By andersonpsg

02/05/2011

There is a treatment that helps with sweaty hands & feet. My son (now 15) suffers from hyperhidrosis & has since a baby, just not diagnosed until around age 10. Some insurance companies consider it experimental, but will consider paying for it after trying clinical strength antiperspirant, then Drysol (Rx). It’s called “iontophoresis”. The dermatologist & rheumatologist both recommended this as the next step but neither could tell me how to get the treatment. I searched for several months & finally found a connection to it with physical therapists. Apparently they use it for arthritis, etc. I checked with a local PT & she agreed to help us.

There are 2 different types of iontophoresis treatments, one using patches with a solution & the other uses tap water…submerge your hands/feet in the water & it runs electrical currents, using the minerals in the water to control the sweating. We tried the patches with the PT, 3x’s a week & gradually reduced to 1x per week. The only problem w/ the patch is it only worked where the patch was. Since this is a lifetime treatment (just reduces amount of treatments needed), we eventually purchased the water machine to use at home. It covers the entire areas & has worked great (when we actually get my son to sit long enough to do the treatment…lol). I really hope this information will help others with this horrible problem!