even if it feels it sometimes is, things do change. There are new products coming on the market on an almost weekly basis. Scientists are currently looking into isolating the faulty gene that causes this – once they’ve done that, chances are it’s a matter of time before they can work out an effective treatment or maybe even a cure. You can’t rely on a cure though, you still need to be realistic. It would be an amazing bonus if it happens.

As for when the time is right, well, that’s completely down to you. You’ll have got to know the person a bit better by this time, even if it is only three or four dates in, you’ll know you like each other by now, so it’s just a case of picking your moment. Waiting for the topic to come up naturally can often be the best way. It will tell them that you have the confidence to deal with it and you don’t let it dictate to you. Obviously as time goes on, they’ll get to know how it really is for you. Whatever you do, do it with confidence. You know what they (I always wonder who ‘they’ are) the more confident you pretend to be, the more confident you’ll feel. That is one of the biggest attractions we could offer a potential new partner. You are you, your HH is just ‘something that happens’ to you that you have little control over. Don’t let it sabotage the good stuff.