Medicinal treatments

Secondary hyperhidrosis: several identified causes

Most people suffer from “primary” hyperhidrosis, i.e. there is no identifiable cause and it begins in childhood or adolescence.
In about 10% of cases, it’s attributable to or induced by a specific cause, and is called “secondary” hyperhidrosis.
Several causes of secondary hyperhidrosis have been identified:

• Certain diseases, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, obesity and alcoholism
• Certain physiological conditions, such as menopause
• Psychological damage, such as anxiety disorders
• Certain medicines, which promote and cause oversweating through their mechanism of action
• Certain foods are also thought to promote excessive perspiration, such as very hot or very spicy foods

Medicines capable of causing excessive perspiration include vasodilators, various antidepressants and certain treatments for breast or prostate cancer. If in doubt, hyperhidrosis will be listed as a side effect in the drug’s package insert.
Let’s take the example of vasodilators, which is a family of drugs usually prescribed to fight arteriopathy of the lower limbs. Their mode of action involves vessel vasodilation, which is useful for certain conditions. However, they dilate all vessels, even those in the skin’s dermis, which can then lead to excessive sweat release.

If hyperhidrosis appears suddenly, there’s a chance it has been caused by something in particular, such as medication. This is why you must not hesitate to consult your doctor and be brave enough to talk about it, because lots of solutions exist. Above all, do not stop or change your treatment until you have discussed it with your doctor. They will tell you what to do, and may also propose solutions for managing hyperhidrosis.