At Home with Dr Christian Jessen - 75

| FACE YOUR FEARS|

'My hands would
drip with sweat - I
couldn't hold a pen'
JENNA PRESTON, 26, from Leigh-On-Sea,
is a digital marketing executive

'The ﬁrst time I really noticed I had
hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) was
when I was ﬁve years old. I was in a
special assembly. Somebody brought
a dog along and the whole class was
excited. I looked down and saw my
hands were soaking - dripping wet.
'It wasn't a massive problem at
primary school, but I remember not
being able to grip metal apparatus as
my hands would slip straight off. It
was more of a physical issue for me
at this age as opposed to an emotional
one. Mum and dad thought it was
normal because dad has the same
thing, but he thought he was allergic
to the glue in the factory where he
worked. My hands and feet were
both affected. I was always wiping
my hands, and I'd change my socks
three or four times a day. But it
wasn't something I got upset about
at this age, it was just annoying.'

Feeling self-conscious

'At secondary school, the sweating
got worse, and I was becoming
self-conscious. If a teacher asked me
to hand out exercise books and I
held them for a millisecond, I'd
leave a sweaty handprint. Ones with
plastic covers would have water
drips on them after a few seconds.
I'd sometimes ﬁnd it impossible to
grip a pen. It was upsetting.
'Kids would make comments like
"Sweaty Betty" and wouldn't touch
things I handed them without wiping
them ﬁrst and the taunting made it
difﬁcult to get on with a lot of people.
I did have one friend through the ﬁrst
three years, and one of my teachers
was supportive; they would open
drinks or crisp packets if I couldn't
do it. Some people understood, but
most didn't. Kids can be evil.
'We didn't realise it was a medical
condition until I was 13, when my

mum saw a TV programme about
hyperhidrosis and realised I had all
the symptoms. So we went to our GP,
who referred me to a paediatrician.
But at that stage there wasn't much
that could be done - medication
was out of the question at that age.
On her advice I tried aluminium
chloride antiperspirant, a heavy duty

'KIDS MADE COMMENTS
LIKE "SWEATY BETTY" AND
WOULDN'T TOUCH THINGS
I HANDED TO THEM'
product applied at night and washed
off in the morning. But it made my
hands sting and burn. The skin
would dry out, crack and bleed
- and I'd just sweat through it.
'After I graduated, I decided to
do something about this draining
condition. I tried the drugs
oxybutynin and Robinul, which
are usually used for incontinence.
But the side-effects of both for
me were a dry, cotton-like mouth,
which was uncomfortable, so I
stopped them after a year.
'I was then referred to the Royal
London Hospital dermatology
department, where I had a course
of iontophoresis. You put your
hands in water and a low electrical
current is passed through the hands.
It works for many people and it
did dry my skin, but I still sweated
through as my condition is so
severe. I wouldn't give up.'

The Botox solution

'At 22, my ﬁnal option was Botox.
I had to have 50-60 injections in

each hand, but it was agony because
the area is so sensitive. My ﬁrst
treatment was miraculous though,
almost life changing. Within two
days, there wasn't a drop, and it
lasted for six months, when I had it
again. I am lucky to get this treatment
on the NHS - it's currently only
licensed for armpits, and there are
only a few hospitals that use it on
hands. You can pay for it privately,
but it's very expensive.
'I'm not going to let hyperhidrosis
get in the way of my life. I've
stopped hiding it and my openness
has opened a dialogue at work
which helps me cope. I know how
embarrassing it can be and how it
can stop you being social. I never
thought I'd stop hiding my hands
but by taking the occasional snide
comment I hope I can convince
people it's not that disgusting.
'Julie, a specialist nurse, set up
Hyperhidrosis UK (hyperhidrosis.
org) and will answer any questions
you have. Don't let it beat you.' >

HELP FOR YOU

Treatments for hyperhidrosis
(excess sweating) include:
SPECIALIST ANTIPERSPIRANTS:
Available on prescription. Applied
at night and washed off in the
morning. Some can cause irritation,
but SweatStop antiperspirant (www.
sweatstop.co.uk) is for sensitive skin.
SILVER AND COPPER SOCKS:
Helpful for people with plantar
(foot) hyperhidrosis.
SPECIALIST T-SHIRTS: For those
who sweat excessively on the trunk.
IONTOPHORESIS: Available from
dermatologists (you need a referral
from your GP). Suitable for hands,
feet and armpits. People often buy
their own machines for home use
- visit www.iontophoresis.info
MEDICATION: Available on
prescription for generalised (all
over) hyperhidrosis. Oxybutynin is
favoured by most dermatologists.
BOTOX: Licensed for the armpits.
Not always available on the NHS
but available privately for around
£300-600 per session. Needs to
be repeated every few months.
FOR HELP AND SUPPORT:
Contact Hyperhidrosis UK
(www.hyperhidrosisuk.org).

www.athomemagazine.co.uk MARCH 2015 | 075
http://sweatstop.co.uk http://www.iontophoresis.info http://www.hyperhidrosisuk.org http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk
At Home with Dr Christian Jessen

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