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New Treatment For Sweaty Palms Works For Up To A Year SCHAUMBURG, IL -- February 13, 1998 -- People who find no relief from conventional drug treatment for the persistent problem of sweaty palms may get long-term improvement from injections of a potent bacterial toxin, according to a study reported in this month’s issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Botulinum toxin type A is a powerful chemical that in its diluted prescription form (Botox) has been used safely in treating eye muscle disorders, wrinkles and other conditions. It reduces sweating by blocking release of the chemical acetylcholine, which stimulates secretion of the sweat glands. "Botulinum toxin safely and effectively inhibits excessive sweat production in the palms for as long as 12 months," said Walter Shelley, MD, PhD, a study co-author and dermatologist at the Medical College of Ohio, Toledo. Earlier studies of botulinum toxin therapy for sweaty palms showed it reduced sweating for up to only three months. Four months was the shortest improvement seen in the study conducted by Shelley, Nickolai Talanin, MD, PhD, and E. Dorinda Shelley, MD. All patients experienced substantial improvement of their condition after receiving multiple injections of botulinum toxin. The drug was injected close to the sweat glands in the patients' palms after their skin was numbed with an anesthetic. "These results offer good news to patients whose severe palm sweating is resistant to other treatments and who want to avoid surgery," Shelley said. Persistent sweating of the palms, called palmar hyperhidrosis, is caused by an abnormal sensitivity to acetylcholine. "Palmar hyperhidrosis is not common," Shelley said. "However, individuals with severe cases often suffer social, psychological and occupational problems because of their disease." Endoscopic surgery of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls sweating, provides a permanent solution but requires general anesthesia and can cause circulatory problems later. E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version