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April 9, 2008, 11:36 am
Flag as Inappropriate Annabelle  

When I was in my teens, my mom tried a few different herbal deodorants and there were a couple I liked. Later on, though, I started getting excessive sweating and switched to something more powerful from the drugstore.

My doctor isn't quite sure what the source of the excess sweating is, but recommended a few different medications I can try. I'd really rather not go on anything, though, when I feel fine otherwise...I just sweat a ton. Are there any herbal remedies I could try or maybe a different natural deodorant that might help enough that I wouldn't notice the sweating as much?

I have no idea what would stop it, but I agree with you that taking a systemic med sounds a bad idea. I use a crystal deodorant myself but then I sweat only the smallest amount, and consider myself lucky in that respect.

Is odor the problem or the sweating itself?

There are surgical procedures that can stop it and believe it or not Botox can stop it tempoarily.

Here are some other suggestions:

As in any other medical problem one should first start with conservative measures. Change of clothing (more absorbing clothing) or dietary changes (unique to each person) can help but they are very unlikely to do so in the severe cases. The next steps are the different antiperspirants that one can obtain over the counter and there is no unique recommendation for any of them other than trying them through personal trials. Medicated antiperspirants such as Drysol or Maxim are effective in certain cases. Drysol comes in different strengths and usually requires a prescription. Maxim can be obtained online and many patients describe good results. Maxim is also less irritating than drysol since it is less acidic.

The Iontophoresis treatment (Drionic Machine) is another conservative method used to treat excessive cases of axillary sweating. It requires steady use and the results are not always satisfactory. Certain medications can be tried but they have a very limited use.

Short of getting a prescription antiperspirant, I have heard that Mitchum is very effective. It has the maximum concentration of active ingredient Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY (20%) currently allowed. Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex is a chemical compound used as an antiperspirant in many deodorant products.

I have used Mitchum before and it worked like a charm.

Since you are a woman, one really low tech thing to use is a lovely hand fan to use to fan yourself to keep cool. Mostly woman of menopausal age have taken to buying lovely fans to use, but in some countries young women use them as a way to flirt.

You can also get a small electric fan that runs on a battery. They are small and can fit into your handbag.

I use a hand fan whenever I feel hot. It's a conversation starter and it really controls my temperature and helps me feel comfortable.