Very unfortunately, the medicine has seemed to stop working already š¦
I will continue to take it for a while longer.
Good luck,
Caryn Joan
hyperhidrosis
Glycopyrrolate (Robinol)
After being off the Glycopyrrolate medication for 1 year and 3 months, I started up again this past weekend.
I went off the medication because I was feeling immune to it, but my doctor and I thought we could try it again and see what happens.
This medication worked miraculously the last time I was on it (2007-2011). I was really hoping I would receive the same results.
So far, I have!
The medication worked almost immediately. My hands and feet are dry.
The one side effect I am struggling with is having a dry throat. My doctor says this may go away with continued use.
It is a strange sensation, being on this medication. My hands will still get hot and really feel like they are sweating, but they are not.
Personally, I worry a little because I want to have that visual of sweaty hands to explain to people what HH is. As someone who wants to help the HH community, I feel like I should continue struggling and suffering with it. I want it present in my everyday life.
This might sound crazy to you. To purposefully want to struggle with HH. I guess I just never want to forget about it. I never want to dismiss its impact on my life and others.
We will see how this medication goes. So far, I’m dry. So far, I’m still passionate about helping the HH community.
I recommend this medication to anyone suffering with HH.
Thanks for reading!
Caryn Joan
More Tips for Coping with HH!
Here are more tips to cope with your HH:
1. Try to wear socks often. I don’t like the look of socks with my ballet flats, but something needed to change, so I bought these small cotton “ped” socks. I know you will frequently find these in nylon or mesh, but I suggest looking for cotton to best absorb sweat. They also work with closed shoe heels! I got mine from Steve Madden.
2. To prevent swelling, I will run my hands under cold water, take a cold shower, or stand in a bath of cold water for my feet. This works so well for me and I do this all the time! If you are still in grade school, excuse yourself to the bathroom and just run your hands under cold water for a while.
3. Stand in front of a fan to put on jewelry with small clasps. Trying to put on jewelry in the morning is always very frustrating for me when I’m sweating. Just take a deep breath, and get in front of a fan! It will help!
4. Drink water. It’s proven that drinking water helps regulate your body temperature. I drink water all the time. Buy a Bobble or another water bottle with a filter and refill often! I feel like drinking water helps my HH a lot. I’m drinking out of this yellow Bobble right now!
5. If you struggle writing with pen/pencil, put a sturdier piece of paper like a postcard or brochure under your writing hand and drag it along the page while you write. This way, the actual piece of paper that you are writing on doesn’t get ruined. I do this often! Also, it’s pretty discrete. Especially if you get a white paper-colored piece.
Enjoy!
Caryn Joan
What HH has taught me
I know that these posts can come off pretty depressing sometimes, but I want to change it up with a quick post about what HH has taught me throughout the years.
As a sufferer of HH, I have learned the importance of:
Patience for myself and others
Strength and Courage in every day
Tolerance for all
Pride in beating all the odds including my own negativity
As always, thank you,
Caryn Joan
I’m Interested…
The Brown Paper Bag
Today’s culprit was a brown paper bag containing a delicious burrito.
It was very hot today and my HH was acting up.
As I held the bag from the top, my hands deteriorated the paper.
So, I held it from the bottom.
This made the bottom of the bag so wet that it ripped open and threatened the safety of the burrito.
Don’t worry, we both made it back to work okay!
Plastic anyone?
š
Caryn Joan
The HH Super Villain??
A few weeks ago, I found myself watching “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” on Netflix. I had never heard of this previously, but my boyfriend and I saw it on Netflix and gave it a chance. It is a musical-comedy miniseries that began in 2008 and features Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible.
As I’m watching it, I think it’s cute and quirky. But then, something happens and everything changes for me. I become very interested in a particular character. He is Dr. Horrible’s friend and sidekick. His name is Moist and Dr. Horrible calls him his “evil moisture buddy.”
In the miniseries, you see Moist having trouble opening jars, and holding out his hands asking if he can make anything moist for Dr. Horrible. He also seems to have facial sweating. Does this sound familiar? Does Moist have hyperhidrosis?
I became so curious as to how his character was created. I even visited the official website of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and messaged the contact. Haven’t heard anything yet, but I will let you know if I do.
Here’s a song that Moist sings during the commentary of the miniseries. It’s titled, “Nobody Wants to be Moist.” It is sung by the character himself, Simon Helberg, who also plays Howard in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.Ā Enjoy!
Most Challenging and Most Amazing
Last month, I had perhaps the most challenging, yet most amazing experience of my life. I participated in a high ropes course in the Adirondacks. It was incredibly difficult and physically demanding. There were many balancing acts on moving logs several stories high, leaps of faith into cargo nets, and amazing zip lines through the trees. I am proud to say that I completed all 5 levels of this course.
Initially, I was very nervous about being able to participate in the course because of my HH. I knew I would need gloves, but the ones I received at the course had the fingers cut off. Nevertheless, I tried my best with these gloves and with some struggle, completed the course. I can’t imagine anyone with HH participating in the course without gloves.
I struggled on a few of the obstacles with my HH.
1. The leaps of faith- lucky to be in a harness, my hands lost grip of the swinging rope, and I completed my descent in free-fall form.
2. Monkey Bars- By far, the scariest moment on the course. The Monkey Bars were the highest part of the course and in the last (and hardest) level. After expending all my upper body strength on previous obstacles, I had to trust my hands to grip the bars!! There were only about 4 rungs, but I slipped almost immediately, due to my HH. I fell quickly with nothing below me but the ground and gave a truly terrified scream! Even my brother was scared watching me! Thank goodness I was safe in my harness!!! Somehow, I got across.
3. Gymnast Rings- This was the last obstacle of the course, and I almost quit because of it. I saw the gymnast rings, and I knew immediately I wouldn’t be able to do them because of my HH. I caused a line of people behind me because I was racking my brain trying to think of an alternate route across the obstacle. After a few tries, and me falling, I launched myself- two hands- onto one ring, and swung and hugged my legs around the next log. It worked!
Next time I do this course, I will opt for full out gloves with fingers covered. I think I will have more success this way.
However, after completing this course, I felt so accomplished. Not only had I just conquered the obstacles with physical strength and balance, I conquered them emotionally and strategically because of my HH.
Don’t let HH keep you down! Literally!
Thanks for reading,
Caryn Joan
Finger Print Scanning and HH
Somehow, I’m doing pretty alright this summer with HH. Huge change from last summer, thank goodness! This is the first summer that I have not worn sandals and I have to say that it’s helped a ton. Finally- I am listening to my own advice!
I’ve been on vacation for a bit, and most recently took a trip down to Florida. My family and I went to Disney World and Universal Studios. It was very hot, but wearing sneakers helped, and also keeping a towel on me at all times came in handy (pun intended?)
I had a few problems, but the worst was getting in the park at Universal.
All of these big theme parks have a finger print scanning device at the entrance when you show your ticket. I assume this is so tickets are non-transferable.
Anyway, Disney’s finger print scanners worked fine for me. Universal’sĀ did not!
I was and am still very upset about this. My sweaty fingers would not provide a good finger print! I tried and tried, and had a female employee there with a cotton ball trying to absorb the sweat from my finger, but nothing was working. I was holding up the line and the women said, “You have really sweaty hands!”
At this, I was angry and embarrassed and blurted out, “Yeah, I have Hyperhidrosis!”
She obviously didn’t really understand what this was but just let me through the line anyway and just had me sign my ticket and make sure I had my ID on my at all times. Although, now I wonder what she thought when I said that.
As soon as I got through the turn style, my emotions were so messed up that I burst out crying.
What a wonderful start to my day!
Overall, I was fine. The employee was not mean to me. I was mostly mad that Universal Studios didn’t make the entrance procedure accessible to people like me. I also felt embarrassed that she had to try wiping my fingers and then made a comment.
I wish the knowledge of HH was more prevalent.Ā If it were, maybe some of these things wouldn’t happen.
Thanks for reading,
Caryn Joan
Your Quality of Life with Hyperhidrosis
Please take this survey about your quality of life if you suffer from HH. Click HERE!
I sometimes take HH for granted and don’t realize all of the struggles I really have.
The questions in this survey hit hard for me. They made me question my quality of life.
The survey asks how your life as been affected by HH in the following areas:
Choice of clothing, footwear
Difficulties holding objects, handling money, handling paper
Difficulties touching other people
Hobbies, physical activities
Difficulties using touch-screen technologies
These were just some of the areas touched upon. For each situation, I found myself answering that HH greatly affects these aspects of my life. Just something to think about…
Caryn Joan
Just a Little Sweat 