Men sweat, ladies perspire...

[Shashi]

but I do neither. Seriously. Four years ago, when I first started having these weird symptoms, I noticed that summer that I did not perspire. That lasted for a few months, but then resolved itself and I didn't think anything of it because I was dealing with everything else.

The following summers, no problem, the perspiration worked fine.

Fast forward to this summer. I can sit in a hot car, I can carry groceries in in 95+ heat, nothing. Not a drop anywhere.

What is up with this? Is it just me? Should I call my doctor (even though I can't afford an appointment with the $1,000 deductible on my insurance.) Has anyone else had this happen?

[Canary54]

Shashi

I have exactly the same problem; you should Google 'thermoregulation.' I almost passed out from the extreme heat 2 years ago when I was in Las Vegas. It was 115 degrees and the skin on my face, neck and arms was the color of raw hamburger. I could not sweat and was unable to cool down. I now avoid temperatures over 75 degrees at all cost! I've become a slave to air conditioning, but I'd rather hide out in the house than have another episode like the one in Las Vegas.

[JoanFrances]

not anymore

prior to MS (prior to the dx) it never used to sweat either. Now the sweat (I don't call it perspire cause there isn't anything lady like about mine) comes is sheets. I mine sheets of water coming off my body, to the point that I can get dehydrated in minutes. I look like someone who just had a bucket of water thrown at them in a matter of minutes when the temp or humidity is up over 70 and I am attempting to work in my yard. Mind you I am sitting down on my special garden thingie and not doing any heavy work. It can happen by just being out in the heat too without gardening.

My face gets so red that I look like I am gonna drop dead, it scares the heck out of my dh when he sees me like that

Sorry to hear about you insurance wow's, insurance is as hard to deal with as the MS is at times. Good luck. Would love to hear more on this subject

[mjan]

AS much as you do not want to spend the money on your deductible..means you just have to pay that amt before they pay theirs completely. But with tests $1000 goes quickly. I am using mine up so after March this year they are now paying 100% except for co pays for visits.

I have had the sweat test and that along with other autonomic testing is how I got my Dysautonomia..and Sicca syndome from that same Neuro. Is there anything to do for no sweeting issues? Not really except to try and cool down your car..and stay out of hot places..wear a cooling vest/etc.

BUT it was that neuro who got the ball rolling for my other diagnoses. And now he's in the same clinic with my new MS doc.

You may want to ask who tests for Autonomic problems.. that could be what you have too. Look up dysautonomia. There are few docs who test for this..but its valuable info for other docs and diagnoses.

You know I got your back!!

Jan

[Seasha]

I have not sweat for most of my life! I've "glistened" before and that's about it. I've almost passed out at times. Now, I live in a cooler climate and stay out of the heat!! My daughter has the same problem.

[Jennyfoo]

I wish I had that problem. It would be preferable to being dripping wet all the time unless I'm sitting or lying down in a cool room and not doinfanything. I sweat buckets! Just walking to my driveway and sitting in my car, I'll be sweating. I sweat from taking a shower. I have to get dressed, relax to stop sweating, before I can attempt to put on makeup or do my hair. My hair was beautiful, 1/2 way down my back, natural blonde, thick. I chopped it all off a year ago because I got sick of wearing a soaking wet ponytail. I tool my kids out to see a movie yesterday. By the time we walked into the theatre, got a bucket of popcorn and drinks to share and sat down, my hair was so wet that it looked like I just stepped out of the shower. I have to carry rags in my purse and keep them in my car. It is so awful, so embarrassing, that I just avoid going anywhere I don't absolutely have to. It's not only in the heat either. Last winter was miserable! I had to wear a scarf and hat to put over my soaked hair and neck and I was still always freezing cold.

My dr wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain how bad it is. All she'd say is,"your in pain, and that makes you sweat." ya, I've got a painful arthritis disease, but I'm not always in significant pain and certainly not enough to make me sweat lie that. I'll be bringing up this problem with my neuro when I go. Maybe he'll have some ideas. Quite a few of the people on the Arthritis board I post on also suffer from horrible sweating like I do, but all of us who've asked our rheumatologist about it have all been told it's not related to the disease. Hmmm.

[tejokid]

The saying is: Horses sweat, men perspire, ladies glow. I generally don't sweat either, but I know it's really hot when I glow like a horse

[boylecen]

sweat

Now that you mention it, I don't sweat or perspire either. I never really did. Now that I am in menapause I do go thru those sweats and boy they are worse when out in the heat. But they hit me anytime. But I can be out in the heat and only my upper lip will perspire. I also looked up SICCA recently and think my eyes always feeling sticky may be because of dryness. I have never really connected it to anything because with fibromyalgia my mouth is always dry as well. Guess I need to explore this as well.

[coffa]

You should be very careful! You could overheat...I have that problem every once in awhile. Hasn't happened for a couple of years though, now that I think about it.

Make sure you're getting plenty of fluid - preferably water. And try not to get too hot - sweating is the body's way of cooling off. So...if you feel hot, but aren't sweating, take a cool shower or get into a/c.

Oh....I sweat - like a man!! Even though I'm a woman....lol

[wkikta]

I believe the sweating/not sweating thing has to do with our inability to control how our bodies regulate their temperature. The only time I will sweat is if I get overheated while lying down. I can fatigue myself to total exhaustion without sweating a drop.

[Shashi]

I have had the sweat test and that along with other autonomic testing is how I got my Dysautonomia..and Sicca syndome from that same Neuro.

Jan

Jan, I wanted to ask (and kept forgetting), what do they do during the sweat test?

[mjan]

Hello my dear Shashi~!! Hope you are finding some fun this summer, are you?

As far as the sweat test...I would have to look up the name of it but basically you wear this paper two piece paper bikini..they brush this pinkish or yellowish power all over you..and you lay on this comfy table in a sauna type room. The tech keep coming in to check if the power is turning to purple..and if not much..he raises the temp of the room slightly..and takes your temp. They need your body temp at a certain point before they will stop the test. Since I was not sweating..I stayed longer. I only had some slight sweating around neck..and inside of arms I think.

But taking the shower with all that purple stain was fun!!!
It takes awhile to get if completely off.

Are you going to get the autonomic testing? There are few neuros who do this. The guy I saw at Froedtert Hosp in Milwaukee sees folks from all over the midwest and other areas. Hes very nice and good though. He looked at the whole picture..including MS and Narcolepsy. And of course adding back my dx of Sicca Syndrome was so helpful. No questions it..nor cares to ...lol

So..how ya doing now?

Jan

Take care

[Shashi]

Thanks Jan. That sounds like an interesting test. I'm not sure if I'm going to get it. Again, with my $1,000 deductible that must be met before my insurance will pay, I have to pick and choose what medical treatment I get because it'll be out of my pocket, and I don't have $1,000 to take care of everything I need. In the spring when I get my tax refund, I'm going to set aside $1,000 to cover my deductible amount for next year.

I'm doing okay, I guess. I've been feeling very tired and drained again, something I haven't felt since I started taking ALA and ALC last year. I'm trying to determine whether it's because of the oil of oregano gelcaps that I recently started taking or if it's because of the horrible heat we've been having. Whatever it is, I wish it would go away because I've been feeling so weak that it's been really hard to get anything done. (And I'm moving again at the end of this month, so I have a lot to do!)

How are you doing these days? I know you're trying to decide whether to start DMDs or not. I think if I were ever to get a diagnosis, I'd do without the DMDs. From things I have read here, I'm not sure they really even help much. But that's just me.

Thanks for everything, by the way. You're such a blessing, always upbeat and caring, no matter what you are going through. You are one of God's special angels.

Big hugs,

Lisa