IhateHH

Hey i've had sweaty hands and feet since i was maybe 5 years old which caused HORRIBLE feet smell. It didn't really bother me since i was so young, but in my junior year of high school, it got worse. People started to make fun of me saying i stink since i would stink up a whole class room within 10 minutes, i started losing friends, two of my teachers made fun of me with other students, and i started to develop anxiety from my sweaty smelly feet. In my senior year i started to get depressed and would ditch school which resulted in me getting kicked out. Im currently 19 years old, a high school drop out, no job, and still socially outkasted.

I've tried literally 20 different anitpesperints including medicated ones, i've talked to atleast 5 incompetent doctors that shunt me by either saying, "I don't smell anything, switch schools, try deodorant, etc." I've also tried non conventional methods like boiled tea, tea tree oil, rubbing alcohol, bleach, listerine, etc. I've tried talking to my mom about it, but she says im fine and she doesn't smell anything, i know she's just trying to help, but doesn't know why i sweat so much, so she just "lightly" lies about it.

I haven't been able to get a job, because everytime i go in for an interview, the manager takes one sniff and makes up an excuse before we even finish like, "we'll give you a call if something comes up," which basically means, go away. The one time i did have a job was at my local Big 5 which i was let go from due to disturbing the workplace or w/e...

I just want some advise that has worked for you guys, so i can atleast have a little peace of mind knowing that im not alone in this "bubble" that i feel like im in. Im broke with no health insurance incase anyone tells me to go see a doctor AGAIN..


Sorry if i wrote a lot and i understand no one would really like to read all this, but this problem is really complicated for me and my life, so i don't know how to explain it in a short sentence.

ultrafrost

hey, hey, hey
don't worry about the smell, I also had the same problem when I was in my teenage, I had serious feet smell even when I was wearing shoes. I fully understand your feeling.

I also tried many methods to cure my terrible smelly feet. Then I came across a webpage, it said that some kinds of smelly feely were caused by zinc deficiency. then I bought some zinc supplement from my local store. after taking them for about 1 week, my feel smell was completely gone!

you may google "zinc feet smell" for more informations.

good luck.

IhateHH

Thanks for the advise. I looked around my local rite aid and cvs and they only had capsule type zinc's and i read that chelated type zincs are the best kind, so i went ahead and ordered some online . I was wondering if itle work for a long period of time without continueing use, since taking any supplements for a long period of time can have adverse health effects. Thx


I was also wondering what type of socks you guys wear with sweaty feet problems. I keep getting different opinions saying cotton/wool is better but on another site it says moisture wicking synthetic fibers is better and that cotton/wool makes it worse and vise versa. I've been wearing cheap cotton socks that doesnt do anything and bought some pretty expensive synthetic socks called thorlos which did more harm then good. I bought the thinnest thorlos since i live in southern cali, and it was still too thick which made my feet sweat more, plus it was itchy :/.

I was thinking of investing in some Hanes socks, since they seem pretty high quality due to pricing. Plus Charlie Sheen commercials it, Two and a Half Men is awesome, and the women he seems to date are amazing lol. I'd like to hear your opinions!

Uber Schnitzel

I do know how you feel with the whole feet thing. It was worse for me when I was younger but it has eased off a little these days. The only things I can really recommend are just to keep doing what your doing, multiple things if possible such as changing your socks (and shoes if possible) mid-day, using deoderant on your feet, soaking them at night etc If you can you should try ionto on your feet, it' supposed to be a bit more limmited in effectiveness compared to the hands but it should help. I must admit I've never heard of the zinc suppliments before. In terms of socks apparently socks with silver in them is supposed to work (socks with actual silver in them, not just silver coloured) for reacting with the bacteria on your feet and thus reducing the smell. Sweaty Feet <----check here for what I mean. It's a uk site but it'll give you an idea of what to look for. I can't personally vouch for any of these things cos I've never actually tried them but I was looking into this stuff a while back before my feet improved and will again should they get worse. Good Luck!

IhateHH

^ im definitely doing multiple "treatments" daily, but it just gets tiring and stressful trying to keep up with the routine everyday with little to no improvements. I would love to try ionto, but i currently don't have a job so i can't afford a good kit.

For the silver lining in socks, i've tried thorlos silver liners and it hasn't worked, atleast for me. I read on multiple sites that silver lining is used in the military and that it works by binding the silver particles with bacteria on the skin which destroys the odor, but it was too good to be true for someone that sweats more than the average joe. Again though, it might just be me, since different things work for different people.

And i was curious, did your issues slightly fade away with age? I'm hoping that my stinky feet would if anything atleast decrease with age. id rather live with just sweaty feet, but adding funky smells that can be sniffed out 5+ feet away is just heart numbing..

kygirl19

I too suffer from sweaty stinky feet although the odor hasn't really caused me many problems. I try to wear moisture wicking socks and for the smell I bought some Dr. Scholl's odor destroyers powder at Kroger for around $5.00 and it works pretty good for me. I sprinkle some in my socks daily and shoes every now and then and no more smelly feet for me!

Soy Sauce

My feet used to smell alot worse than they have in recent years. In highschool it was pretty bad, but the past few years, my feet haven't smelled as bad. I'm 27 BTW.

Iontophoresis has definitely worked wonders for me and improved my quality of life immensely. It doesn't work for everyone, but I have pretty severe palmar and plantar (hand and feet) HH. I'm sure alot of the people who say they tried it and it didn't work for them, probably didn't give it enough of a chance. When you get the dough, give it a try. I just use the cheap Drionic ones and they've worked well so far.

Also, what you eat will affect how bad your sweat odor is. Keep that in mind.

There is also Avert (or other similar meds) that are gauranteed to work, but the side effects suck and it takes some trial and error to find the right dosage. Avoid these if you can and get an ionto unit, but if really don't have the cash, Avert can get you through tough social situations until you get the money for an ionto unit.

I know alot of us are hesistant to tell people about our condidtion, because to most people, they just can't understand just how much HH can affect quality of life. But don't be afraid to try and get your parents to understand. If they realize how much HH is affecting your life, maybe they will help pay for an ionto unit or at least provide moral support.

We've all been there, that's why we're a member of this forum. But keep this mind: There ARE solutions to help you manage HH, to the point where you can live a normal life. I didn't even discover Avert until I was about 22, and Iontophoresis until a few years ago and these support forums until a few years ago, so you're ahead of the game compared to some of us. High school was a social nightmare at times for me. Now, I can be in social situations, play videogames, read magazines at the store, work at a job that doesn't involve wearing work gloves, etc without being embarassed. So don't get too down, cuz you got alot of life to live and the solutions are out there.

brittany1882

if you dont have the money for ionto. you can make a homemade one, they have videos on youtube for it. i made one today & starting my first ionto treatment, i hope it works for me!

Ex-HH

One other thing you can do is change your diet. I used to have smelly feet but then I became a vegeterian and the problem went away within weeks. Your sweat smells bascially because you have a lot of toxin in your system. Also, drink a lot of water because the kidney will help remove the toxin more effectively and less will be sweated out.

koparo444

hey dude dont give up ! Like the user above me said , try to change your diet.The smell comes from what you eat.Try some fruit diet and veggies and you will smell like a perfume !

Give it a try ! Also drink really really lots of water , hepls ur organism ot remove toxins and cool itself down + u are going to be more hydrated.

Good luck !