what is wrong with me? (anxiety sweating)

[No_name]

Hello everyone! I've been surfing through the internet for a long time, hoping to find the solution to my problem, but with no success. Here is my problem: I have a really bad case of anxiety. All kinds of, altough I think that my social anxiety is the only one that's growing day by day. I was fine up until highschool, quite a character, I was always all over the place, but even then I had panic attacks. Nothing I couldn't deal with. It got worse in high school, all beacause I started sweating like crazy. Sometimes for no reason, I just sat in the class with my friends and suddenly started feeling hot and sweaty. Some seasons I get warm and sweaty feet, others its my whole body. It's killing me, because it comes with a strong, not so nice smell. I started isolating myself from all my friends, I hardly ever go out, exept for my collage classes (I even thought of giving up collage). I'm a hygiene freak - I shower 2-3 times a day. I exercise every other day. I've done most check-ups and it seems that there is nothing wrong with my health. It has to be all in my head.... I've been doing CBT for a while, it seems to be helping with my panic attacks, but it does nothing to my sweating. I'm going crazy here, living my best years locked up in my room...

Sorry for the long post. If anyone read it till the end and has similar experiences, or any idea how to deal with my problem I'd higly appreciate any help :))

[JohnC]

Hi and welcome,
I think what you have is called hyperhidrosis ( not sure on that spelling ) but for the sweating thing there are some kinds of prescription antiperspirants. Maybe even a pill but not sure on that. When I was a young man I used to lift weights all the time but I would also just bust out sweating while I was just sitting in class and it is embarrassing for sure. Have you talked to your doctor about this?

[No_name]

Thanks for your reply!

I've consulted my endocrinologist and, according to him, it is not hyperhidrosis, because I'm not constantly covered in sweat. I don't have sweaty hands, and sweat is not dripping from my face (thats how he described hyperhidrosis). My psychologist suggested that it is caused only by my nervousness. I've created a circle, where I get nervous because I might get nervous and sweaty. I've tried some stronger antiperspirants, but they've irritated my skin, and did nothing except that. The pills sound nice, but herbal ones do nothing for me.

The biggest problem right now are my feet. They get hot almost instantly after putting my shoes on. And I use mostly leather shoes and insoles.

[Riley20]

Hi,

I find that when I'm nervous and anxious I sweat a lot, almost like my body temperature can't control itself!

Luckily for me though, it doesn't smell but I am careful about what I wear because of stains under the arms etc, all I can really suggest is that you take deodorant out with you and continue to reapply - hopefully breaking the circle. But unfortunately it might just be a symptom of anxiety for you. Sometimes I can feel 'ok' but still be sweating lots and be very warm when usually I'm cold if anything but hardly ever too warm but even if I feel ok it usually happens in a setting I'm a little anxious about or don't feel 100%.

Don't worry it isn't just you, I do think it could just be a symptom of anxiety though unfortunately.

[Ritch]

I can relate to the excess, I'm usually a very warm person anyway even in the winter If I am going to be walking to some place even into my local village I just wear a T-shirt because I get warm very quickly even when doing very little physically. So that on top of when the anxiety makes me sweat it is a nightmare, it's like I'm a walking furnace and it just pours of.

My advice would obviously be a strong deodrant and carry a spare shirt/socks if you can.Someone I know also uses a deodorant that is like a paste under his arms and apparently it blocks the sweat but I have never tried it. my general doctor thought it could be hyperhidrosis and he said that sometimes people get botox injects to block/stop the sweat glands but I didn't fancy that.

[No_name]

"almost like my body temperature can't control itself" that's how I feel most of the time

I always carry spare socks, change them almost immediatly after reaching my destination, but it doesn't help much, because when my feet get hot they don't cool off until I take my shoes off for a while. So changing socks gives me relief for a little while (if I manage to change them before my shoes start to smell). I've read about the botox injections, but I've tried soo many solutions, none of them work for me, and botox is expensive. I don't want to spend so much money on something, that may or may not work...

Yes, yes, strong deodrants, I've tried them all. I'm the rare case where nothing seems to work ;)

I think it is anxiety sweating, because I don't sweat after drinking alcohol (I feel relaxed) and when I'm in a friendly enviorment (my childhood friends, family). But I can't get rid of it through therapy

[annakatarinas]

I feel ya, No_name. I suffer from the same thing, but my problems also wears off when I'm drunk. But actually, I'm still sweating even then due to an endocrine issue thingy. I think it's all a mental thing; it's not the actual sweat itself, but more the feeling of being sweaty and worked up that scares you. I know that feeling and it sucks. You won't raise your hand in class, you won't wear certain shirts and constantly use antiperspirant that burns the shit out of your armpits. But I think the thing is, just like me, you worry about being worried (in my case this triggers all kinds of weird anxiety symptoms such as excessive burping due to tightness in throat).

[No_name]

Yes, yes, and the list of symptoms goes on, like jaw clenching in my case. Just wondering, do you by any chance have thyroid problems? Because I used to have hypothyroidism and always thought that my sweating was connected to it, but my hormone levels are fine now, and the problem remains. But who knows, maybe it still has some kind of connection.

[annakatarinas]

Well I was born with spina bifida which is damage to the neural tube. This, among many other things, caused me to enter puberty too early, hence excessive sweating and other "puberty side effects".

[No_name]

Oh boy, sorry for asking. I hope everything will get better with time! :)

[annakatarinas]

Nah it's chronical. Nothing to worry about :)