BOTOX INJECTIONS FOR PALMAR HYPERHIDROSIS (aka sweaty palms)

A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO:

 

I've had sweaty palms for as far back as I can remember, which adds up to nearly 30 years! My mother and grandmother had sweaty palms and assured me that I would outgrow it. As I approach age 40, I'm feeling like the time to "outgrow" something has pretty much come and gone!

 

As anyone who suffers from any kind of hyperhidrosis knows, it is frustrating to try one thing after the other, after the other...to no avail! I had given up on finding any kind of treatment until a year or so ago when I ran into information on botox injections for hyperhidrosis. I searched the Internet trying to find personal testimonials from people who'd had the procedure but had little luck finding anything.

 

A month ago I decided to go for it. I searched the web and called around until I found a dermatologist who had experience with palmar injections--I did not want to be a guinea pig! I scheduled an appt. and two weeks (and a 3 hour drive--I had to commute to a larger city to get botox in the palms) later I found myself in the dermatologist's office about to receive 50 (!!) shots in each palm.
 

THE PROCEDURE:
 

Bottom line: Botox is NOT cheap! It cost me $1000 to receive the injections. The clinic I went to only charged for the cost of botox for hyperhidrosis treatments. How kind! I had called a couple other clinics and they both charged about $300 for the service, on top of the $1000 or so for the botox. I was told by one clinic, that insurance may cover this treatment if you turn in some paperwork, with a doctor's help, explaining that you have tried other treatments unsuccessfully. Good new due to the high cost!!

 

 

Bottom line #2: Getting numerous shots in each palm is no picnic! I arrived early and had some numbing cream spread onto my palms. Then sat and waited (trying to relax) about a half an hour. The cream was removed and then the nurse used a machine (don't recall the name) to blow extremely cold air on my hands while the doc. began injections (the freezing cold helps numb and distract from the pain of the injections). My husband sat at my feet and squeezed my ankles, sometimes quite forcefully during the procedure and this was extremely helpful, too.

 

For me, the injections were NOT as bad as I expected. They were bearable! There is bleeding so if you are averse to that avoid looking at your palms until the nurse and doc get them cleaned up. The doctor was very fast and with a procedure like this, that is a great thing! But, immediately after the injection, my hands were Very bruised and sore. I was given an ice pack to hold onto and that helped a bit. Probably a combination of the freezing cold air that was being blown on my hands and adrenaline, but I found my legs were shaking a lot as I went to leave the office.

 

That evening and the next day, my hands were very tender. I had to have my car door opened for me and tried to avoid using my hands for anything requiring a lot of pressure. My palms were literally black and blue and a tad bit swollen. As bad as that may sound, the next morning I went out to breakfast with family and was able to feed myself! I worried that it might be painful to use a fork, etc. but I managed just fine.

 

No one can tell that you've just had a procedure unless you deliberately show them your black and blue palms. I was happy about this because I don't know how I would begin to explain what I'd done to someone who doesn't understand hyperhidrosis.

 

The nurse recommended putting Arnica cream on my hands so I bought some the day of the procedure and applied it a few times a day for a few days. By day 3 I was able to open my own car door. By day 4 the black and blue was basically gone.

Side effects: Once I really started using my hands again, I noticed some weakness in my right hand, especially in my thumb. At first it was a bit scary and disconcerting. I had to remind myself that this can happen with injections to the palms and it is NOT permanent. During the week after treatment, my hand muscles were sore because I was working them extra hard to get them to do what they normally did without exertion. It has now been two weeks since my treatment and the weakness is not as apparent and no longer bothers me--much.

Claims: The doc informed me that her patients often get about 6 months of dry palms from this procedure. I was happy to hear this because I kept reading 3 months on the web. I think this is because botox treatments of the face last about 3 months. For some reason palms are different. The doc also told me that it takes about two weeks to get the full effect of the botox. Sure enough, my hands dripped just as much  during the first few days after the treatment. It was around day 6 that my hands stopped sweating.

Results: Yes, they STOPPED sweating! I can hardly believe it. I haven't had drippy sweaty palms in over a week now! This is amazing! There have been a couple times when I worried that my hands were getting sweaty. Once, drying my hair in a hot, humid bathroom with lotion on my hands, they started to feel moist. I started to panic. But, they didn't progress from more than slightly moist. I realized this is probably what the non-hyperhidrosis sufferers experience from time to time--it's NORMAL! In the past, a little dampness on the hands and I would get anxious and it would turn into full blown dripping hands which usually led to dripping feet and underarms! No more!!

One more thing: Having dry palms hasn't solved all my problems (surprise!!). There are so many thought processes that have arisen from living a sweaty life. They are habitual and it takes work to change them. I have to remind myself to relax if I start to feel a bit overheated, etc. I do not need to "hide" or avoid certain situations out of fear of dripping with sweat.

 

I am curious to see how long this treatment lasts. I will continue to post on my progress for anyone interested in this procedure.