Medication to avoid sweating

If sweating is completely unbearable and has social consequences, it can be tried to avoid sweating by medication. There are drugs that prevent the transmission of the signals to the sweat glands. But also the antihypertensive drugs, beta-blockers like propranolol, reduce sweating.

A somewhat more invasive approach is to numb the areas where sweating is particularly annoying with the nerve toxin botulinum toxin. Botox permanently numbs the nerve conduction to the sweat glands. The effect of Botox lasts for about 6 – 9 months.

The botulinum toxin can also be applied to the head. In the course of beauty treatments it is often injected into the forehead. This experience can be used in the therapy of excessive sweating. If sweating is related to stress or anxiety, the use of tranquilizers can help to prevent sweating.

Surgical treatment – cutting the nerve – removing the sweat glands

Only in very extreme cases and especially in patients with primary hyperhidrosis and high suffering pressure, surgical treatment is used to really permanently avoid sweating. One possibility is the removal of some sweat glands, which means that there are fewer glands available that could produce sweat and ultimately the amount of sweat produced decreases. In addition, it is also possible to cut off the nerve conduits to the sweat glands by cutting them surgically.

This procedure is used especially in the armpits, hands and face. In view of the possible side effects that can result from damage to the adjacent structures, this procedure is only recommended as a last resort. In addition, it is also possible to cancel the subcutaneous fatty tissue through a small skin incision, cutting through small nerve branches that supply the sweat glands.

In addition, the sweat glands can be scraped out. This procedure is considered relatively safe and promises to avoid sweating as much as possible. More detailed information on this topic can be found at Removing sweat glands

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