Should you get ETS?

[WetPalms]

Hi everyone,

Long time lurker, rare poster - I am pleased to say that this will be my last post on this site.

On Dec 31, I had ETS surgery.

I did not make this decision lightly, I am a lawyer (though please do not take anything in this post as legal advice!) with a science background, and my specialization has been defending doctors in negligence cases.

I have long been a sufferer of hyperhidrosis (particularly my palms, forehead and underarms and less so on my chest, back and feet). It has taken a huge psychological toll on me throughout most of my life, crippling me socially, romantically and professionally.
For a long time I tried ignoring it hoping it would one day go away - but when it started affecting me professionally (no one trusts a sweaty lawyer!) I decided to take action.
I tried drysol (didnt work), botox (didnt work) and avert (worked for about a year and then stopped working).

Finally, I asked my doctor about other options, he suggested ETS.
I asked 3 doctors for a second opinion and read more than 30 articles on pubmed about the procedure.

It seemed like the answer - very safe, reliable, and a complete and permanent cure.
Yet I held off, because of the horror stories I read on the internet.

After about 6 months on the fence, I booked a consultation with a doctor specializing in sweat treatments.

I live in Canada, and the operation is completely covered by our national health coverage, so there was no financial incentive for the doctor to lie to me. I came very prepared with a list of questions and had a frank conversation with the doctor about the benefits and risks.

I asked him about the online hate and he told me - every procedure, particularly those considered "elective" has risks. The ones who it doesnt turn out well for are always the most vocal. He has done over 500 of these surgeries and had seen 2 bad results, do they happen? yes.
So I asked him if he would he recommend going ahead with the surgery. He told me that the surgery is only worth the risk if I do not view it as "elective" - as in, does your sweating negatively affect your life - or would stopping the sweat simply be a nice extra feature.

Without hesitation I told him my sweating impacts me negatively in every area of my life. I had my answer - it was worth the risk.

I went under the knife on Dec. 31 ... and I have had completely dry hands this month for the first time since I was 12.

My confidence has sky rocketed and I feel like a new person. I no longer avoid social interactions and physical contact and in my professional life, meeting clients is a joy. I feel like a new person.

ETS is not perfect - there have been side effects.
After the first 2 weeks I had severe compensatory sweating down my back and on my legs. It looked and felt as though someone dumped a bucket of water down my back.

I went back to my doctor and told him of this problem.
He suggested quick dry undershirts and told me that excessive sweating is common in the first month and it should improve. He told me there are other options if it persists in 3 months.

I am happy to say the compensatory sweating has been improving gradually, this week I have had no serious back sweating issues.

Despite some side effects, ETS has been the best decision I have ever made.
I feel "normal" and uninhibited. A burden has been lifted from me and I feel like I can accomplish anything.

So random lurker socialphobia world, searching for a cure - the million dollar question - should I get ETS?

Here's my answer - stop listening to the online hate.

Random people on the internet (particularly those who got screwed by having the operation more than a decade ago by a surgeon who was in it only for the money) do not have the answers. Doctors and professionals do.

Talk to your doctor (preferably more than one) and decide for yourself if curing your sweating problem is worth the risk to you - is a cure "elective" or necessary. Only you have the answer to that question.

Good luck everyone!

And thank you to these forums for providing me the support in my quest to become sweat-free

 

[Sprawling]

I'm happy for you WetPalms. I hope the dryness continues to serve you well.

For everyone else out there it comes down to your own individal informed decision, not that of the doctor. The doctor always has the best intrest in doing the surgery or any surgery. Personally, I contemplated ETS years ago and decided against it given that my body becomes a bucket of sweat through out the summer months. The risks of even more compensentory sweating was just not worth the risks given that uncontrollable compensentory sweating at its worst can take several years or more before showing it's face.

Like most surgies, once you do it there is no turning back. Clipped or cut what's done is done.

 

[WetPalms]

Hi everyone,
I know ETS can be a big decision so I have decided to come back here and post a 4 month post-ETS update.

My life post-ETS has certainly improved.
As I said in my last post, professionally and socially I feel like a new person. With no fear of sweating palms I began interviewing for a better job and was successful in getting 3 offers. When I was taken around the office to introduce myself to everyone and shake hands I couldn't help thinking that this situation would have been a nightmare for me before the surgery, and now, it's no big deal.

My social life has also improved, I am dating more and going out socially more often.
And while I have heard that ETS can affect your athletic ability, I have not found this. Pre surgery I was about 20lbs over weight and not particularly athletic, now I recently ran my first 10k (6.2 miles for you Americans) in an hour, which is great progress for me. I am in much better shape than I was before the surgery and I have lost quite a bit of weight, in large part due to the confidence boost I have gotten from turning my life around.

The best part is my hands are ALWAYS warm and dry, I literally never worry about them anymore - this is something that used to take 80% of my attention, even my screen name is WetPalms! yet for the last 4 months my face and hands have been solidly and dependably dry all the time.

Now the bad news.

As I said in my first post, ETS is not perfect and compensatory sweating is and remains an issue.
This hasn't changed. Some days it's worse, some days it's better.
At work, wearing an undershirt (generally moisture wicking ones) is basically a necessity.
It is not uncommon for me to get back and chest sweat attacks that leave huge wet spots. This may happen once briefly in the morning and then dry up and be fine the rest of the day, but sometimes I get numerous attacks or a more persistent sweat.

Wearing undershirts and sweaters or other layers has been my strategy all winter and I am slightly worried about what I will do now that the weather is turning warmer to hide my particularly bad back sweating. Some days I have to change my shirt 2 or 3 times, and some days the sweat simply doesnt let up causing me to avoid going out altogether.

I am learning that a good attitude and mind over matter seems to be the best cure for compensatory sweating (perhaps for HH in general). When I feel a sweat attack coming on, I focus on the fact that my hands are dry and sometimes I can relax myself and stop the sweat from starting. (although once it starts, no amount of will power seems to make it stop!)
I do still take Avert on occasion if I feel I need the safeguard (for e.g. on a day I have something important) - and it seems to work ok.
I am also avoiding caffeine (I still drink coffee but I've cut back) and increasing my water intake which seems to have also helped.

Still, not every day has been a good one and I am not 100% cured.
Some days I feel like I have simply replaced one terrible sweating affliction with another, and regret having ETS. Sweating still takes up far too much of my attention, and remains a big part of my internal monologue.

That said, I can honestly say that I would get the surgery again. My life has improved dramatically since getting the surgery and while I still have bad days, most are better.

 

[Sprawling]

Thanks for the update

 

[CharlesN]

While not perfect, at least you have some improvement... There's something to be said about the better than nothing - optimistic point of view. As long as you feel you are to the net positive - then it was the right decision for you.

Good luck and hopefully the CS decreases with time. You won't regret being in better shape, that is a positive thing and can help with ALL of the social/professional things you mentioned above as well.

If I may ask a dumb question - if ETS is successful for hands/feet, would there not be an equivalent for torso or groin and scalp/face or wherever the CS is worst? Perhaps an overall type scenario so that you're not just transferring the CS from body part to body part. I have never researched it so I am obviously missing a major part of the clue train.

Thanks,

 

[WetPalms]

Hey CharlesN, as far as I know ETS has only been approved for treatment of face, hands and feet sweating.
I havent seen any literature on it being used to treat more generalized HH

 

[annifer]

'I am learning that a good attitude and mind over matter seems to be the best cure for compensatory sweating (perhaps for HH in general).'

This is one of those catch 22 situations with HH that the awareness of sweating makes it so much worse. On the odd occasion when I have to run for a tram, I get such a bad sweat once on it (even running a few metres) that I have to try and hide my face in hair and wait for it too pass, convinved that everyone on the tram thinks I have the plague or something.

I also find that because you're oversweating, once the attack is over you end up really cold as you've been cooled down too much. Sweaty + cold = feeling falsey ill.

What an annoyingly pointless disease, ho hum.