Category: Blog

The Hyperhidrosis Priority Setting Partnership has surveyed more than 250 patients and clinicians, including nurses, GPs and dermatologists, to identify research priorities for the future. The results are now published and the top ten priorities are:

1. Are there any safe and effective permanent solutions for hyperhidrosis?
2. What is the most effective and safe oral treatment (drugs taken by mouth) for hyperhidrosis?
3. What are the most effective and safe ways to reduce sweating in particular areas of the body (e.g. hands, feet, underarms, face, head etc.)?
4. How does hyperhidrosis affect quality of life?
5. Are combinations of different treatments more effective than one type of treatment for hyperhidrosis?
6. What is the most safe and effective treatment for mild to moderate hyperhidrosis?
7. Could targeted therapies or biologics (e.g. antibodies, hormones, stem cells), be effective in treating hyperhidrosis?
8. What is the most effective severity scale that can be used to determine if a person is eligible for hyperhidrosis treatment?
9. What is the safest and most effective surgery for hyperhidrosis?
10. How safe are hyperhidrosis treatments at different stages of life, e.g. childhood, pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Read the press release here.

A TV production company are looking for patients with skin disorders, including hyperhidrosis which many people don’t think of as a skin disease. Details are in the flyer below.

Is something holding you back from getting active? Do you need help finding that motivation or advice? We have a top team that can give you that confidence to achieve your personal goals in 2019! New Year New You!
Our team of personal trainers hope to help promote body confidence to people from all backgrounds and situations who may have lost it or need some motivation to get themselves active again!

Contact: [email protected] with a brief introduction to yourself and a member of the team will be in touch to give you more information!

Can you help?

We are seeking patients for a new clinical trial into a novel treatment for primary axillary hyperhidrosis in Sutton Coldfield/Birmingham.

A new topical anticholinergic drug preparation (glycopyrrolate) is being trialled at an approved clinical trial centre based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (West Midlands). Recruitment has started for the registration study and the investigators are seeking interested and motivated patients with primary axillary hyperhidrosis who live locally or who are willing to travel for regular visits (travel expenses will not be paid). Local ethical committee approval has been received for recruitment for the trial.

The study will be in two parts:

Phase I, which lasts for one month, is double-blinded.
Phase II is for an additional 16 months of using the active drug.

Inclusion Criteria:

Men or women 18-65 with BMI 18-32
Axillary Hyperhidrosis with a HDSS score of 3 or 4
Females must be on effective contraception for at least 3 months before 1st dose, during study and at least 1 cycle post study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Secondary hyperhidrosis
Previous surgical treatment for Hyperhidrosis
Botulinum toxin treatment for Hyperhidrosis in the last 4 months
Active or clinical history of asthma or chronic bronchitis

If you wish to find out more about the clinical trial then please contact (tel: 0121 308 4373, email: [email protected]) for more information.

The Hyperhidrosis Priority Setting Partnership has looked at the 605 research questions submitted from the first survey and grouped the similar questions to produce a shortlist of 45 questions.

They would now like your help to shorten this by choosing questions which are most important to you in the interim survey. This will form the basis of the final list of questions to be finalised in the workshop in November to produce the priority research questions for hyperhidrosis. To take part in the survey, click here or use the QR code.

The project is being facilitated by the James Lind Alliance who have a wealth of experience with Priority Setting Partnerships and is supported by the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network and De Montford University in Leicester.

 

We are looking for hyperhidrosis patients who are will to talk about their condition and the impact it has on their lives for newspaper articles and/or TV. If you are interested please contact Dr Louise Dunford at De Montfort University via email: [email protected]

And don’t forget, the Hyperhidrosis Priority Setting Partnership Survey is still live. The survey should take no more than 10 – 15 minutes to complete. Follow this link to take part, or copy this link – goo.gl/q75WTq – into your browser, or use the QR Code below:

You may have read a previous post announcing an exciting new project, the Hyperhidrosis Priority Setting Partnership (PSP). Here is a message from the PSP:

We are the Hyperhidrosis Priority Setting Partnership: a collaboration between De Montfort University, the James Lind Alliance and the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. We are looking for your questions about treatments and management for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

Hyperhidrosis is a common condition, affecting about one and three in every 100 individuals. It is estimated that nearly 365 million people in the world have hyperhidrosis. The condition has a profound effect on the quality of life.

We are currently running a survey where we aim to gather questions about treatment and management of the condition. Please fill this in if you are affected with hyperhidrosis, if you are a family member, friend or colleague of someone with hyperhidrosis, or if you work with hyperhidrosis patients.
The survey should take no more than 10 – 15 minutes to complete. Follow this link to take part, or copy this link – goo.gl/q75WTq – into your browser, or use the QR Code below:

Keep upto date with the project on Facebook and Twitter.

 

A UK based review of the scientific publications relating to the treatment of hyperhidrosis has been undertaken. It will be published on line in January 2018 but the authors have asked us to share the key results with you here.

The project was commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and undertaken by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York and the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University.

The review looked at the evidence for treatments of hyperhidrosis of the hands, feet and armpits. They concluded, as we already knew, that the evidence for most treatments of hyperhidrosis is limited. Although weak, they found consistent evidence to support using iontophoresis for treating hyperhidrosis of the hands.

Unsurprisingly, there is quite a lot of evidence concerning botox for treatment of the underarms but it was suggested that further research should look at the clinical effectiveness of this compared to iontophoresis.

In terms of cost effectiveness for the NHS, it was concluded that the treatment sequence for treating the underarms should be iontophoresis, botox, medication, curettage and ETS as the last resort which fits in with the advice we give on this site.

The summary document aimed at patients can be downloaded by clicking here.

A new antiperspirant is now available from the makers of SweatStop that does not contain aluminium chloride. It is called IXAL and contains a patented formula that naturally normalises sweating without sealing the pores of the sweat glands. The dermatologically tested roll-on forumulation reduces sweating and nourishes the skin.

How does it work?

IXAL uses a patented formulation of fatty acids that are naturally occurring in nature which work on the naturally occurring processes in the body to reduce sweating.

Why Aluminium Free?

Most antiperspirants (unlike deodorants) contain aluminium salts that work by blocking the pores that lead from the sweat glands to reduce the amount of sweat that appears on the skin. Some people find, that even with normal strength antiperspirants, their skin burns or itches after applying it. Stronger antiperspirants contain more aluminium and, especially when applied to delicate skin areas such as the underarms, the burning can be intolerable which prevents some people using it anymore.

You will not have to look far on the internet to find articles suggesting aluminium is linked to the developement of cancer or Alzheimer’s disease and probably similar numbers disputing this claim. Many national and international organisations such as the EU and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US have not found sufficient evidence to conclude there is a causative link. A recent scientific paper from Germany reviewed the evidence for the safety of antiperspirants and other drugs for hyperhidrosis and concluded such concerns remain “unsolved” which is probably as much as anyone can say currently.

Should I switch to, or be using, aluminium free antiperspirant?

If you are one of many who find that your skin burns after applying your aluminium based antiperspirant, then yes, it is worth trying an alternative.

If you are concerned about using aluminium whether or not your concerns turn out to be proven or not in the future, then yes.

If your current antiperspirant is working perfectly adequately for your requirements, no stick with what you know.

Where can I get IXAL?

In the UK, you can buy it on line from the sweathelp.co.uk store.

A new hyperhidrosis project, based in the UK, has just started. It is called the Hyperhidrosis Priority Setting Partnership. This is not a typical research project but more like the seeds for future research into hyperhidrosis. The project is centred around patients and needs more patients to be involved, please read on.

Continue reading “Hyperhidrosis project needs patient involvement” →