Botox injections? No sweat

2005-07-21 21:56

New York - The idea of long-term Botox injections may bring some out in a cold sweat, but for millions who suffer from uncontrollable perspiration, the anti-wrinkle treatment offers a lifeline to normality.

Interim data published on Thursday from the first long-term study into the repeated use of Botox to reduce severe underarm sweating found "safe, meaningful, long-lasting" improvements in patients whose conditions were chronic enough to wreak havoc with their social and professional lives.

The ongoing, three-year US study enrolled 193 patients.

After two years of regular Botox injections in their armpits, 81 percent reported a significant reduction in sweating, while the number who described being "emotionally damaged or injured" by their condition was reduced by half.

Dermatology

Dee Anna Glaser, a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and lead investigator of the study, said the results offered hope to a large group of people whose quality of life is rated lower than psoriasis sufferers.

An estimated eight million Americans suffer from uncontrollable sweating, or hyperhidrosis. The use of Botox in treating the condition was approved by the US Federal Drug and Food Administration one year ago.

"Most of these sufferers feel like somehow they're responsible and they're dirty. They don't really understand they have a medical condition," Glaser said.

"They feel like if only they showered more or did something different, they would be normal.

Neurotoxin

Botox is a powerful neurotoxin best known for its its cosmetic qualities in paralysing facial muscles and thus giving foreheads a relaxed, wrinkle-free appearance.

For hyperhidrosis sufferers, Botox works by blocking nerve impulses sent by the brain to the sweat glands.

Uncontrolled sweating causes so much embarrassment that studies show up to two thirds of sufferers have never consulted a health professional.

Chronic patients can produce up to 350 milligrams of sweat while sitting in in a chair in a normal temperature.

"They can just be hanging out with their loved ones and they are dripping, literally dripping," said Glaser.

- SAPA