I had ets surgery...

Hello,

I'm a 30yold male,athletic and in good health. One problem i always had was Hyperhidrosis ever since my teens. It had affected my carreer,my love life,relationship with others...everything It was ALWAYS on my mind. I suffered mostly from sweating in my hands and feet,but the hand part was the most suffering part as your hands is your first contact with meeting someone or showing affection...signing papers etc....

I had tried everything...from useless creams and ointments for the hands...to electro shocks...the oral pills....I did the botox injections....you name it i did it. The only one that actually worked for me was the Botox injections. I did it in 2010 and doctor told me it would last minimum 6months to a year...WRONG. It actually lasted only 2 months before i started sweating again. But it was the best 2months of my life! But paying 600$ for a 2month cure gets too expensive. And as far as people being scared it hurts...its not that bad. First needles hurt a bit but after its like nothing. Nothing to be worried about,they numb you nerves when they do that anyways. On a side note i have to say that i smoked marijuana. And i did not smoke it to get high or act stupid...marijuana was the only remedy helping me with my anxiety and would make my hands dry, it was weird. One thing for sure...anxiety=my hands pouring in sweat. I had tried anxiety pills to see if it would help...but pills seem to make my sweating worse. The marijuana helped alot for my hand sweat. But i didnt want to do that all my life and i cant go to work high on marijuana.

So here I am...30yold and completely fed up with my problem. I became having depression,severe anxiety because of this hand sweat and became anti-social as i would fear or avoid people or situations where i have to shake hands....or even worse hold the hands or touch the person you love.

Thanks to the internet i started to read alot about this hyperhydrosis. I did my research...read the goods and the bads about the final step...ETS Surgery. I was really scared about the bad reputation that surgery had for some people...but at same time i guess the people for who it worked wouldnt come on forums and said it worked as people mostly post stuff when sometmies is wrong not good....

So i wen to see my dermatologist and told im i was fed up with this and i wanted to consult a Thoracic surgeon for ets surgery. I consulted the surgeon...he made me feel confident about the surgery...but every surgery can be risky lets not be fooled. For your information i live in Montreal,Canada and hyperhydrosis is covered by our health care system so i didnt have to pay nothing for the surgery as I read in the USA it can be quite an expensive surgery. So 2 months later here i am in the operating room getting ready to be cut. They are gonna insert a straw size camera under both my arm pits and another straw size to insert tiny instruments. This was done under full anesthesia. Before the surgery I asked him if it was only gonna be T4 nerve he was gonna cut and he told me T3 and T4 for hands hyperhydrosis.

I woke up 1hour later with my hands and feet fully dry. It was so weird. I felt a big pain im my chest as your lungs get deflated to get access to the sweating nerves near your spine.For some odd reason the doctor told me he cut the T3-T4...and T5!! thanks for letting me know doc!!

After surgery i felt Like if a 500 pound gorilla was sitting on my chest. The pain medicine helped with the pain. My back muscle hurt too. But by next day i was able to leave hospital and walk again. Taking deep breaths ad coughing or sneezing was hurting me alot. But after a week the pain went away.

One day 3 of my surgery I got scared because my right hand was staring to sweat again like crazy...but odd enough it became dry completely the next day.

Now the side effects that i feel from this....Alot of you out there suffered compensatory sweating after the surgery...and i have to say I'm one of those now...let me explain something quick...the T3-T4 nerves act for hand-feet sweat mostly...the T5 acts for sweat for under arms,your face and upper body above nipples. So basically right now i have ZERO sweat in my WHOLE arms and hands. I basically have zero sweat above my nipples and have no more goose bumps in my arms or above my nipples,you can actually see a perfect line acrosse my nipples....i have goosebumps in legs and torso but zero goosebumps above my nipple line or arms...its weird.

I do have severy compensatory sweating coming from my back and my torso,groins and legs...but the sweat is gone from my hands and my feet have improved so much. I can tolerate this compensatory sweating compare to the nightmare I had with my hands. I have to say that heat is the worst enemy. And when i get in nervous situations il sweat from those body parts. But if im in a room where its nice and cool or outside with normal breeze i feel great with zero sweat. Its just something you get used to...I do not wear light clothing because of this...so I adjust. Il wear a tank top under my shirts and Il manage. I got this surgey done on July19th 2012 so here in Montreal we get like 30degrees and humidity so it was a good test to see how my body would react.

Il admit the first week of surgery...I just felt weird...like your body is adjusting to those nerves being cut. I starting having regrets about this surgery and was crying at night about what i done to myself. The first few days of compensatory sweat makes you want to cry as I was not used to sweat from those body parts but only my damn hands and feet. But here I am a month later and i have to say that Im happy with ETS surgery...I feel more confident and it just feels great to shake hands and not be worry about the nasty sweats on your hands....just holding my girlfriends hand is just amazing. And as far as sex life there is nothing wrong down there after surgery

Just be aware that everybody is different and react different to surgery...the biggest con I can say is the compensatory sweat...but like i said you manage to live with it and it alot better than nightmare i had with my hand sweat.

I hope my experience have helped you some out there that arent too sure about doing this as i was very afraid to do it as well. People dont have a clue whats it like to be a HH sufferer...My hand feet sweat affected me in my everyday life...i washed my hands like 50x a day...worried 24/7 who would come shake my hand or avoid social situations...I became bitter...less smiley...anxious...depressed... I just want to be the person that i know i can be and enjoy life without having to worry about this Hyperhydrosis...and so far I have to say I'm happy how it changed my life....I know alot of you have had bad experiences with ETS surgery but there are somewhat good stories out there and i want it to share it. Sorry for my english grammar as English is not my first language.

I wish you all a good day and hope my story have helped some of you out there.

Roby.

Thanks for sharing your story. Check back in with us every several months and tell us how the compensatory sweating is.

I had ETS on T3/T4 in January 2011, and I can't sweat from my arms, or face, or anywhere above the nipple line either. So it's definitely not a T5 thing. Some people after T3/T4 can still sweat on the head. Before my surgery I was almost certain I'd still be able to sweat from my head, but I was wrong. Anyways, I live in Florida so that's probably why I'm complaining about this problem. I have developed heat intolerance because there is no sweat above the nipple line. Hopefully you don't have this problem in Montreal.

I do have compensatory sweating, but the heat intolerance is more of a problem for me. My shirt is frequently soaked, but it's not really a problem in Florida, and I don't care what other people think about it. Overall, the side effects I have are favorable compared to the distress my sweaty hands caused. I don't have goosebumps above the nipple line either, but that's nothing to worry about imo.

Btw, how many consecutive days did you do iontophoresis for?

Steve

I do not sweat above the nipple line anymore. I taught the sweat was gonna stop sweating in my hands not my whole arms and face...

But i do sweat in the forehead if i eat spicy stuff or if i workout...I dont mind that i want to sweat in my face if i workout.

I was surprised when my surgeon told me AFTER the surgery he cutted the T5 nerve also.

I gotta say my upper body just feels different...its weird. But you get used to it i guess.

I did electro shocks for about 3months...worked a bit...but sweat would still comeback like crazy.

Well guys I live in the UK and as many know the weather is mainly rain with scattered sunny spells I've had t3 t4 on both sides done nd was allowed home the same day the weird things you mention I can still remember like feeling cool air on your face one side at a time was Crazy to get used too. But you do over come tht sensation nd you feel great but my compensatery sweating is so ****ed up I can't handle it as the temperature over here is far lower thn you guys.. I'm currently on the sick for my HH but thy try kicking me off every couple of month nd since my ops I can't eat certain food as it sparks off a sweat storm.. I neva had this problem before my ops so I don't thank my docs at all if any thing I wish death upon thm. I have palpertations in my chest, chronic bk pain were my nerves are no longer there. Find it hard to concentrate on things like writing this msg nd get so angry. I've researched that after these ops patients suffer with symptoms simaler to fibromialgia. Random bouts of depression,chronic nd random pains, I'd like to also say my mental state now has diminished. I feel empty,no true feelings of existance. My Nxt medical is Nxt month nd I want to make these so called professionals suffer, I know my thoughts are wrong but I've passed caring nd feels its the only way to open their eyes as to what some of us go threw on a daily basis.. I suffer from anxiety now, constantly think.of harming the Nxt person who comments about my HH as its comes out of everywhere now apart from my hands... I'm sorry if you read this nd thknk I'm a sycho but I'm just telling you this isn't who I was before my ops I wish I could be the old me not this monster I feel today..

Hey guys I feel your pain! believe me. I suffer with the worst damn compensatory sweating. I had ETS 10 yrs ago, and they cut my Rt. side T3 , Lt side T3-4 (complications prevented cutting rt side T4)
Im now living in a humid hot place temporarily. Im basically just traveling and getting away from the US for a while so Im in central america. I had to get away because my horrible compensatory sweat combined with the anxiety /depression that it brings , coupled with the bad economy has led to me being unemployed and hopeless! so i decided to travel, but all that did was make me more depressed because although im seeing beautiful tropical places I cant enjoy them because its humid and if I walk for 20 minutes in the sun i get soaked in sweat and must change cloths!! So I share your pain and your anger believe me. But Ive been researching and Ive heard of some hopeful studies going on. One involves using radio-frequency to damage the sweat glands and another is called "internal ultrasound" the radio freq. study is going on now in the bay area of california but is only for the armpits, the other im not sure about yet i think its next year. It supposedly uses ultrasound waves to destroy sweat glands. Im hoping this will be available for large body areas affected by comp sweating. the place i saw info on these studies was a site called Very Sweaty Betty check it out its a great community of sweaters. I hope im not breaking a rule here. im not a spammer im a person hoping to get more help getting info about these studies and seeking other post ETS people to let the people doing the studies know that we need a cure for compens. sweating more desperately than the people with just armpit sweat!! Im just really desperate for a cure for compensatory sweating!! its destroying my life. the last job I had I couldnt really focus when I was around people because I knew they were looking at my sweat stains and trying to figure out why I was so wet. This kills my confidence about finding a new job now. good luck guys.

I haven't read much over the years of people solving the compensatory sweating dilemma. Honestly, I don't think it's solvable physically. Some people get results by using glyco. Medication is not for everyone. Some how we have to do the best we can with what we have. I find it hard to deal with body sweats during the warm months, yet I deal with it the best I can. It doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. The Hand sweating drives me nuts. Now at least I can talk about it openly with family and friends thus releasing some of the burden.

Yes, my career choices have been compromised. Oh well. Now that I'm in my low 50's and my body is not responding the way I'd like. Being unable to work sucks way more than the sweating. I've learned to become more grateful for the things I have rather than being mad at the world.

Well I hope it works out for you over the long term as well. It's the old dilemma I guess because it's (for now at least) such a 'no way back' procedure and for some the results are ok while for others they are terrible.

Personally I don't dare having it done. My HH is so generalised that even right now I already feel like I have CS sometimes as I sweat through shirts and trousers. I don't even want to know how bad that would get after ETS.

For some with pretty bad yet isolated palm(oplant)ar HH it might work though...

Anyway I'm personally still hoping some kind of medication comes along whithin a year or 10 to help my generalised HH without causing a lot of side effects. I think it could happen, either as a result of a growing interested in sweating by the medical world over the last 1-2 decades, or as a by product of other new meds so I'm clinging on to that thought basically in hopes that I'll at least get a few good years before I'm 40.

But yeah, I hope it'll turn out alright for those who take the plunge and decide for ETS.

What's the point any more I'm giving up,I've cut my arms last night out of pure frustration with my HH I can't stop thinking of what a big mistake I've made by letting my self get talked into my ETS ops. Guess I best get to the docs nd get some mental help as its wrong I should feel like this. But what is an hour sat with a phychiatrist goin to achieve? When an hour in the operation room has caused a life time of hurt.. I feel like the biggest arsehole in the world. I wish you all luck with your decision with HH nd I should neva have came back on here with my problems. Pls forgive me all of you shouldn't have to read this,I was such a happy person before I allowed my self to go under the knife..

Hello guys.Sorry too bump this but how is it possible to stop the sweating in head without cutting T2? I was also cutted at T3,T4 and T5 but i still sweat normally from my head when i exercise and when i get goosebumps, i think i got them all over the place.

I thought that those nervers were clamped instead of cut, so that the clamps could be removed in case problems show up.

I thought the same thing too. That's what my deem told me just two days ago actually. Anyone know about that? Rapidly approaching that as my only viable option. Robinul doesn't seem to be workin and makes me feel crummy

Hey guys,
I have also come to the decision to try ETS. I have the surgery this Tuesday. Im just so tired of being held back by my sweaty hands and all other options havent worked.
I put considerable research into the decision, and despite the hate, the literature is very favourable to it. The risk of compensatory sweating cant outweigh the benefit of living with this condition. Also, i live in Canada so the surgery is covered under our free insurance

I am getting clamped rather than cut. The research says that it is about a 50/50 chance of it being reversable during the first couple months. The odds get worse the longer you wait to have it reversed.

WetPalms, good luck and keep us updated please

It can take up to several years for the honeymoon phase of ets before the major compensatory sweating activates. Don't be fooled by success stories less than 2 years old.

Had the surgery, so far I am incredibly happy with the results.
Woke up in the post op room with warm dry hands!
In 2 days i have had 0 sweat from my hands, underarms, chest or forehead (areas that are usually terrible for me).
My feet remain cold and sweaty as they have always been.

I woke up this morning with some minor compensatory sweating on my lower back, but its basically nothing.

Too early to say for sure, but so far im very optomistic with the surgery. Ill update you guys in a few weeks.

Sprawling said:

It can take up to several years for the honeymoon phase of ets before the major compensatory sweating activates. Don't be fooled by success stories less than 2 years old.

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Did you have the surgery?

WetPalms said:

Had the surgery, so far I am incredibly happy with the results.
Woke up in the post op room with warm dry hands!
In 2 days i have had 0 sweat from my hands, underarms, chest or forehead (areas that are usually terrible for me).
My feet remain cold and sweaty as they have always been.

I woke up this morning with some minor compensatory sweating on my lower back, but its basically nothing.

Too early to say for sure, but so far im very optomistic with the surgery. Ill update you guys in a few weeks.

Click to expand...

Good luck

WetPalms said:

Had the surgery, so far I am incredibly happy with the results.
Woke up in the post op room with warm dry hands!
In 2 days i have had 0 sweat from my hands, underarms, chest or forehead (areas that are usually terrible for me).
My feet remain cold and sweaty as they have always been.

I woke up this morning with some minor compensatory sweating on my lower back, but its basically nothing.

Too early to say for sure, but so far im very optomistic with the surgery. Ill update you guys in a few weeks.

Click to expand...

Awesome, hope it lasts forever!

i'm sorry to hear for all of you that are suffering from the bad side effects of ets surgery and i truly hope you guys find a cure or means of managing it such that you can be happy in your day to day life. i'm from singapore so the temperatures of 34 degrees celcius or 93 fahrenheit is not uncommon. i still perspire from my face a fair bit when i move about as compared to when i perspired all the diddlydarn time before the surgery. i do hope these results last and wish you guys the best in finding the best way of managing your hyperhidrosis. cheers n beers

Wannabedry:

Hi!
I had ETS surgery about the same amount of years ago you did. I was a sophomore in high school and have been dealing with hyperhidrosis my entire life. I remember how hard it was to do art work in KINDERGARTEN because my hands were so sweaty and would soke my paper, utensils, and clothing. And I was only in kindergarten. As I grew older it got worse and it was the worst in my hands, feet, and underarms. I went into depression and required anxiety from all of the embarrassment and uncomfortable situations. Not only were my hands and feet sweaty, they would drip with sweat no matter what the temperature was, and they would usually get puffy, and purple and it was hard to do anything. I decided with my parents to have the ETS surgery because of my severe hyperhidrosis. My hands have been dry ever since and I rarely sweat in my arm pits. I still have to wear deoderant. My feet got worse however and they sweat perfusiley but I would prefer foot sweat to hand sweat. It worked for my hands which is great but I suffer from compensatory and gustatory sweating. I sweat a lot in my legs, butt, and stomach and a lot from my back. Never really sweated from those places before ETS. The gustatory sweating is super annoying. It is sweating when you eat any food or drink beverages such as lemonade and citrusy drinks. I even sweat from candy like Jolly Ranchers. I also get goosebumps at the same time, and sweat mostly from my neck and face. Hot weather is a nightmare. I try to stay as cool as possible when doing things. I would do the ETS all over again if I had to and am happy with it because my hands are dry. It changed my life and I can touch things, and greet people and hold hands with my husband. I want to mention I take glycopyrrolate for the sweating and it has helped so much. Only been on it for not even a year but it helps so much. Just worried I will eventually get immune to it. I have also heard that over the years your nerves can re-grow and make you start sweating again. I hope this is not true. It's going on year 11/12 now since ETS surgery. My hands get clammy at times when it is hot/humid out or im nervous but it is rare and it isn't noticeable at all. Just to me of course cause I hate the feeling. My feet are a nightmare but I do my best to keep them dry as long as possible during the day and wear open toed shoes. ETS is a very weird surgery to have cause it makes you feel like a diff person. Let me know how you are doing.