Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
Sweating is the body's normal way of cooling down. Hyperhidrosis is the term for sweat produced in quantities the body does not need: clothing soaks through…
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Medicines commonly prescribed for Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
For informational purposes only. Always consult a doctor before using any medicine.
Dosage form: INJECTABLE, 100 U/mlActive substance: botulinum toxinManufacturer: Ipsen PharmaPrescription requiredDosage form: INJECTABLE, 50 UnitsActive substance: botulinum toxinManufacturer: Evolus Pharma B.V.Prescription requiredDosage form: TOPICAL SOLUTION, 5%Active substance: minoxidilManufacturer: Laboratorios Vinas S.A.Prescription not required
Sweating is the body's normal way of cooling down. Hyperhidrosis is the term for sweat produced in quantities the body does not need: clothing soaks through in a cool room, hands drip, shoes have to be changed halfway through the day. It is a common condition, not dangerous to health, but it seriously complicates work and social life. And importantly, it is treatable — there is no need to put up with it.
Two different situations
The distinction matters, because everything else follows from it.
Primary hyperhidrosis. A feature of how the sweat glands themselves work. It usually starts in adolescence, affects particular areas — palms, soles, armpits, face — generally symmetrically, often runs in families, and almost always stops during sleep.
Secondary hyperhidrosis. A consequence of another condition or a medicine. Suspect it if the sweating began suddenly in adulthood, involves the whole body, disturbs you at night, or comes with other symptoms. Causes include an overactive thyroid, diabetes and episodes of low blood sugar, menopause, infections, obesity, anxiety disorders, and medication — some antidepressants, hormone treatments, painkillers and fever-reducing drugs.
When to see a clinician
- sweating stops you working, writing, holding things or socialising;
- ordinary antiperspirants are not coping;
- it has gone on for more than six months;
- it appeared suddenly or has noticeably worsened;
- you sweat at night;
- it comes with weight loss, fever, palpitations, tremor or weakness;
- it began after starting a new medicine.
Night sweating and whole-body sweating are looked into separately: they point more towards another illness than to primary hyperhidrosis.
What you can do yourself
- apply an aluminium-salt antiperspirant to dry skin at night rather than in the morning: the ducts are less active overnight and the product works better;
- cotton, linen or wool instead of synthetics; darker or patterned fabrics show less;
- moisture-wicking socks, changed during the day, leather shoes and alternating pairs;
- underarm pads to protect clothing;
- foot powders;
- cutting down on triggers: spicy food, alcohol, caffeine, smoking;
- losing weight if it is excessive.
Treatments available
If the basics are not enough, there is a ladder of options, and surgery is rarely reached.
- Prescription antiperspirants with a higher concentration of active ingredient.
- Iontophoresis. Hands or feet are placed in trays with a weak electric current, in a course of sessions. It works well for palms and soles, and treatment can be continued at home with your own device.
- Botulinum toxin injections. These block the signal to the sweat glands in the treated area. The effect lasts 4 to 9 months on average and is used mainly for the armpits.
- Tablets that reduce sweating throughout the body. They cause side effects such as a dry mouth, so they are prescribed and adjusted by a clinician.
- Microwave or laser destruction of sweat glands in the underarm area.
- Surgery — cutting the sympathetic nerve. A last resort: effective for the palms, but in some patients it causes compensatory sweating elsewhere, and that is irreversible.
In secondary hyperhidrosis the underlying cause is treated, and the sweating goes with it.
What happens at the appointment
The clinician will ask when the sweating started, which areas it affects, whether it happens at night, and what medication you take. Blood tests are usual — thyroid hormones, glucose, a full blood count and, if indicated, others — to separate primary hyperhidrosis from secondary.
Common questions
Is it linked to hygiene? No. Hyperhidrosis comes down to the nerve control of the sweat glands.
Is it harmful to block sweating? Treating specific areas does not stop the body cooling itself: there are around four million sweat glands in the body.
Will it settle with time? In some people the intensity lessens with age, but without treatment it usually persists.
Online consultation
In an online appointment a doctor can work out whether your hyperhidrosis is primary or secondary, check the link with your medication, arrange the necessary blood tests and set up treatment — from how to apply an antiperspirant to a referral for iontophoresis or injections.
This article is for general information and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
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Reviewed on Jul 29, 2026
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