Wildly Excessive "Normal" Sweating

[aaronrl]

Hi. I'm a 45-year-old male, active and in good general health, who has an issue with sweating primarily of the head and trunk.

The sweating occurs when sweating should occur - in response to heat, humidity, physical exertion - but to an extreme level. Where somebody else might show glistening skin or a drop or two of sweat, my shirt will become soaked down the front and back. When I say "soaked", I mean it looks like the shirt was soaked in a sink. When I am in a public place I do comparative checks to see if anybody else (including people who are morbidly obese) are sweating, and I've yet to see anybody who comes close even by an order of magnitude - my sweating is way beyond normal. At the same time, my arms, armpits, legs, hands and feet seem to be sweating at normal levels.

When the sweating occurs it feels like my body is overheating - that is, my core body temperature is rising faster and to a higher temperature than it should - and that the increased body temperature is triggering the sweating in order to cool down. The sweating is somewhat slow to abate following exercise, such that I can do a cool down, take a shower, get dressed, and still sweat enough to have it show through my clothes some 20 minutes later. I can accelerate cooling down with a cold shower, by consuming a cold drink and ice, by sitting in front of an air conditioner vent, and the like.

I first noticed the issue about twenty years ago, when I sweated through a shirt at a summer evening event where everybody else was dry. It has become slowly and progressively worse over time. It has become unpleasant to engage in outdoor activities during the summer.

I have had thyroid hormone testing (normal) and glucose testing (normal). My only other health complaint that may be worth noting (but I doubt is related) is that I carry considerable muscle tension throughout my body, with associated stiffness and soreness, but not to a level that I have required medical treatment.

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

[silverfox67]

     You might want to have your Magnesium and Potassium levels checked.  A lack of either one can cause some strange symptoms.    Are you taking
B vitamins?  Niacin can cause excessive sweating also.

     Hope this was helpful....

[crm13]

Next time you experience it, take your body temperature. Last 2 times I had these excessive sweatings my body temperature was really low (around 95.5). I was reading that temperature below 96 it's abnormal and it's like mild hypothermia. In my case, it happened when I was taking some strong medication (Valium) or after local anesthesia.

[Caryopteris]

There are treatments for hyperhidrosis.  But I wonder if you could correct it by changes in diet.  Get rid of caffeine and cut back on sugar and fatty, fried foods.  Maybe you react to dairy or citrus?  

Try neem soap.  Try applying white vinegar to the areas at night to dry them up.  Foot spray products with tea tree oil and witch hazel may help. You could try one of the natural deodorant products like those made by Jason.  Read reviews because some people say they stop sweating in addition to controlling odor.  

Try yoga for your muscle tension issues.