Sweating Problem - Excessive

Life Health & Fitness
1

[Original Subject: An embarrassing problem]

I sweat profusely. I mean my shirt will be soaking wet with sweat after even just a little bit of exercise, like climbing a few flights of stairs. As a result, my girlfriend says, I have awful body odor. She describes me as “hen you sao wei” after I sweat, which is usually every night in Taiwan, and most of every day.

I have never known anyone else who sweats as much as I do. People ask me if I’m OK, or who poured a bucket of water over my head. I kid you not. I shower 2 or 3 times a day, but that only takes care of things for an hour or two. I use air conditioning, but still manage to sweat rather easily. My g/f says she has yet to smell a brand of deodorant that fully works on me (though she’s certain it’s not the notorious “fox stench” some people get). She says my body is “like a human heater” at night in bed. She can’t touch me when I’m deeply sleeping. I’ll soak the bedsheets and give off enough heat to make her think the a/c isn’t even on!

What is wrong with me, and what can I do about it? I have always had a very high metabolism, and am quite energetic and easily impassioned. I presently plan my diet around having the most energy – lots of protein. I’m wondering if I went vegetarian and cut out all diary, meat, garlic, onions, and other spices from my diet, if that would make a difference in the amount I sweat or how much BO I have. Would it help to fill my diet with fruits that Chinese medicine describes as “cold”? Any advice would be helpful. No wisecracks, please. It’s a rather embarrassing problem, that sometimes has me and my g/f at our wits’ end.

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Try the www.webmd.com website
or a link

my.webmd.com/content/article/35/ … ectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}

3

Ha I believe ya!
When I come indoor people often ask me if it’s raining outside, or if I just had my face washed. Though not as bad as you I suppose. I’ve only known maybe just one person who sweat more than I do though.

4

Is this confession night for sweaty bastards? If so, great! I’m a big hairy mother with a fast metabolism, best suited to the Arctic wastes. It took me a while to adjust to the heat here, but adjust I did and surprisingly so. Now I feel cold (soft bastard) when I go back home. Wandering Dave - how long have you been out here? What do you weigh in at?

5

aj: I’m a skinny little guy, about the same size as the average Asian man. (I’m considered small in the US. People here consider me average. Fancy that.) I’m 170cm (5’7") and 63kg (145 lbs). Paler skin than anyone I’ve ever known (I simply do not tan), but dark brown hair. I have bad skin in general. Always have. I didn’t used to be hairy, but I’m gradually becoming more and more so. Thankfully not on my back yet!

I actually take very well to cold. I don’t mind it at all, as long as my head, arms, and feet are covered. I have awful circulation in my hands and feet, and most likely low blood pressure, a result of years of frequent pot smoking. I’m presently on no legal medications of any kind, Chinese or Western (I know some Chinese meds can give people bad BO). I don’t smoke tobacco, and rarely drink.

How this all ties into my sweatiness and stinkiness, I’m not sure. Some people have told me this problem is a result of my race and genetics, and I’m simply not built for this climate. I hope this is not the case.

Anyone know anything about Chinese blood-cleansing teas? Perhaps my liver and kidneys aren’t in good shape (I’ve had hepatitis before), and so my skin is trying to compensate by oozing out all those stinky toxins. It’s a thought.

I’d love to hear any other kooky theories, Chinese, Western, or otherwise, as to what’s wrong with me.

6

Hi, another sweaty oily bloke signing in.

Anti-perspirant - a myth.
My feet - they stink
What is more, I am oily too.

A trick I use is, now don’t tell anyone, using my wife’s skin treatments and a sray from the 7-11 or Shisedo that makes you feel cool - it smells a bit but you don’t feel hot anymore. I’m fresh out of it and I am struggling to remember what it’s called. Anyone know?

7

There are medical/surgical treatments for hyperhidrosis (profuse sweating) and osmidrosis (excessive body odor). I know of one plastic surgeon who use a surgical shaver to shave the glands under the skin of the armpits (ouch!), but it sounds like you sweating is more generalized. Seriously, talk to a doctor about it. I’m not suggesting that you need surgery, but at least you’ll have some more options if less drastic measures don’t work. Have you considered traditional Chinese medicine?

8

First off, your condition is nothing to be embarrassed about… it isn’t as though you had a choice in the matter.

Second, I agree with Jeff… if you are as uncomfortable as it appears you are, go consult a doctor and see what can be done.

9

How about not drinking any liquids? Just kidding. I searched the Internet to find this Q & A on excessivesweating.org/

What causes excessive sweating?
Many medical conditions such as an overactive thyroid gland, malfunctioning of the nervous system (autonomic dysfunction), anxiety disorders such as panic attacks, menopause, and even the night sweats associated with some infections such as tuberculosis (TB) or some cancers. For many people, no other cause is found, other than idiopathic (primary or essential) hyperhidrosis.

Can I cure excessive sweating?
Perhaps, depending on what is the underlying cause of the sweating. For patients with primary (essential or idiopathic) hyperhidrosis, there is no cure. Most of what is available for sweating are treatments that can decrease or help control the problem. Surgery may in some cases cure the problem of sweating, but almost every other method will never cure the condition, but can control it.

Are treatments permanent?
No, most of the treatments mentioned here have to be done continuously or repeatedly, or the problem will come back. None of the medications will cure the condition, and if one stops the iontophoresis or use of antiperspirants, the excessive sweating will almost certainly return. Surgery may be permanent, but even with ETS, the nerves may grow back and the sweating may start up again in time. This all may vary depending on the cause of the sweating, the underlying medical problem, and the treatment used.

If I stop a treatment, and the condition comes back, is there any harm?
No, most likely stopping a treatment will not cause any permanent harm. Sometimes, stopping a medication or treatment that has been working will cause the condition to temporarily become worse than before, but other times there may be no more of a problem than usual once the medication has worn off.

Can I take anticholinergic medication only when I really need to control the sweating?
Certainly. Many people will find that they get more nervous in public situations, and this nervousness may make their sweating worse. Taking a quick acting medication such as glycopyrrolate (Robinul

10

No advice concerning sweating, but as for the stinking, you could try one of those all-natural crystal stick deoderants. I’ve used nothing but for the past few years. Works way better than conventional deoderants, though it’s not an antiperspirant, so it won’t help at all with the sweating. I think the only place I ever found it in Taiwan was at GNC. http://www.tccd.com/

11

Excessive sweating, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is a sign that your body has excessive toxins and is trying to rid itself of them. If you are interested, I can introduce you to a qi gong practitioner who can give you a diagnosis and treatment. I have been going to this guy for a long time and I am pretty sure he will say there is a problem with the qi in your kidney meridian (not a problem in kidney function, but in the qi there). Send me a PM and I am happy to take you to him. He has an assistant that speaks English.

Mike

12

hyperthyroidism causes excessive sweating. get your TSH levels checked out. when i had my hyperactive thyroid nuked a few years ago, it took care of heavy sweating.

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To the original poster: I dated a Taiwanese girl with this problem. As a kid, apparently her hands and feet would be constantly soaked. She had surgery and most of the problem was corrected. By the time I knew her, only her butt would get soaked profusely :slight_smile:

Thanks god she didn’t have a body odor problem though…

14

Bushibanned, that sounds like a good idea. I have thyroid problems in my family. My mother had a lazy thyroid that wasn’t making the hormones it was supposed to. She felt exhausted all the time, and any stress that came her way was multiplied by ten. I should see a specialist.

I don’t think my problem is the same as a lot of posters here have pointed out. I don’t sweat excessively on my hands or feet. It’s my entire torso, head, and neck mostly. I’ve tried a strict diet – no meat, nothing spicy, no garlic, no onions. I took out all those things northern Europeans and traditional WASP Americans would never deign to eat. It didn’t work. I still sweated and still stank. Plus, I felt weak from the lack of protein, and bored from the lack of taste.

It could be genetic. My brother and father both sweat a lot at night, and always have. So do I. We’re all men with very high metabolisms.

All the replies have thus far been very informative. Much appreciated :slight_smile:

15

Not sure if it helps in your case (and it is probably not a very pleasant method), but have you thought of getting used to the climate?
When one arrives at CKS from a “more northern place” and leaves the airport building (and it is not winter), then he/she could well be shocked by the heat and moisture banging down on you all of a sudden. “Logical” solution: air condition. The problem is: You have to get outside once in a while and so far there is no A/C powerful enough for the whole island. (Though many people seem to be applying some kind of “distributed air conditioning” recently - windows open and A/C running…)
When I had been working at a really #@$% company in Taichung, the A/C was so week that the office got heated up to 34 and more degrees by 2pm. I had installed an 8cm computer fan on my desk to have at least some air movement. But when I came home, I didn’t even switch on the fan (there was no A/C) any more - because I didn’t need to.
I’ve become “weaker” by now, because now I spend much of the day in an office with working A/C - though I try to let the temperatures not go down too low, but still I don’t use any A/C at the places I am staying. Maybe your case is completely different, but still you could try this slightly more “natural” approach - although it will also take longer to see results…

16

So I’m not the only one with excessive sweating problems. Seriously, I would like to ask people here if they know any specialists and/or clinics/hospotals in the downtown taipei area that can deal with this problem?? How much does surgery cost??? Is it covered by NHI?

First summer here in taipei, and I am sweating like a pig. But for me, the most serious areas are my hands and feet. Constantly soakin! Is that rare or u guys know of others like me? From what i read on the internet, surgery has side effects and can cause you to sweat more in other areas. Well, are there any non-surgical methods that are fast and effective in curing hand sweating? Thanks…

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I’m fairly sure you have candidiasis. You have all the classic signs. Do extensive medical research to find out about it. Too much to explain to you here. First thing: eliminate wheat; excessive starch; processed sugar; alcohol; highly acidic food. Try a moderate diet of vegetables and fruits with little meat. Eat only two or three smallish meals a day. Walk half an hour a day. Don’t sleep with a blanket, ever. Drink a lot of water. Try fasting for two days at a time: see fasting guides for more information. Essentially, your intestines are probably very unbalanced. You need to bring your internal organs in harmony. Try Chi Kung massages once or twice a week too! They are the best. If all this doesn’t help you, I am deeply mistaken… but I know a lot about this condition and how it can be disguised as something else. Good luck.

18

Ilan teen kills himself and another in suicide pact

2003/7/9
TAIPEI, Taiwan, The China Post Staff

Ilan police yesterday said a local teen appeared to have drugged three friends in his suicide attempt on Monday, killing himself and a girl while his girlfriend and another boy were poisoned.
According to the police, 17-year-old Wu Kai-yin frequently told his friends that he intended to end his life because he was suffering from Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (inability to sweat).

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/detail.asp?onNews=1&GRP=D&id=19667

19

You better be kidding. I have a palm sweating problem, not a freakin yeast infection on the hands. If you can’t give useful advice then take your trolling elsewhere.

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Can’t think of any particular treatment of the top of my head but I do believe Chinese medicine would be worth a try. I’m a qualified practitioner but currently not practicing.

Chinese medicine tends to help in areas western medicine is clueless.
Having said that, I’d also go with a thyroid test. Forget the surgery, that’s plain crude. They basically rip out the sweat gland. Ok it helps for a specific region and in some cases that’s all a person wants. eg, excessivley sweaty palms. However, like you I’ve heard reports of people ending up leaking like a sieve somewhere else!

I’m not overly fond of treatments when there’s no adequate explanation of the cause. Granted Chinese medical explanations can sound weird but there is an internal logic to it all and it does have the benefit of being empirically tested.

HG