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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Why am I sweating so much?

    I religiously wear deodorant. I stack it on one swipe after the other; I ignore the two clicks rule because I sweat so bad.


    It could be -10 degrees outside and by my pit-stains you would think its 101!

    I have tried all the “clinical protections” and even put them on at night but I still swear profusely under my pits.

    Is there anything I could do to stop this sweating it makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable which leads to me sweating some more!

    I am a waitress and I have to lift my arms a lot and I just feel so self conscious.

    So what should I do to stop the pit stain from forming?
  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • Dr John Mahony studied Medicine at Sydney University 1980-1984 graduating early 1985. Internship and residency years followed in the Illawarra, covering general medical and surgical … View Profile

    If you have tried every over-the-counter solution there is, and if this issue is important enough to you, you should just simply fix it with Botox.

    In adequate doses Botox will stop your sweat glands from receiving any message to sweat. So they will just stop sweating. End of story.

    Now, one of the tricks of this treatment is that you don't necessarily need a lot of Botox to achieve very adequate dryness. I find 20 units per side makes my patients very happy and grateful. This is much lower than the textbook recommendationn of 50 - 100 units per side, but it is commensurately much less expensive.

    In my practice this 40 units would cost you $590, and you'd be dry for around 9 months.

    Yes, the treatment involves multiple tiny needles to the skin of your armpit - at my place you'd get around 50 each side - but with EMLA, ice application and Entonox you'll be fine. Home and dry, as they say.

    Risks: some little bruises are common, but, assuming the treatment is done properly and the Botox is applied to only the very superficial subdermis, no other side effects should arise (of course, going too deep would risk nerves and blood vessels - make sure your doctor is careful and experienced).

    Some patients will describe that upon stopping the sweat from arising from one spot, more sweat arises elsewhere. So, for example, if we block your armpit sweat, you might find your hands or feet sweat more to compensate. Unfortunately, if you have this treatment, you have to accept this risk, but the great majority of patients still find the whole thing worth it.

    Cheers

  • Dr John Mahony studied Medicine at Sydney University 1980-1984 graduating early 1985. Internship and residency years followed in the Illawarra, covering general medical and surgical … View Profile

    Prof Sinclair is perfectly correct - it is possible to access subsidised Botox for the treatment of axillary sweating as he has proposed.

    A prudent patient would make enquiries about the *total out-of-pocket costs*  they might face with whatever management pathway they choose.

  • Dr John Mahony studied Medicine at Sydney University 1980-1984 graduating early 1985. Internship and residency years followed in the Illawarra, covering general medical and surgical … View Profile

    Did a Botox treatment yesterday for axillary hyperhidrosis, total 40 units for $590

    She'd been quoted $1200 out-of-pocket by a dermatologist, “even after” all the subsidies and Medicare involvement.

    Not that price is the only issue, of course. Experience, skill and expertise are obviously what every patient ultimately seeks in any medical treatment.

    Point is: do the research.

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