Sympathectomy alters homeostasis: progressive hemifacial atrophy …

Sympathectomy involves dissection of the main sympathetic trunk in the upper thoracic region thus interrupting neural messages that ordinarily would travel to many different organs, glands and muscles. It involves division of adrenergic, cholinergic and sensory fibers which elaborate adrenergic substances during the process of regulating visceral function.

Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 6(6): 659-664, 2010

Elective surgery for Hyperhidrosis: August 2013

ETS is a very effective way to treat hyperhidrosis and FB in the vast majority of the cases, but a small group of patients have devastating effects. Unfortunately, we do not know who these patients are before we operate.

Dr. Giudiceandrea Alberto, general and vascular surgeon
http://sympathectomy.info/

Possible side effects, ranging from trivial to devastating, are of even greater importance with these more permanent procedures.

G D Schott Consultant neurologist
Interrupting the sympathetic outflow in causalgia and reflex sympathetic dystrophy – A futile procedure for many patients
The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
1998;316;789-790 BMJ

Sympathectomy reduces DOPAMINELatent inhibition and creative drive

Dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway increases general arousal and goal directed behaviors and decreases latent inhibition; all three effects increase the creative drive of idea generation. This has led to a three-factor model of creativity involving the frontal lobes, the temporal lobes, and mesolimbic dopamine.[34]

This calcification was observed in both feet of 93% of patients, who had
undergone bilateral operation. After unilateral sympathectomy the incidence of calcified arteries on the side of operation was significantly higher than that on the contralateral side (88% versus 18%, p less than 0.01). Although diabetic patients showed longer stretches of calcification than non-diabetic subjects, the difference was not significant in terms of incidence and length. Of 20 patients who had no evidence of calcinosis pre-operatively, 11 developed medial calcification after unilateral operation exclusively on the side of sympathectomy. In seven patients calcinosis was detected in both feet after
bilateral operation. In conclusion, sympathetic denervation is one of the causes of Monckeberg’s sclerosis regardless of diabetes mellitus.
Diabetologia. 1983 May;24(5):347-50, PMID: 6873514 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Goebel FD, Fuessl HS.

Some of these side-effects, as listed on the Swedish support group website:

  • Side effects of the elective surgery:
  • Severe compensatory sweating = disabling sweating
  • Decreased physical capacity
  • Reduced blood circulation
  • Stomach problems (constipation or diarrhea)
  • Impotence
  • Oversensitivity to stress
  • Oversensitivity to sounds
  • Oversensitivity to light
  • Muscle weakness (“lactic acid in the arms”)
  • Cold hands and feet – denervation supersensitivity
  • Horners syndrome
  • Reduced pulse reaction – delay in heart rate and BP responses, dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in arms and back – due to nerve sprouting
  • Chronic fatigue, lack of energy – S affects adrenaline levels
  • Raynauds disease – denervation supersensitivity

and from research:

  • Autonomic dysfunction
  • Vascular disturbances
  • Calcification of arteries
  • Permanently disabled thermoregulation
  • blocked nose or watery discharge/dripping from nose
  • dry, inflamed eyes
  • Reduced physical capacity, even when going up a flight of stairs – HR and BP responses delayed
  • depression – ETS reduces NE and catecholamines, increases serotonin
  • mood-swings
  • Altered sympathetic tone, feeling sedated/detached – beta-blocker effect
  • Inability to experience/respond to strong emotions – S disrupts signals from the viscera
  • Reduces/eliminates fear
  • difficulty concentrating, foggyness, memory affected
  • lack of motivation/drive/cognitive function – reduction of small vessels in the anterior cingulate cortex, altered catecholamines
  • overheating due to disabled thermoregulation, even when extreme sweating present – fever in hot weather or with physical activity/brain overheating
  • difficulty falling asleep/getting up – S eliminates circadian rhythm
  • Destabilized heart rate, arrythmia, dropped beats, morphofunctional changes in the myocardium
  • Reduced heart rate = reduced alertness, reduced emotional responses, (‘not feeling alive’), all affecting long term memory (encoding).
  • Suppressed or eliminated Baroreflex = MAP instability
  • Mean Arterial Pressure instability, reduced short-term haemodynamic variability (‘not feeling alive’)
  • Hair loss, loss of eyebrows, eyelashes – altered blood flow in the skin
  • Dehydrated skin on upper body, face, scalp, – dandruff, skin infections, reduced immune responses
  • Reduced antibody responses – altered immune system

Several publications/books interchange ‘Sympathectomy’ and ‘Spinal Cord Injury’ due to the similarity in presentation/ symptoms.

Sweating after sympathetic surgery is a reflex cycle between the sympathetic system and the anterior portion of the hypothalamus according to our investigations. Reflex sweating will not happen if hand sweating can be stopped without interrupting sympathetic tone to the human brain. (sic!)
Chien-Chih Lin, M.D., *Timo Telaranta, M. D.

Presentation at the 4th International Symposium on Sympathetic Surgery

ETS is a relatively safe and simple procedure. However the side effects are possibly devastating All physicians providing this service and all peoples preparing to undergo this treatment should know this well.
Min-Huei Hsu (10 January 2005)
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/eletters/172/1/69#1908

GNRH secretion is pulsatile in all vertebrates, and is necessary for correct reproductive function. Thus, a single hormone, GNRH1, controls a complex process of follicular growth, ovulation, and corpus luteum maintenance in the female, and spermatogenesis in the male.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonadotropin-releasing_hormone

The severity and manifestations of autonomic hyperreflexia are affected by the level of the sympathectomy. With mid-thoracic lesions below the level of cardiac accelerator fibers, hypertension is accompanied by reflex bradycardia transmitted via cardiac accelerator fibers and the vagus. In patients whose sympathectomy is above the level of the thoracic cardiac accelerator fibers, tachycardia may occur because cardiac accelerator fibers become part of the efferent sympathetic activity rather than part of the central inhibitory input from the brain stem and hypothalamus. Arrythmias and occasional heart block may accompany changes in heart rate.
Clinical manifestations of autonomic hyperreflexia include vasodilation, decresed sympathetic activity, and increased vagal activity above the level of the lesion such as nasal congestion, flushing, headache, dyspnea, nausea, and visceral muscle contraction. Vasoconstriction and increased sympathetic activity below the level of the lesion cause vasoconstrictive pallor, sweating, piloerection, and somatic muscle fasciculation. Patients also develop hypertension with headache, blurred vision, myocardial infarction, andretinal, subarachnoid and cerebral hemorrhages that may lead to syncope, convulsion and death.
Handbook of Neuroanesthesia
page 343
By Philippa Newfield, James E. Cottrell

Surgical Treatment For Axillary Hyperhidrosis | The Sweat Miracle

Several techniques have been performed for over a century, from the more invasive saphenous stripping, to less invasive procedures like ambulatory phlectomy and CHIVA. Stripping consists of removal of all or part the saphenous vein main trunk. The complications include deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and wound complications including infection.

CHIVA is an acronym from the scientific paper published in France in 1988. CHIVA relies on a hemodynamic impairment assessed by data and evidences depicted through ultrasound dynamic venous investigations. According to the new concept, the clinical symptoms of venous insufficiency are not the cause but the consequence of various abnormalities of the venous system.

For example, a varicose vein being overloaded, may be dilated not only because of valvular incompetence but because of a venous block or arterio-venous fistulae and so the treatment has to be tailored according the hemodynamic features. It generally consists in 1 to 4 small incisions under local anaesthesia in order to disconnect the varicose veins from the abnormal flow due to valvular incompetence which dilates them.

This method leads to an improvement of the venous function in order to (1) cure the symptoms of venous insufficiency as varicose veins, legs swelling, ulcers; (2) prevent varicose recurrence due to progressive enlargement of collateral veins which replace and overtake the destroyed veins; (3) preserve the superficial venous capital for unpredictable but possible need for coronary or leg artery vital by-pass which increases with aging.

CHIVA definitely falls into a research category and should be continued as such until sufficient evidence of its validity is generated. Unfortunately at this stage, the best available publication of CHIVA outcomes that meets current methodological standards is a study where a long term randomized trial CHIVA vs stripping restricted to Shunt I varicose configurations.

That is the reason why only 30-35% of patients with varicose veins can be treated with CHIVA despite there being some bias in the selection of patients favoring CHIVA. This study showed that there were recurrent varices in 18% of cases treated by CHIVA vs 38% treated by Stripping which is so far the gold standard treatment of varicose veins.

Cryosurgery: A cryoprobe is passed down the long saphenous vein following saphenofemoral ligation. Then the probe is cooled with NO2 or CO2 to a temperature of -850. The vein freezes to the probe and can be retrogradely stripped after 5 sec of freezing. It is a variant of Stripping. The only point of this technique is to avoid a distal incision to remove the stripper.

When treating varicose veins, topical application of VenousBalm-Rx treats the problem on a cutaneous level utilizing the powerful forces of its monoterpenes. These micro particles provide the most rapid absorption; they enter cell membranes with incredible swiftness and have a direct antispasmodic and analgesic effect.

Studies of medicinal plant extracts in VenousBalm-Rx demonstrate they improve venous circulation; they penetrate into all dermal layers and provide fast action against varicose veins. They circulate through the skin and into the system. VenousBalm-Rx not only has a direct astringent effect against varicose veins but provides total systemic support.

VenousDrops is an all natural dietary supplement for the treatment of varicose veins and venous insufficiency; it can be used in tandem with VaricoseBalm-Rx. VenousDrops enhance venous circulation, strengthen immune parameters and safely act as a blood decongestant, thereby systemically unraveling twisted veins causing varicose veins.

VenousDrops botanical extracts have been shown to improve microcirculation, capillary flow, and vascular tone, and to strengthen the connective tissue of the perivascular amorphous substrate. Oral supplementation with VenousDrops is concentrated with bioflavonoids which have shown beneficial to prevent time-consuming, painful, and expensive complications of varicose veins.

All of NaturesPharma s extracts are purchased direct from a small elite group of cultivators who harvest solely for the medicinal plant industry. The medicinal quality standards required are keenly understood and undertaken with great passion. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. QUESTION:
    How do i get rid of sweaty armpits? yup its embarrassing.?
    i tried all kinds of deodorants nothing seems to work.
    AS I SAID> I TRIED ALL KINDS!
    so if u (chyanne) wanna be a little smartass at least tell me a good one.

    • ANSWER:
      If you are sweating when you are not overheated you may have the “sweating disease” – Hyperhidrosis.

      It can be secondary symptom caused by primary conditions like, hyperthyroidism and other endocrine diseases, obesity, menopause, use of antidepressants, central nervous system disorders, and severe psychiatric disorders. See your doctor to rule out these causes.

      Help yourself out by avoiding spicy foods and caffeine. Both encourage sweating.

      There is no cure but there are advanced treatments out there like axillary liposuction or Botox .

      Axillary liposuction: suctioning out the fat just under the skin of the armpit, the sweat glands of the armpit can be removed. This outpatient surgical procedure takes about 90 minutes and is performed with local anesthesia.

      Good luck.

  2. QUESTION:
    What causes men to sweat underarm when its not even hot?

    • ANSWER:
      Excessive underarm sweating is known medically by the rather dry name (no pun intended) of axillary hyperhidrosis, and occurs in both males and females.

      Generally speaking, if this condition is not a symptom of an underlying psychological nervous condition (we sweat when we’re nervous), it is caused by excessive transmission from the spinal cord to the nerves which control your axillary sweat glands.

      Treatments can range from simply finding a good antipersperant or topical aluminum chloride, to botox injections in the affected area, all the way to surgical correction called thoracic sympathectomy, where some or all the nerves controlling the axillary sweat glands are severed in order to permanently cease the excessive sweating.

      If this is an issue which is interfering with your life and which is not being controlled by an antipersperant, or if use of an antipersperant is causing a rash, you should consult with a family physician or a dermatologist to determine the best treatment option for your situation.

  3. QUESTION:
    i hav such anderarm sweating problem,i live in ehtiopia there s no any solution here (in ethiopia)….pls advi?
    I am 25 yrs old ,i live in ethiopia….i am suffering from anderarm sweating…..here in Ethiopia there is no any medication…..i have used many antiperspirants…doesnt help….. Pls give me any advise or solution…..

    • ANSWER:
      You live in a hot climate, so underarm sweating (perspiration) is normal.

      Some people perspire more than others though and within the normal range it can be controlled with antiperspirants, but as they don’t work for you then you either have not found the correct one, or need a more powerful one which is usually only available from a pharmacist (usually with a doctor’s or nurse’s prescription).

      Finally there are those who suffer a condition where they perspire excessively, hyperhidrosis. If you have the condition then heat has little to do with it and sufferers may sweat at any time without warning. Usually the sufferers have constantly sweaty hands, but some don’t and it may be confined wholly or mostly to the armpits (axillary hyperhidrosis). There are various short term remedies (see websites below) but the only cures at the present time involve surgical procedures which may not be available in Ethiopia. One involves cutting nerves which trigger the perspiration and the other is a very new method using lasers to destroy the sweat glands which are then sucked out from below the skin via an incision. These cures may cause unpleasant or awkward side effects because healthy human skin needs to be able to sweat to some degree, and when it can’t it can become thickened, cracked and leather-like unless regular thick moisturisers are regularly applied. The greasy nature of these can be worse than the original problem. Surgeons try to prevent that from happening, but it is a definite risk of having an operation to attempt a permanent cure.

      If you cannot get treatment then all you can do is to try and manage the condition. You’ll need to accept that you’ll need to wear looser clothing which won’t cling and immediately show the problem, or to wear sleeveless shirts (allows for better evaporation and again reduces sweat-stains on clothing). You’ll also need to wash more frequently: Although fresh perspiration in a healthy person usually lacks a distinct odour, the bacteria on the skin can rapidly make it smell offensive. Regular washing and thorough drying will reduce the bacterial load and prevent the odour forming as rapidly. Note that many deodorants and antiperspirants actually contain chemicals which some bacteria love, so although deodorants may cover the smell the make the underlying problem worse, and although antiperspirants prevent the sweat from being released, once it is present the odour appears more rapidly. If you have hairy armpits, then consider shaving them: the hairs trap moisture, present a far larger surface area for the odour forming bacteria to grow upon and to hide within, and no hair makes washing and drying far quicker. Note that although antibacterial soap will initially help to bring any initial body odour problem under rapid control it can also cause skin irritation if used too often and is more expensive. Once the problem is under control, switch to a simple unfragranced cheap soap and keep the antibacterial soap for perhaps the last wash of the day before bedtime.

      I hope that my answer has been of assistance to you, if there’s anything which I’ve written which is unclear to you then you can contact me via my profile page to request further clarification or you can post a new question for all to answer.

  4. QUESTION:
    my armpits smell all the time and aia don’t know what to do anymore!!! HELP!!?
    I am a female 22 yrs old who has never had a problem with smelly armpits. What is wrong now? I take showers twice a day, I have tried most deodorants out there and none see to work. I have tried washing my armpits with alcohol and or/ baking soda as I read here and it makes it worse … I need help. What can I do? This is driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!!! It’s embarrassing!

    • ANSWER:
      This is my serious reply, after a thorough research on the subject. So, please read it carefully.

      The presence of axillary (armpit) sweat and odor is normal in all people past puberty. Excessive armpit sweating, also known as Axillary hyperhidrosis, represents a variant of normal axillary sweat. Similarly, axillary bromhidrosis (odor) represents a variation or accentuation of normal axillary odor. These can be distressing problems, with unpleasant sweat and smell and sometimes causing an accompanying social handicap for people who suffer from it. Topical deodorants and antiperspirants may only have a limited effect and are not a permanent solution.

      for more information read on here:

      http://www.sweaty-armpit.com/

      The inexpesnive way of stopping exessive sweating can be found here:

      http://www.preventsweating.com/
      Extra information: Read on

      Axillary hyperhidrosis or as it is known to the laymen as “armpit sweating” is the medical term used for excessive sweating in the armpit of a person. All human beings have some sort of armpit sweating but to about 1% of the population axillary hyperhidrosis involves extreme, dripping sweat in the armpit area. This type of excessive armpit(axillary) sweating is resistant to all types of deodorants and odor controlling medications. At times the excessive axillary sweating is accompanied by the more known entity of palmar hyperhidrosis or excessive hand sweating.

      As you read below, we would like to emphasize again that Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) is not recommended as the surgical solution for severe axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive armpit sweating). Excessive hand sweating/ palmar hyperhidrosis is the only indication at present for which we recommend Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS). For excessive armpit sweating, as you will read below, suction curettage is the only recommended procedure.

      Normal sweating is necessary for our body as it helps regulate the temperature of the body as well as excretion of some waste products of our body. Another variety of axillary hyperhidrosis is bromhidrosis. In this case certain bacteria (cornebacteria) that are on the skin convert the sweat to a malodorus (foul smelling) end product. There are two types of glands in the axillary area, eccrine and apocrine glands. The eccrine are responsible for the watery production and the apocrine glands secrete a protein like substance.

      Excessive armpit sweating usually appears around puberty and can become a socially impairing problem. Patients who are afflicted with excessive severe armpit sweating might have to change their clothing two to three times a day. They may also limit the clothing they wear to certain colors to try and hide the problem. In these severe cases people may also be subject to negative comments and attention from their peers or co workers.

      Causes of Axillary Hyperhidrosis
      The patho-physiology of excessive armpit sweating is somewhat complicated but basically it represents over stimulating of the sympathetic nervous system. There are some other reasons such as specific food, anxiety, stress, and emotional stimuli. All of which can add to the problem.

      Diagnosis
      Basically the clinical history is the main source of diagnosis. Patients can describe their conditions very vividly and easily and obviously there are different grades of severity (mild, moderate, to severe). One has to exclude the possibility of a secondary axillary sweating which can be a manifestation of other medical ailments. For further evaluation about these possibilities one should consult his physician.

      Treatments
      Like 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.

      Botox
      This treatment modality represents a unique approach for the treatment of focal hyperhidrosis. In this treatment the injections of the Botolinum Toxin ATM into sweat producing areas can minimize the sweat production on a temporary basis. The disadvantage of this treatment is the temporary solution it gives and the cost. It can be a good solution to certain people who need it in certain periods of their life.

      Surgical Treatments
      There are few solutions in the surgical options. The old methods involved excision of the sweat bearing areas of the armpit. In this particular method the skin and the subcutaneous where excised so the sweat production was eliminated. It is a good solution but it leaves the patient with scarring, axillary hair loss, and possible contraction in that area making movement somewhat difficult. Over the last 10 years suction curettage was introduced into the surgical practice in order to treat this ailment. In this particular procedure through very small skin incisions the sweat bearing area is being suctioned and scraped(currettage). The benefit of this method is the small incisions, the easy recovery, and the preservation of the hair bearing area. There are some side effects that can happen such as skin loss, scarring (minimal), all of which can treated easily. The formation of fibrotic bands can also be a problem but generally speaking it is a limited one. The success rate is about 90%. Axillary curettage or superficial liposuction does not eradicate all the apocrine in the axillary gland which is almost impossible to do unless you excise the entire skin from axillary area. As a matter of fact leaving about 5 to 10% of those apocrine glands might prevent over dryness which might be somewhat irritating to a patient. The basic principle is to reduce the overall number of apocrine glands which in turn will reduce the amount of sweating and hopefully the amount of smell in cases of bromhidrosis.

      Summary
      The experience of Dr. Reisfeld obtained since about 1995 shows that for cases that involve only armpit sweating one should try all the above methods before embarking on endoscopic thoracic sympathecomy (ETS). ETS is not recommended for isolated excessive armpit sweating.

      http://www.sweaty-palms.com/sweaty_armpit_sweating.html

      All the best!/

  5. QUESTION:
    how can i cure my hyperhidrosis?

    • ANSWER:
      There are a variety of treatment options available for patients with hyperhidrosis, including:
      Antiperspirants. Excessive sweating may be controlled with strong anti-perspirants, which plug the sweat ducts. Products containing 10% to 15% aluminum chloride hexahydrate are the first line of treatment for underarm sweating. Some patients may be be prescribed a product containing a higher dose of aluminum chloride, which is applied nightly onto the affected areas. Antiperspirants can cause skin irritation, and strong doses of aluminum chloride can damage clothing. Note: Deodorants do not prevent sweating, but are helpful in reducing body odor.
      Medication. Anticholinergics drugs, such as glycopyrrolate (Robinul, Robinul-Forte), help to prevent the stimulation of sweat glands. Although effective for some patients, these drugs have not been studied as well as other treatments. Side effects include dry mouth, dizziness, and problems with urination.
      Iontophoresis. This FDA-approved procedure uses electricity to temporarily turn off the sweat gland. It is most effective for sweating of the hands and feet. The hands or feet are placed into water, and then a gentle current of electricity is passed through it. The electricity is gradually increased until the patient feels a light tingling sensation. The therapy lasts about 10-20 minutes and requires several sessions. Side effects include skin cracking and blisters, although rare.
      Botox. Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) was approved by the FDA in 2004 for the treatment of severe underarm sweating, a condition called primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Small doses of purified botulinum toxin injected into the underarm temporarily block the nerves that stimulate sweating. Side effects include injection-site pain and flu-like symptoms. If you are considering Botox for other areas of excessive sweating talk to your doctor in detail. Botox used for sweating of the palms can cause mild, but temporary weakness and intense pain.
      Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). In severe cases, a minimally-invasive surgical procedure called sympathectomy may be recommended. This surgery turns off the signal which tells the body to sweat excessively. ETS surgery is done while the patient is asleep under general anesthesia. The doctor makes two or three tiny cuts under the arm. The patient’s lung is collapsed so the surgeon has more room to work. A tiny camera, called an endoscope, is inserted to guide the surgeon to the appropriate nerve. After the nerve associated with the overactive gland is identified, it is removed or destroyed. The lung is restored to normal, and the wound closed with stitches. The identical procedure is done on the other side of the body. The surgery takes about a half hour. Patients usually go home the next day, but may experience pain for about a week. ETS requires special training. Before having this surgery, make sure your doctor is properly trained. The procedure is usually performed on patients with excessively sweaty palms. It is not as effective on those with excessive armpit sweating. Risks include artery damage, nerve damage, and increased sweating. New sweating occurs in about 50% of patients.

  6. QUESTION:
    Sweaty/clammy palms help?
    What can i do about sweaty palms?

    • ANSWER:
      Medications
      Aluminium chloride (hexahydrate) solution: While aluminium chloride is used in regular antiperspirants, hyperhidrosis sufferers need a much higher concentration to effectively treat the symptoms of the condition. A 15% aluminium chloride solution or higher usually takes about a week of nightly use to stop the sweating and one or two nightly applications per week to maintain the results[citation needed]. An aluminium chloride solution can be very effective, however a minority of patients cannot tolerate the irritation that it can cause. Also, the solution is usually not effective for palmar (hand) and plantar (foot) hyperhidrosis – for which iontophoresis (see below) may yield better results in some circumstances. For the severe cases of palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis there is a low level of success using conservative measures such as Aluminium chloride antiperspirants[citation needed].
      Botulinum toxin type A (including Botox ): Injections of the botulinum toxin are used to disable the sweat glands.[1] The effects can last from 4-9 months depending on the site of injections. With proper anesthesia the hand and foot injections are almost painless. The procedure when used for underarm sweating has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and some American insurance companies pay partially for the treatments.[citation needed]
      Oral medication: There are several oral drugs available to treat the condition with varying degrees of success.[citation needed]
      A class of anticholinergic drugs is available that has been shown to reduce hyperhidrosis. Ditropan (generic name: oxybutynin) is one that has shown promise.[2] However, most people cannot tolerate the side effects associated with the drug, which include drowsiness, visual symptoms and dryness in the mouth and in other mucus membranes. A time release version of the drug is also available, called Ditropan XL , with purportedly reduced effectiveness. Robinul (generic name: glycopyrrolate) is another drug used on an off-label basis. The drug seems to be almost as effective as oxybutynin, with similar side-effects such as a dry mouth or dry throat often leading to pain in these areas. Other less effective anticholinergic agents that have been tried include propantheline bromide (Probanthine ) and benztropine (Cogentin ).
      A different class of drugs known as beta-blockers has also been tried, but does not seem to be very effective.
      Antidepressants and anxiolytics (anti-anxiety medications) are more archaic, related to the former, false belief that Primary Hyperhidrosis was related to an anxious personality style.

      Surgical procedures
      Surgery (Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS): Select sympathetic nerves or nerve ganglia in the chest are either excised (cut out), burned, or clamped (theoretically allowing for the reversal of the procedure). The procedure causes relief of excessive hand sweating in about 85-95%. Major drawbacks related to compensatory sweating are seen in 20-80%. In a series in India, the incidence was found to be 62%[citation needed].Other side effects include Horner’s Syndrome (about 1%), gustatory sweating (less than 25%) and on occasion very dry hands (sandpaper hands). Most people find the compensatory sweating to be tolerable while 1-4% find it worse than the initial condition. Some patients have also been shown to experience a cardiac sympathetic denervation, which results in a 10% lowered heartbeat during both rest and exercise. ETS was thought to be helpful in treating axillary hyperhidrosis, facial blushing and facial sweating. Yet, palmar hyperhidrosis patients have the best results and some surgeons only offer ETS for this group. Statistics have shown that when treated for facial blushing and/or excessive facial sweating, the failure rate of ETS for those two clinical presentations is higher and patients are more prone to side effects. [3]
      Surgery (Lumbar Sympathectomy): Lumbar sympathectomy is a relatively new procedure aimed at those patients for whom endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy has not relieved excessive plantar (foot) sweating. With this procedure the sympathetic chain in the lumbar region is clipped or divided in order to relieve the severe or excessive foot sweating. The success rate is about 90% and the operation should be carried out only if patients first have tried other conservative measures. [4] More recently leading surgeons who perform endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy are doing it only for excessive hand sweating (palmar hyperhidrosis).
      Surgery (Sweat gland suction): In a new and novel technique adapted and modified from liposuction,[5] approximately 30% of the sweat glands are removed with a proportionate reduction in sweat.
      Percutaneous Sympathectomy: a minimally invasive procedure in which the nerve is blocked by an injection of phenol.[6]

      Other
      Iontophoresis: This method was originally described in the 1950s, and its exact mode of action remains elusi

  7. QUESTION:
    sweaty hands…..?
    so this guy who likes me came over my house the other night and we were cuddling a little and he went to grap my hand and it was alllllll sweaty! blahhh. my hands are always sweaty.. even if its freezing out. how can i make them stop sweating!? helppppp!

    • ANSWER:
      Having sweaty hands can be a result of a condition known as HYPERHIDROSIS. Hyperhidrosis is a disorder characterized by excessive sweating that occurs in up to 1% of the population. The excessive sweating can occur in the hands (palmar hyperhidrosis), in the armpits (axillary hyperhidrosis), or in the feet (plantar hyperhidrosis). Although nobody understands the exact cause of this excessive sweating in specific individuals, it is known that the sweating is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.

      There many treatments available including astringents, electrical stimulation, Botox injections, sedatives and medications that affect the nervous system and are successful in varying degrees. As a last effort, there is also a surgical procedure that involves destroying or removing a specific portion of the main sympathetic nerve.

      It may just be anxiety in your case, but if it is hindering your lifestyle and causing embarassment and worry when meeting people (just shaking hands can be a dreadful experience), please see a doctor about it. There is no reason to have to live with it. Just imagine what it would be like to not even have to think of your hands when you are with or meeting people! Do a google search on the words “palmar hyperhidrosis” and read about it. I put a link at the bottom for starters.

  8. QUESTION:
    Sweating like mad?
    All my life, my base temperature has always been a couple degrees above the normal 96. I’m usually too warm, but other than that, I’ve not seen any negative effects from the temp elevation. However — and I’m not sure these two are related — I’ve also had a sweating problem forever. It seems like it’s gotten a tad worse as I’ve gotten older (I’m 28). When I was younger and we lived in Alaska, I would be sweating inside my snowsuit while walking to school in subdegree weather. There are days, especially in the summer, that I don’t understand why I bother doing anything to my hair because my scalp and neck and face are dripping with sweat and my hair gets wrecked. Same with makeup, particularly after I’ve taken a shower, I sweat so much while applying make up that it never lasts long. It’s all the time. Walking up stairs. Any kind of physical activity, like unlocking doors and tidying up my office first thing it the morning. It’s driving me nuts. I don’t know how to stop it. Help?

    • ANSWER:
      I have a relative in our family who had surgery for the excessive sweating in the hands. She couldn’t even hold her own baby when it was born because she thought she would drop her little one. Your problem is called hyperhidrosis.

      “I have hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. This is a condition that causes me to sweat much more than a normal person. In doctor terms that means that my sympathetic nervous system is working overtime. From what I’ve been able to find out through online sources, this problem affects more than 10% of the population.”

      This is a quote from a person who sounds like they have a similar problem to yours.

      HYPERHIDROSIS TREATMENT
      You are not alone if you suffer from excessive sweating. Millions of people exhibit symptoms of hyperhidrosis–including excessively sweaty palms, sweaty hands, armpits, feet or facial blushing. The good news is that a majority of these symptoms can be successfully treated.

      Those that seek treatment, enter into a wondrous new lifestyle of comfort, confidence, and enjoyment in their everyday activities and work and personal relationships.

      An outpatient procedure that typically takes less than one hour, called ETS or Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy, has a success rate of over 98% for most types of cases. Sweaty hands and palms are treated with great success. Facial sweating and blushing, as well as axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive armpit sweating) are also treated with high success rates using the ETS procedure. Immediately upon completion of your ETS procedure, the difficult, embarrassing symptoms that you may have lived with for years, are eliminated and you can begin experiencing a life without excessive sweating.

      Read about the treatments – ETS and ETS-C are considered around the world to be the best surgical option for most cases of hyperhidrosis. These procedures are performed by surgeons who specialize in thoracic surgery and our specialists are among the best in the world.

      Stop sweating – Since 1996, Hyperhydrosis.com and World Wide Surgeries have played a pivotal role in the lives of people with hyperhidrosis. Their testimonials speak for themselves.

  9. QUESTION:
    sweating………..?
    i sweat alot under my armpits, and it goes threw my shirts sometimes. its nasty. what can i do?

    • ANSWER:
      There are several options that attempt to treat axillary hyperhydrosis; some of these methods of approach have proven more successful than others. The first step usually taken is to try a prescribed topical antiperspirant. The powerful chemical found in these prescriptions is aluminum chloride, usually between 20-25 percent in an alcohol solution. The aluminum chloride prevents the sweat from escaping the pores (http://www.sfderm.com/body_undrarm.html). If the case of hyperhydrosis is heavier than light, the antiperspirant may very well not be effective. There are additional options yet they all come with drawbacks. (http://www.parsec.it/summit/hyper1e.htm)

      One of these options that is not extremely convenient for problems in the axillary area is to use a battery-powered electric current under the arms in twenty minute intervals every few days, gradually increasing the time between intervals to every-other week. This procedure is referred to as iontophoresis.

      Glogau asserts oral anticholinergic drugs such as glycopyrrolate (1998, p.817) have been tried by dermatologists to cure hyperhydrosis, yet they have not proven successful. And although psychotherapy may be recommended, it will not usually be an aid to treating primary hyperhydrosis because it has been proven that it is not a psychological disorder. However, secondary hyperhydrosis may be treated successfully by psychotherapy. Primary hyperhydrosis is different from secondary hyperhydrosis in that there is not another disorder linked to hyperhydrosis. Secondary hyperhydrosis is a side effect of another disorder. Secondary hyperhidrosis can be associated with obesity, menopause, drug use (antidepressants), endocrine disorders (htpoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma), and neurologic conditions involving autonomic dysregulation (1998, p.1237). Alternative therapy including homoeopathy, massage, acupuncture and phytotherapeutic drugs (http://www.parsec.it/summit/hyper1e.htm) have been used to experiment with many sufferers, yet these remedies have not proven successful. (http://www.parsec.it/summit/hyper1e.htm)

      There are a few surgical options if the above treatments have not alleviated the excess sweating.

  10. QUESTION:
    Does anybody know a way to reduce sweating when dancing/excercising?
    I sweat a lot. There’s no better way to put it. I’m 6’0″, weigh 170 lbs, have an amazing girlfriend who loves to dance– but I feel terrible every time I dance with her. I’m not a horrible dancer, but I’m incredibly self-conscious about the crazy amount I sweat on dance floors (I’m in high school, if you’re wondering what kind of dance i’m talking about :D ). Anyway, to keep my hair from being soaking wet/dripping everywhere (unfortunately, i’m pretty much the only one that has this problem on dance floors, as it seems…) does anybody have any solutions? I’m open to anything– OTC medication, meditation, etc. Thanks for the help!

    • ANSWER:
      no medication………but surgery can correct it

      Finally, there is a treatment for:

      excessive hand sweat / sweaty palms (palmar hyperhidrosis)

      facial sweating (facial hyperhidrosis)

      underarm sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis)

      facial blushing (erythrophobia)

      All of these conditions are the result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system and can now be treated with a simple surgical procedure performed by:
      The American Institute for Hyperhidrosis.

      Excessive sweating is referred to medically as hyperhidrosis and facial blushing as erythrophobia. Both of these conditions can be extremely embarrassing and can have a profound negative impact on one s personal and professional life.

surgical treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis

Outlines For Real-World Sweat Miracle Products « Reclutamiento …




Outlines For Real-World Sweat Miracle Products



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Cure For Sweaty Hands – Home Remedies That Stop Sweaty Palms

If you have been quietly experiencing excessive hand sweating or palmar hyperhidrosis all your life and still have been searching ideal treatment to prevent sweaty palms, fret not. I too once suffered from sweaty hands but have totally gotten rid of them forever. Here I shall give you the treatment which liberated me and helped me start living again.

Most people don’t want to discuss their embarrassing issue with their doctor, and they also must visit a cure for sweating by themselves. Some people exchange signal of stronger antiperspirants, however these are generally limited for usage on the armpits and should not be used on the areas that may sweat much like the hands, feet, and in many cases scalp. Others make an effort to mask the matter by taking numerous showers daily, changing shirts and re-applying antiperspirant more than once a day. Here’s more on sweat miracle visit http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/sweat-miracle/review/sbwire-234312.htm Some also attempt to improve the situation from the inside out by eating healthier, reading good exercise, and drinking more water.

The condition of sweaty palms is medically called Palmer Hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is profuse perspiration with the body and Palmer Hyperhidrosis refers back to the condition and then there is sweating in excess in palms. However, there the term ‘hypersympathetic activity’ fits more since excessive perspiration is because of over activity in the sympathetic chain.

Incidentally, a cheap natural deodorant can be produced with equal parts baking soda and corn starch. Dust it under the arms and so on the torso. It’s said to be as effective as any commercial deodorant, but devoid of the possible perils of chemicals and aluminum which have been associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Bacteria can thrive in locations where you sweat. This means that showering and bathing is critical for you to not merely reduce the smell of sweat but in addition to remove the bacteria. Try an anti bacterial soap that will kill the bacteria that produces the smell from sweat. There are many that can be purchased from the pharmacy as opposed to purchasing supermarket branded items. Purchase an antiperspirant which is designed designed for excessive sweating, there are a few products that search for about online which are very effective in treating this problem.


Petition to the Health Minister – Australia: sympathectomy led to …

PsycNET – Option to Buy: “Chemical sympathectomy and avoidance learning in the rat.
By Di Giusto, E. L.; King, M. G.
Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, Vol 81(3), Dec 1972, 491-500.
Abstract
Reports results of 5 experiments with male Wistar rats (N = 108). Depletion of peripheral sympathetic noradrenaline induced by administration of 6-hydroxydopamine, ip, led to significant decrements in escape and avoidance responding when the required response was difficult, but not when it was relatively easy to acquire. Results are similar to previous findings obtained with adrenal-demedullated Ss. Findings clarify the role of the sympathetic nervous system in the motivation of behavior elicited by aversive stimulation. Implications for 2-process theory and the “Kamin effect,” or “learned helplessness,” are discussed. (40 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)”

Utilisateur:Lynell21Ecv – yonis

Cheap Body Odor and Hyperhidrosis Treatment in the Underarm Area

When you are managing your excessive sweating issue, this really is essentially nature’s method of telling you something. Excessive sweating, also referred to as hyperhidrosis, could be caused numerous factors including by an unhealthy lifestyle, a medical condition, a hormonal imbalance, or an excessive amount of stress. When you use a hyperhidrosis antiperspirant, the antiperspirant functions prevent the sweating from happening, which won’t deal with the matter at hand. For instance, if you use an antiperspirant to deal with a hormonal imbalance, you might mask the perspiration but you will still have a hormonal imbalance to cope with.

You Are Not Alone
While you could possibly wallow in self-pity wondering why you are the only one who may have to go through such an ordeal of being greatly embarrassed with all the excessive sweating of the face, or armpits, or any other parts of one’s body, you need to know that there are actually 3 million people of you all over the world who will be going through the same malady of sweating disorder.

If you are a mentally strong person you could test to control and even stop sweaty palms with mind control via mental training. However, this approach is only for the people with mild cases of palmar hyperhidrosis. For those with additional severe conditions, you will need more intensive treatment to avoid excessive hand sweating, like ETS Surgery or Iontophoresis. Although ETS surgery gives immediate relief and dry palms, almost 90 percent of the patients develop compensatory sweating, giving rise to a new set of sweating problems to handle.

Iontophoresis alternatively is a non invasive, non surgical procedure which is tested and proven to give no unwanted effects. Simply connect the unit when you are soaking your palms in separate trays of tap water for 20 minutes per session. Keep to a daily routine for starters week and you will have dry palms. Maintenance sessions are only once every three weeks. And if you find that the cost of the device to be outside your means, fret not, as you can make your own, with under $ 20. I made my own, personal and am found that this functionality compare very favorably achievable of a commercial unit.

If despite you have exhausted all efforts to find the best solutions to your hyperhidrosis, but then you still end up going to your old strategies to using anti-perspirants and deodorants, then it is high-time you obtain rid of such old and futile techniques. Instead, search for the most natural way in which your sweating problem can be cured. Discover the methods by how you can manage your sweating predicament.

my page :: homepage

The Andy Goodman Cure My Sweaty Palms Product: What It's About …

If you haven’t got the least idea what hyperhidrosis is, it’s actually a condition wherein an individual sweats excessively, a lot more than he ought to be sweating. This type of disorder was recognized to cripple lots of individuals over the years. Because of that, numerous hyperhidrosis treatments happen to be developed to prevent sweating which is not either our bodies or merely elements of it.

Palmar hyperhidrosis refers to the over sweating with the palms specifically. Most people do sweat more using some areas of the body much like the face, palms, feet and armpits although some folks just have a tendency to sweat profusely across their health. If you decide to have such a hyperhidrosis, you might aim to make use of the so-called “Andy Goodman Cure My Sweaty Palms” product.

This particular product statements to hold the long-lasting treatment that should completely eradicate your sweaty palms (exactly the sweating in excess, in addition, not the palms) within five days. This Cure My Sweaty Palms product contain a principal e-book that should help you through Andy Goodman’s efficient way for stopping palmar hyperhidrosis and a couple other e-books as bonuses – the Cure My Underarm Sweating e-book and also the Questions & Answers about Cure My Sweaty Palms e-book.

If you happen to be wondering who is whomever behind this “Andy Goodman Cure My Sweaty Palms” product is if he’s a known healthcare professional specializing in this particular health problem, well, the final results. Andy Goodman can also be a sufferer on this dreaded thing called over sweating with the palms and that he statements to find a more rewarding and even more efficient way to relieve this palmar hyperhidrosis thing. Lucrative shares this information with everybody through his e-book.

There are satisfied customers who’ve claimed and supported the potency of Andy Goodman’s product. However, you can’t blame others to have hesitations or doubts. When you are one of these brilliant folks, you can search for reviews concerning the said e-book. Although, once you think about it and when you consider their refund guarantee, you can just test it out and when doesn’t necessarily surpass its claims after 5 days, simply request a reimbursement. The item carries a 60-day full money-back guarantee.

There continue to be additional options that you should aim to other hyperhidrosis treatments that prevent sweating in the palms that happen to be worth considering. Yet, when you have already found a cure with Mr. Goodman’s product, why search for other solutions? The next thing for you to do is enjoy life free of hyperydrosis.

hyperhidrosis surgery has undisclosed side effects: Seven cases of …

ETS is a very effective way to treat hyperhidrosis and FB in the vast majority of the cases, but a small group of patients have devastating effects. Unfortunately, we do not know who these patients are before we operate.

Dr. Giudiceandrea Alberto, general and vascular surgeon
http://sympathectomy.info/

Possible side effects, ranging from trivial to devastating, are of even greater importance with these more permanent procedures.

G D Schott Consultant neurologist
Interrupting the sympathetic outflow in causalgia and reflex sympathetic dystrophy – A futile procedure for many patients
The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
1998;316;789-790 BMJ

Sympathectomy reduces DOPAMINELatent inhibition and creative drive

Dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway increases general arousal and goal directed behaviors and decreases latent inhibition; all three effects increase the creative drive of idea generation. This has led to a three-factor model of creativity involving the frontal lobes, the temporal lobes, and mesolimbic dopamine.[34]

This calcification was observed in both feet of 93% of patients, who had
undergone bilateral operation. After unilateral sympathectomy the incidence of calcified arteries on the side of operation was significantly higher than that on the contralateral side (88% versus 18%, p less than 0.01). Although diabetic patients showed longer stretches of calcification than non-diabetic subjects, the difference was not significant in terms of incidence and length. Of 20 patients who had no evidence of calcinosis pre-operatively, 11 developed medial calcification after unilateral operation exclusively on the side of sympathectomy. In seven patients calcinosis was detected in both feet after
bilateral operation. In conclusion, sympathetic denervation is one of the causes of Monckeberg’s sclerosis regardless of diabetes mellitus.
Diabetologia. 1983 May;24(5):347-50, PMID: 6873514 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Goebel FD, Fuessl HS.

Some of these side-effects, as listed on the Swedish support group website:

  • Side effects of the elective surgery:
  • Severe compensatory sweating = disabling sweating
  • Decreased physical capacity
  • Reduced blood circulation
  • Stomach problems (constipation or diarrhea)
  • Impotence
  • Oversensitivity to stress
  • Oversensitivity to sounds
  • Oversensitivity to light
  • Muscle weakness (“lactic acid in the arms”)
  • Cold hands and feet – denervation supersensitivity
  • Horners syndrome
  • Reduced pulse reaction – delay in heart rate and BP responses, dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in arms and back – due to nerve sprouting
  • Chronic fatigue, lack of energy – S affects adrenaline levels
  • Raynauds disease – denervation supersensitivity

and from research:

  • Autonomic dysfunction
  • Vascular disturbances
  • Calcification of arteries
  • Permanently disabled thermoregulation
  • blocked nose or watery discharge/dripping from nose
  • dry, inflamed eyes
  • Reduced physical capacity, even when going up a flight of stairs – HR and BP responses delayed
  • depression – ETS reduces NE and catecholamines, increases serotonin
  • mood-swings
  • Altered sympathetic tone, feeling sedated/detached – beta-blocker effect
  • Inability to experience/respond to strong emotions – S disrupts signals from the viscera
  • Reduces/eliminates fear
  • difficulty concentrating, foggyness, memory affected
  • lack of motivation/drive/cognitive function – reduction of small vessels in the anterior cingulate cortex, altered catecholamines
  • overheating due to disabled thermoregulation, even when extreme sweating present – fever in hot weather or with physical activity/brain overheating
  • difficulty falling asleep/getting up – S eliminates circadian rhythm
  • Destabilized heart rate, arrythmia, dropped beats, morphofunctional changes in the myocardium
  • Reduced heart rate = reduced alertness, reduced emotional responses, (‘not feeling alive’), all affecting long term memory (encoding).
  • Suppressed or eliminated Baroreflex = MAP instability
  • Mean Arterial Pressure instability, reduced short-term haemodynamic variability (‘not feeling alive’)
  • Hair loss, loss of eyebrows, eyelashes – altered blood flow in the skin
  • Dehydrated skin on upper body, face, scalp, – dandruff, skin infections, reduced immune responses
  • Reduced antibody responses – altered immune system

Several publications/books interchange ‘Sympathectomy’ and ‘Spinal Cord Injury’ due to the similarity in presentation/ symptoms.

Sweating after sympathetic surgery is a reflex cycle between the sympathetic system and the anterior portion of the hypothalamus according to our investigations. Reflex sweating will not happen if hand sweating can be stopped without interrupting sympathetic tone to the human brain. (sic!)
Chien-Chih Lin, M.D., *Timo Telaranta, M. D.

Presentation at the 4th International Symposium on Sympathetic Surgery

ETS is a relatively safe and simple procedure. However the side effects are possibly devastating All physicians providing this service and all peoples preparing to undergo this treatment should know this well.
Min-Huei Hsu (10 January 2005)
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/eletters/172/1/69#1908

GNRH secretion is pulsatile in all vertebrates, and is necessary for correct reproductive function. Thus, a single hormone, GNRH1, controls a complex process of follicular growth, ovulation, and corpus luteum maintenance in the female, and spermatogenesis in the male.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonadotropin-releasing_hormone

The severity and manifestations of autonomic hyperreflexia are affected by the level of the sympathectomy. With mid-thoracic lesions below the level of cardiac accelerator fibers, hypertension is accompanied by reflex bradycardia transmitted via cardiac accelerator fibers and the vagus. In patients whose sympathectomy is above the level of the thoracic cardiac accelerator fibers, tachycardia may occur because cardiac accelerator fibers become part of the efferent sympathetic activity rather than part of the central inhibitory input from the brain stem and hypothalamus. Arrythmias and occasional heart block may accompany changes in heart rate.
Clinical manifestations of autonomic hyperreflexia include vasodilation, decresed sympathetic activity, and increased vagal activity above the level of the lesion such as nasal congestion, flushing, headache, dyspnea, nausea, and visceral muscle contraction. Vasoconstriction and increased sympathetic activity below the level of the lesion cause vasoconstrictive pallor, sweating, piloerection, and somatic muscle fasciculation. Patients also develop hypertension with headache, blurred vision, myocardial infarction, andretinal, subarachnoid and cerebral hemorrhages that may lead to syncope, convulsion and death.
Handbook of Neuroanesthesia
page 343
By Philippa Newfield, James E. Cottrell

Elective surgery for Hyperhidrosis: July 2013

ETS is a very effective way to treat hyperhidrosis and FB in the vast majority of the cases, but a small group of patients have devastating effects. Unfortunately, we do not know who these patients are before we operate.

Dr. Giudiceandrea Alberto, general and vascular surgeon
http://sympathectomy.info/

Possible side effects, ranging from trivial to devastating, are of even greater importance with these more permanent procedures.

G D Schott Consultant neurologist
Interrupting the sympathetic outflow in causalgia and reflex sympathetic dystrophy – A futile procedure for many patients
The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
1998;316;789-790 BMJ

Sympathectomy reduces DOPAMINELatent inhibition and creative drive

Dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway increases general arousal and goal directed behaviors and decreases latent inhibition; all three effects increase the creative drive of idea generation. This has led to a three-factor model of creativity involving the frontal lobes, the temporal lobes, and mesolimbic dopamine.[34]

This calcification was observed in both feet of 93% of patients, who had
undergone bilateral operation. After unilateral sympathectomy the incidence of calcified arteries on the side of operation was significantly higher than that on the contralateral side (88% versus 18%, p less than 0.01). Although diabetic patients showed longer stretches of calcification than non-diabetic subjects, the difference was not significant in terms of incidence and length. Of 20 patients who had no evidence of calcinosis pre-operatively, 11 developed medial calcification after unilateral operation exclusively on the side of sympathectomy. In seven patients calcinosis was detected in both feet after
bilateral operation. In conclusion, sympathetic denervation is one of the causes of Monckeberg’s sclerosis regardless of diabetes mellitus.
Diabetologia. 1983 May;24(5):347-50, PMID: 6873514 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Goebel FD, Fuessl HS.

Some of these side-effects, as listed on the Swedish support group website:

  • Side effects of the elective surgery:
  • Severe compensatory sweating = disabling sweating
  • Decreased physical capacity
  • Reduced blood circulation
  • Stomach problems (constipation or diarrhea)
  • Impotence
  • Oversensitivity to stress
  • Oversensitivity to sounds
  • Oversensitivity to light
  • Muscle weakness (“lactic acid in the arms”)
  • Cold hands and feet – denervation supersensitivity
  • Horners syndrome
  • Reduced pulse reaction – delay in heart rate and BP responses, dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in arms and back – due to nerve sprouting
  • Chronic fatigue, lack of energy – S affects adrenaline levels
  • Raynauds disease – denervation supersensitivity

and from research:

  • Autonomic dysfunction
  • Vascular disturbances
  • Calcification of arteries
  • Permanently disabled thermoregulation
  • blocked nose or watery discharge/dripping from nose
  • dry, inflamed eyes
  • Reduced physical capacity, even when going up a flight of stairs – HR and BP responses delayed
  • depression – ETS reduces NE and catecholamines, increases serotonin
  • mood-swings
  • Altered sympathetic tone, feeling sedated/detached – beta-blocker effect
  • Inability to experience/respond to strong emotions – S disrupts signals from the viscera
  • Reduces/eliminates fear
  • difficulty concentrating, foggyness, memory affected
  • lack of motivation/drive/cognitive function – reduction of small vessels in the anterior cingulate cortex, altered catecholamines
  • overheating due to disabled thermoregulation, even when extreme sweating present – fever in hot weather or with physical activity/brain overheating
  • difficulty falling asleep/getting up – S eliminates circadian rhythm
  • Destabilized heart rate, arrythmia, dropped beats, morphofunctional changes in the myocardium
  • Reduced heart rate = reduced alertness, reduced emotional responses, (‘not feeling alive’), all affecting long term memory (encoding).
  • Suppressed or eliminated Baroreflex = MAP instability
  • Mean Arterial Pressure instability, reduced short-term haemodynamic variability (‘not feeling alive’)
  • Hair loss, loss of eyebrows, eyelashes – altered blood flow in the skin
  • Dehydrated skin on upper body, face, scalp, – dandruff, skin infections, reduced immune responses
  • Reduced antibody responses – altered immune system

Several publications/books interchange ‘Sympathectomy’ and ‘Spinal Cord Injury’ due to the similarity in presentation/ symptoms.

Sweating after sympathetic surgery is a reflex cycle between the sympathetic system and the anterior portion of the hypothalamus according to our investigations. Reflex sweating will not happen if hand sweating can be stopped without interrupting sympathetic tone to the human brain. (sic!)
Chien-Chih Lin, M.D., *Timo Telaranta, M. D.

Presentation at the 4th International Symposium on Sympathetic Surgery

ETS is a relatively safe and simple procedure. However the side effects are possibly devastating All physicians providing this service and all peoples preparing to undergo this treatment should know this well.
Min-Huei Hsu (10 January 2005)
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/eletters/172/1/69#1908

GNRH secretion is pulsatile in all vertebrates, and is necessary for correct reproductive function. Thus, a single hormone, GNRH1, controls a complex process of follicular growth, ovulation, and corpus luteum maintenance in the female, and spermatogenesis in the male.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonadotropin-releasing_hormone

The severity and manifestations of autonomic hyperreflexia are affected by the level of the sympathectomy. With mid-thoracic lesions below the level of cardiac accelerator fibers, hypertension is accompanied by reflex bradycardia transmitted via cardiac accelerator fibers and the vagus. In patients whose sympathectomy is above the level of the thoracic cardiac accelerator fibers, tachycardia may occur because cardiac accelerator fibers become part of the efferent sympathetic activity rather than part of the central inhibitory input from the brain stem and hypothalamus. Arrythmias and occasional heart block may accompany changes in heart rate.
Clinical manifestations of autonomic hyperreflexia include vasodilation, decresed sympathetic activity, and increased vagal activity above the level of the lesion such as nasal congestion, flushing, headache, dyspnea, nausea, and visceral muscle contraction. Vasoconstriction and increased sympathetic activity below the level of the lesion cause vasoconstrictive pallor, sweating, piloerection, and somatic muscle fasciculation. Patients also develop hypertension with headache, blurred vision, myocardial infarction, andretinal, subarachnoid and cerebral hemorrhages that may lead to syncope, convulsion and death.
Handbook of Neuroanesthesia
page 343
By Philippa Newfield, James E. Cottrell