SWEATY BETTY!

[KRNLMBCH]

It's overcast and 81 degrees here in the Philadelphia, PA area.  There is a nice breeze, but it's warm.  I am literally going crazy.  I have a new symptom that has again impacted my quality of life.  SEVERE, PROFOUND SWEATING of my HEAD/NECK only!  A quick trip to the supermarket, 2 bags, unload from cart into car and you would think I just ran a marathon! 
The worst part, is once I become "overheated" it takes FOREVER to regain a "normal" body temp.  A matter of fact, I cannot move at all.  I must sit perfectly still, not fanning myself or moving at all.  If I can actually do this, it still takes a good 20-30 minutes for the head sweating to stop.  It is SO embarrassing.  My entire head, all of my hair are soaked.  My face is so bright red and water just rolls and rolls down my face.  Summer in the "city" hasn't even begun.  I am afraid to go outside or do anything anymore.  I can't even run the vacuum or load the washer AND unload the dryer and fold.  Please, I don't know where to turn, what's causing this (med side effect, neuropathy, something wrong with my adrenal system.  I've contacted Rheumy but never called back.  I appreciate any ones input or if you've experienced this, or know what I can do, where to turn.  Thanks

[Katybarstool]

Hi KAren

While I envy your climate, it sounds like you are suffering terribly just now. I remember Irish telling us about her awful sweating episodes. Maybe she'll be along soon and see your post. Otherwise, you could pm her.

Sending cooling breezes (and heavy rains showers) fro West Yorkshire, UK.

Hugs
Kathyx

[sassygal]

Sweating of the head and neck only?

I thought I was the only one that sweats buckets in only one area. From the waist down only. Drenched. It is a pain in the neck and embarassing. I'm always feeling like I must stink.

Thank God for the hand held shower heads. At least when I am at home I can strip off my bottom clothes and shower off from the waist down and put on dry clothes.

Out and about I rely on dry underwear and panty liners to "freshen up".

Gail   

[irish]

Oy yeah, I get those times and it drives me to distraction. I usually sweat on my back and front also. The head thing is just terrible and the  sweat drips off my nose and chin. I have glasses with metal frames and near my ears and hairline the sweat has actually corroded my frames. My optometrist daughter told me I need frames made from titanium as they can withstand the salt and chemicals in the sweat. I said "no thanks" as they as too spendy and will buy plastic the next time.

The only thing I know of is to take a tepid shower(not too cool-not too warm) or to wet a wash cloth with cold water and wring it pretty dry and wrap it around the back of your neck. This brings down your body temp and you cool off so much faster and you feel so much better. Years ago when working as a nurse and doing a lot of physical activity I would do this (and I was in my 30's) and I learned to put the washcloth around my neck and rewet it every so often. The back and neck of my uniform would be wet by the end of the day but dried quickly. Interestingly enough, some of the other staff started doing the wash cloth thing cause they thought it helped. I don't' know if they felt as sick as I did though from the overheating. This has been part of my life since a senior in high school.

The wash cloth is still my only suggestion to date, but it works. Good luck. irish

P.S. Don't ask me to go to parades, country fairs or anyplace that is really hot because between my sweating and my weakness I can get MEAN!!!!!

[Cricket]

Oh my do I sweat on my head.   I have found when at home and it happens I put an ice bag on my neck, otherwise like you said my temp never comes down.  When grocery shopping I put a headband on otherwise the sweat is dripping down my face and around the ears and literally dripping from my hair, headbands that work for this are hard to come by, I have one that in terry and braided and it works great. 

Hope this helps
Cricket~~

[angeldancer]

I use wash cloths to put on my head and neck.  I think most of us go through some type of similar episode but what causes it I wonder if it has to do with we are women and have the extra hormones or should I say are losing hormones.  Are there any men that go through this.  Mine has increased with the onset of chemo and the doctor said that I am losing more hormones now.  Maybe?  Don't know but my challenge is the cold neuropathy hands when trying to touch the cold towel to put on my hot head and neck.?

[Ripvanann]

Yeah, I get it too. I thought it had been my Cushing's and indeed, now that I've lowered the prednisone,  I don't wake up needing new clothing. This did not, unfortunately, change the fact that I drip from my head and neck when in normal circumstances. 

I do think it's the "broken thermostat" thing we see with SjS. Is your body temp normally low? There is some good advice on how to stay cool, but another thing is plain meditation on yourself being cool. Think cool. Lol, it does work. The Bedouins learn how to raise and lower their body temps by meditation and other methods.  They raise their temp it the heat so that the heat does not feel as hot and therefore they can take the extreme hear and cold of the desert (they lower in the cold).

I think that we sjoggies, a lot of us anyway, have low body temps and we feel the heat like crazy. The other thing is, I notice that thinking about sweating and panicking about it, makes it worse. I just pretend like I'm FEEEZING and I can't wait until it's summer time to warm myself up. It really does work! Becoming cool initially,  does give you a good start.

Try blasting the AC in the car to become cool and set your mind on that. Wind down the window then and let your body feel the heat so that it doesn't shock you. We don't have any AC here (I'm your neighbor in Pittsburgh) and I notice that when I'm in AC too long, I can barely tolerate any heat at all. Try adjusting to the heat.

Hope this helps and doesn't sound nutty.  =) I am sorry that you're having to deal with this.

Happy cool thoughts to you. =) Peace and blessings,

~Andrea

[angeldancer]

Andrea?.we use to do that in acting class.  It actually works.  I will try that today once my son is on his way to beady bye.  YOu always have great suggestions.

[Carolina]

Hi Karen,

I think this is much more common that we realize.  Yesterday I did several things, and one was walking slowly from one end of our mall to the other and back.  I sat down to have a cup of coffee part way back to the beginning.

I could feel the cold drops of sweat falling off my ends of my hair and hitting my neck!  I sweat so profusely, just from my head and face, that the sweat drips off the back of my hair.  By the time it forms a drop on the ends of my hair, it has cooled down and feels cold on my neck.

I have been hot like this for about 8 years.  I  call it temperature dysregulation.  Sometimes I turn the AC to super cold if I have to get ready to go somewhere.  I can see beads of sweat forming on my face through the make up when I trying to get ready.

I dry my hair and then I sweat to hard it gets wet again!

I was fully post menopausal at 41, and I'm over 72 now, so it isn't menopause, trust me.

It  is what it is.  Perhaps pilocarpine, the med I take for saliva and tears, makes it worse?  I don't know.  Perhaps it is related to my orthostatic hypotension, bladder, bowel, and other autonomic nervous system problems?  Perhaps it is related to my peripheral neuropathy?

I also have a 'normal body temperature' around 97, or lower.  I almost NEVER run a fever in the classic sense.

I have to say that it isn't dangerous and hasn't been a sign of anything worse to come, (yet), for me. 

I did try switching from Pilocarpine to Evoxac when it first started, or a little later, but that didn't change anything, so I went back to Pilocarpine which is cheaper.  I had been on Evoxac in the beginning, before the sweating started so I thought perhaps Pilocarpine was the culprit.

It just can be embarrassing for me.  Getting in the car with the AC cranked up on high is a great solution.

I've lost about 30 pounds since I the problem started, by the way, and losing weight makes absolutely NO DIFFERENCE to my heat and sweating problem.  NONE.

I do just about everything 'right'.  And still I have it.

I cannot ever wear anything with a high neck, a turtle neck, or layers.  I roll up my sleeves and pants when I'm really suffering, just to help a little.

any exertion around the house or anywhere sets it off BIG time.  Winter or summer.  But of course summer is much much worse.

The sweat pours out from under my sunglasses and it looks like I'm crying!  It's unbelievable.

Hugs,  Elaine

[A66eyroad]

Isn't excessive sweating a side effect of Cevemeline (Evoxac)?

[machenza]

I think our biddies are trying to cool off and maintain normal temperature, however our glands are broken, so we sweat elsewhere. I struggle to break a sweat anywhere, and my body gets warm allover; I will take the sweat, it is already in the mid 80s here

Nellie

[KRNLMBCH]

Thank you all for the good advice and mostly for easing my mind!  I always feel I'm so alone, weird, etc. 

[PamelaHelen]

Hi, I'm being tested for Sjogren's now and am fairly sure I've had it for some time. I also developed an intolerance to heat and even sudden exposure to mild heat or following mild exertion I start with the face and head sweating! Dripping in no time! I previously put this down to menopause ...dry eyes to a new job with more computer time ...dry mouth to more snoring ...more pain and joint discomfort to Rheumatoid Arthritis which i have battled for years etc etc etc
But I have to say of all the symptoms of this syndrome, i find the perspiration is very hard to disguise and i do get very self conscious about it - even sitting in meetings where all the cold bodies ask  to turn the temperature up can make things very uncomfortable for me.
i am now getting tested due to extreme fatigue and eyes that didn't respond fully to treatment for conjunctivitis.
this forum is a revelation to me - I seem, like many of you all, to have just written off  so many symptoms for so long as I have a few auto immune issues. The sweating is one aspect i really could live without though. I also think it is my body's attempt  to regulate my temperature although my skin nearly always feels cool to touch but feel like i'm burning up inside.

[Katybarstool]

Hi Pamela Helen and welcome

I'm very glad that you have found us and can get some support from people who are walking your path, but sorry you have had to find us.

You might get more response if you start your own thread and introduce yourself.

Kathy (who is also a sweaty Betty today in an unusually hot UK)

[PamelaHelen]

Hi Pamela Helen and welcome

I'm very glad that you have found us and can get some support from people who are walking your path, but sorry you have had to find us.

You might get more response if you start your own thread and introduce yourself.

Kathy (who is also a sweaty Betty today in an unusually hot UK)

thanks, Katybarstool ...I will