Hey everyone, first post here.
So much on my mind but will try to be concise.
36 year old male, pretty athletic and active. Have usually been healthy but last 7-8 years had on and off anxiety/depression issues, nothing that needed medication however.
Anyway, since teenage years had underarm sweating, more than most people, which would mainly be triggered by anxious moments. Things were like this until last year when I started noticing that certain situations caused an out of control full body sweating. For example, I have never had issues getting a haircut, however, spring of last year I went to a barber shop and as soon as the nylon cape was put on me I exploded in a sweaty mess, everywhere (front, back, arms, fingers, groin area, buttocks). This had never happened before, not even on hot summer days, which this wasn't. Roughly a week before that I went to a shopping mall and had to walk out after 15 minutes as my back and butt were getting soaking wet.
Sitting on a patio in summer, which used to be my favourite thing the previous summer was all of a sudden out of the question. It literally felt like I was melting when a year before that I was bone dry everywhere.
- The year in question (2015) started out with acid reflux issues for which I took mild meds that helped but aside from that I was fine.
- In March I got a good deal on laser hair removal (I'm a hairy guy lol) so I went for it. Got the full back and butt (this has and still does make me wonder if my sweating stems here while other body parts are sweating from anxiety due to back and butt sweating).
- My sweating is triggered by: nervous situations, exercise, having to go to the bathroom (my butt and groin area would be soaked which started roughly in June, literally over night after 35 years of not being there). If I take a walk downtown and walk in a restaurant where the air is still, game over! I'm dripping head to toe.
- I can't seem to set the temperature in my car, either I'm sweating or have cold shivers , it's like the internal thermostat is messed up.
- Can't wear jackets anymore, immediately get a wet back. Dress shirts are a no-no! As soon as I put it on it is front and back crazy sweating. Just months before all this had no such issues. Could walk in a crowded restaurant with a dress shirt and undershirt and be completely dry.
- When I exercise in the gym, everywhere I sit I leave a wet sweat stain as my groin is soaked minutes after starting a workout. Again, been going to the gym since college days and underwear was always bone dry.
- In summer I met a girl, we dated for a couple of months. During this time the sweating was there but not in full force. I could still be nervous and stay relatively dry, aside from pits, but felt that things were changing and instead of being dryer the more I got comfortable around her I started getting more sweaty.
This is where things got out of control. I developed a chronic prostate inflammation during the last couple of weeks I was dating her. I got on a strong antibiotic which is roughly when I stopped seeing her (got dumped). For some reason took this real hard, harder than previous relationships. Together with the realization of the start of a chronic condition (you can look up "prostatitis" - not fun) and not hanging out with a pretty cool chic was a character building period (yes I know some people go thru much worse but you know what I meant).
I am not gonna bore you with the rest as it doesn't pertain to my HH problems since by this point the sweating was in full swing.
Basically I can still go to social scenes and be relatively ok but can explode in sweat any second (feels anxiety related).
Wearing multiple layers of clothing is an instant sweat job as is exercising. Really miss the winter months when I could bundle up and go for a walk.
The sweating literally feels like it comes in waves and radiates out, almost like a hot flash.
I have done lots of tests as ordered by an internal medicine doctor. Hormones seem ok as do a lot of other things the doctor suspected.
Since the sweating started, last year, other things have been going on with the body which has been frustrating and more anxiety inducing. My doctor has simply said "it really seems like there is something going on with your sympathetic nervous system", but has left it at that. I also spoke with a dermatologist who was of no help.
My frustration with this whole thing: while reading on HH, I would classify my HH as secondary (could be wrong) as supposed to primary, in which case there should be an underlying medical issue.
Could all this be caused by anxiety alone?
I have a hard time with this as I still sweat equally when I go fishing deep in the woods with nobody around, no social phobia or any other external stimuli.
Sorry for long post but what does this sound like to you guys?
Is it worth pursuing further testing of hormone levels, seeing an endocrinologist?
Thanks for the read
So much on my mind but will try to be concise.
36 year old male, pretty athletic and active. Have usually been healthy but last 7-8 years had on and off anxiety/depression issues, nothing that needed medication however.
Anyway, since teenage years had underarm sweating, more than most people, which would mainly be triggered by anxious moments. Things were like this until last year when I started noticing that certain situations caused an out of control full body sweating. For example, I have never had issues getting a haircut, however, spring of last year I went to a barber shop and as soon as the nylon cape was put on me I exploded in a sweaty mess, everywhere (front, back, arms, fingers, groin area, buttocks). This had never happened before, not even on hot summer days, which this wasn't. Roughly a week before that I went to a shopping mall and had to walk out after 15 minutes as my back and butt were getting soaking wet.
Sitting on a patio in summer, which used to be my favourite thing the previous summer was all of a sudden out of the question. It literally felt like I was melting when a year before that I was bone dry everywhere.
- The year in question (2015) started out with acid reflux issues for which I took mild meds that helped but aside from that I was fine.
- In March I got a good deal on laser hair removal (I'm a hairy guy lol) so I went for it. Got the full back and butt (this has and still does make me wonder if my sweating stems here while other body parts are sweating from anxiety due to back and butt sweating).
- My sweating is triggered by: nervous situations, exercise, having to go to the bathroom (my butt and groin area would be soaked which started roughly in June, literally over night after 35 years of not being there). If I take a walk downtown and walk in a restaurant where the air is still, game over! I'm dripping head to toe.
- I can't seem to set the temperature in my car, either I'm sweating or have cold shivers , it's like the internal thermostat is messed up.
- Can't wear jackets anymore, immediately get a wet back. Dress shirts are a no-no! As soon as I put it on it is front and back crazy sweating. Just months before all this had no such issues. Could walk in a crowded restaurant with a dress shirt and undershirt and be completely dry.
- When I exercise in the gym, everywhere I sit I leave a wet sweat stain as my groin is soaked minutes after starting a workout. Again, been going to the gym since college days and underwear was always bone dry.
- In summer I met a girl, we dated for a couple of months. During this time the sweating was there but not in full force. I could still be nervous and stay relatively dry, aside from pits, but felt that things were changing and instead of being dryer the more I got comfortable around her I started getting more sweaty.
This is where things got out of control. I developed a chronic prostate inflammation during the last couple of weeks I was dating her. I got on a strong antibiotic which is roughly when I stopped seeing her (got dumped). For some reason took this real hard, harder than previous relationships. Together with the realization of the start of a chronic condition (you can look up "prostatitis" - not fun) and not hanging out with a pretty cool chic was a character building period (yes I know some people go thru much worse but you know what I meant).
I am not gonna bore you with the rest as it doesn't pertain to my HH problems since by this point the sweating was in full swing.
Basically I can still go to social scenes and be relatively ok but can explode in sweat any second (feels anxiety related).
Wearing multiple layers of clothing is an instant sweat job as is exercising. Really miss the winter months when I could bundle up and go for a walk.
The sweating literally feels like it comes in waves and radiates out, almost like a hot flash.
I have done lots of tests as ordered by an internal medicine doctor. Hormones seem ok as do a lot of other things the doctor suspected.
Since the sweating started, last year, other things have been going on with the body which has been frustrating and more anxiety inducing. My doctor has simply said "it really seems like there is something going on with your sympathetic nervous system", but has left it at that. I also spoke with a dermatologist who was of no help.
My frustration with this whole thing: while reading on HH, I would classify my HH as secondary (could be wrong) as supposed to primary, in which case there should be an underlying medical issue.
Could all this be caused by anxiety alone?
I have a hard time with this as I still sweat equally when I go fishing deep in the woods with nobody around, no social phobia or any other external stimuli.
Sorry for long post but what does this sound like to you guys?
Is it worth pursuing further testing of hormone levels, seeing an endocrinologist?
Thanks for the read