How to Stop Underarm Sweating


The foremost treatments on how to stop underarm sweating that will typically be suggested by health care providers for primary Hyperhidrosis include:water-drop-on-fabric

  • Topical medications
  • Oral medications
  • Iontophoresis
  • Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
  • Surgery

Of all these option, surgery is the only permanent treatment.  The other treatments are not permanent and must be applied continually or reapplied when the effect wears off.

Treating secondary hyperhidrosis requires that the underlying condition be identified and treated by your health care provider.

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Topical Medications

If over-the-counter antiperspirants do not stop underarm sweating, a physician usually recommends a prescription antiperspirant. This may prove to be a practical treatment option for excessive sweating in some patients with light to moderate Hyperhidrosis.

However, prescription antiperspirants are strong solutions which may cause red, swollen and itchy skin, and they may lose effectiveness over time. Most prescription antiperspirants must be applied several times throughout daily.

Prescription antiperspirants include:

  • aluminum hexahydrate in alcohol
  • tannic acid solution
  • formalin solution
  • glutaraldehyde solution

Oral Medications

Various oral medications can be prescribed as a treatment option for excessive sweating.  They have been found by many to help control their Hyperhidrosis. Anti-anxiety medications can help patients whose excessive sweating is primarily due to stress-induced anxiety.  Antidepressants have helped patients cope with Hyperhidrosis. However, these medications often have side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision and difficulty with urination.

Oral medications include:

  • Tranquilizers
  • Anticholinergics
  • NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • Catapres

IontophoresisIontophoresis Treatment for Excessive Palm Sweating

In this procedure, the patient uses a battery-powered device to deliver a low current of electricity to the hands or feet, and sometimes the armpits, while the patient’s body is immersed in water.  This treatment option for excessive sweating is quite safe but may be no more effective than a topical antiperspirant. The procedure is time consuming and can be mildly to moderately painful with some mild skin irritation. Frequent and lengthy treatments are necessary to control sweating. Patients who are pregnant or have pacemakers cannot be treated with Iontophoresis. And the devices are quite expensive.

Botulinum Toxin (Botox)

Researchers have discovered that Botox injections also effectively treat Hyperhidrosis by blocking the nerves that trigger the sweat glands. Botox isn’t a cure-all, however. It may take several injections to achieve the desired results.  Also, the treatments are quite costly and painful.  There have been reported side effects such as skin irritations with some patients reporting reduced muscle strength.  Botox injection results only last from four months to a year and will have to be repeated to regain effectiveness.

Surgery

Most patients with severe Hyperhidrosis who have exhausted other medical treatments have the option of surgery as a permanent solution. There are basically two surgical options: sweat gland removal and surgery to interrupt the nerve signal.

Axillary Sweat Gland Removal

If excess sweating occurs only in the armpits, removing the sweat glands may help. Scars may sometimes form following surgery and can permanently restrict shoulder motion. The glands may also be removed using liposuction which results in very little scarring.  This, of course, is not an option for excessive sweating of the face, feet or hands.

Surgery to Interrupt Nerve Signals

Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) surgeries have been performed excellent results. A large percentage of patients have had complete relief of palmar hyperhidrosis, and, for the most part, additional relief of plantar hyperhidrosis. The most common side effect, compensatory sweating, occurred in about 50 percent of patients, but was noted as minimal.

Patients undergoing either procedure start by having a consultation with the neurologist, have a sweat test, and meet with the surgeon and nurse. Further evaluation by others may be suggested, and patients who are good candidates for the procedure would be scheduled for the surgery.

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The probability of success for these procedures varies with the location of the excessive sweating. There is a 95-98 percent success rate with palmar Hyperhidrosis. Approximately 75-80 percent of axillary Hyperhidrosis cases can be permanently cured. Approximately 25 percent of patients with plantar Hyperhidrosis will notice some improvement. However, these procedures are not designed to treat plantar Hyperhidrosis and should not be used if the feet are the only areas involved.

This procedure involves cutting the nerves that carry messages from the sympathetic nervous system to the sweat glands and completely removing part of the nerve chain. This surgery permanently interrupts the nerve signal that causes the body to sweat excessively.  This surgery is quite expensive and is irreversible.  There have been complications noted such as numbness and compensatory sweating.  A sympathotomy involves cutting the nerve chain at the second rib only as compared to a sympathectomy in which part of the nerve chain is completely removed.