Remedy for Excessive Sweating?

[-disciple-]

Does anyone know of a remedy for excessive sweating of the palms, pits, butt, hands, and feet? Preferably a simple remedy and one that requires easy to obtain ingredients. I have very little knowledge of TCM, and unable to acquire any hard-to-find ingredients. Anyways, if you have any remedies, i'd appreciate you posting them here. Thanks!

[vikinggoddess]

Yikes!
Is this an oily greasy sweat? Also overweighted? Sweat from forehead at resting? low activity level.

Or is it more like:
low energy, weak voice, easy to catch cold, aversion to wind, sweats easily with exertion

[-disciple-]

Well, it's not really an oily greasy sweat. more of a constant cold sweat. I am overweight, but not morbidly so. ( 194lbs 6'0) I guess i would call it a slightly oily sweat... but it's such that deoderent doesn't keep my armpits dry. No matter the temperature, im constantly sweating. Ive always been a sweaty kid, and i have had sweaty palms since kindergarten.

So i guess i'd go with number 1. It definately isnt a sickly thing. Low activity level yes. In fact, im sitting here right now and sweating up a storm...but not so much from my forehead as..other areas.

[vikinggoddess]

It is still kind of hard to tell what is going on with your pattern from the information. It is important to know if this is sweating due to underlying deficiency or due to excess like damp. Could also be mixed condition I would imagine. But the sweating issues since childhood is making me think there is some deficiency, but on the other hand there is overweightedness.

You say the sweat is cold. How does your body temp feel... cold, hot...are you warmer or colder than other people?

How is your thirst level.. for hots or cold? how much to you care to drink?
There are other questions that could be asked, but I don't want to probe too much detail in a forum like this.

If you can describe a detailed picture of your tongue and pay attention to shape, color, tongue coat color and thickness, then that is helpful. Note the shape and if there are any cracks their location, scalloped edges etc.

[poorboy]

there's a medical condition called hyperhidrosis in case you not aware of it. It's best to check with your doctor for advice on this.

[vikinggoddess]

the biomedical treatments for this look scary.. some at least...botox injection and surgical removal of portion sympathetic nerve.

For this kind of sweating, hyperhidrosis, I think astringent herbs are indicated for example wu wei zi:
http://chinesetherapeutics.org/wuweizi.html

[-disciple-]

Well, I have been overweight since childhood, but like i said, im not exceptionally so. Im a very thirsty person, and i thirst for cold drinks alot of the time. I do urinate more frequently than the average person does. My body temperature feels the same as everyone elses i guess...i meen i get hot if it's hotter, or im doing physical activity, and I get cold if it's cold and such. I have asked my doctor about this before, a couple years ago, and she simply stated that i have "Over active sweat glands" Defficiency may very well be part of it, as i do not have the best and most regular diet in the world. I'll look at my tongue and get back to you on that later. Of the listed indications on the link you posted, i have these:

frequent urination, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, thirst, palpitation ( I think, sweating of the palms?) , insomnia.

[herb ox]

I think Vikinggoddess nailed it with her recommendation of Wu Wei Zi - Schizandra fruit - available at most healthfood stores and herb shops. However, it should really be part of a formula tailored to your needs. Meanwhile, I would suggest perhaps starting your mornings with a cup of hot lemon water (maybe with a touch of honey) - sour astringes and can stop sweating.

As for your symptoms (palpitations, BTW, are irregularities in your heartbeat), they seem to point to the heart (mind you, this is from a TCM perspective, so pls take it with a grain of salt) - esp. the insomnia and night sweats. Given your thirst, I'd lean towards a yin-deficient state causing heart heat.

Maybe avoid spicy, greasy or sugary foods. Eat more veggies, fish and sour foods like lemon, lime, sour plums, etc.

Any of the other TCM folk have a perspective???

in health

herb ox

[vikinggoddess]

I prefer starting with simples rather than formulas. Start with one or two partner herbs, and then add in additional herbs as neccessary, especially for self-prescription.

I didn't want to bias you when I asked you to look at your tongue, but now that 'heart' is already out in the open.. how does the tip of your tongue look?

[herb ox]

VKG -

would you recommend a tincture or decoction of wu wei zi? I guess my thinking was that 'laypersons' would probably not maintain a continuous regimen with the decoction, given WWZ's stong tastes. Perhaps pill form or tinctures? What are your thoughts, herb Goddess? ;)

herb ox

[vikinggoddess]

My husband very much likes the taste of a strong Wu Wei zi decoction. I think that it is not so hard to buy a pound of it from herb-king.com and boil it up every other day, or even start out with a tea. Tincture avoid for sure if you have alcoholic tendency. I don't like processed pill forms. I always go for raw herbs.

[-disciple-]

So i how would i go about preparing and taking wu wei zi, as well as how much, etc. Keep in mind i know nothing of TCM and such. I do have access to weighing equipment and a mortar & pestle though, if necesasry. Information such as this is what i need. Formulas or recipes or whatever.

[herb ox]

you might want to find a nice stone crockpot too....

They're best for boiling herbs!

ox

[BeiTangLang]

Sweating, heart paltitations. If you experience any numbing to tingling sensations in your limbs or aching on your left side. don't even log off the computer. Haul your butt to the doctor!

[dougadam]

A cardiologist is a physician who is certified to treat problems of the cardiovascular system—the heart, arteries, and veins.

:confused:

[herb ox]

For some reason I thought he was referring to 'palpitations' as sweaty palms... not palpitiations... probably no need for a cardiologist... probably no need for panic, either. :p

[vikinggoddess]

So i how would i go about preparing and taking wu wei zi, as well as how much, etc. Keep in mind i know nothing of TCM and such. I do have access to weighing equipment and a mortar & pestle though, if necesasry. Information such as this is what i need. Formulas or recipes or whatever.

I think you can just take a small hand full and put it in a ceramic or glass pot with a cover. Add water, let soak 30 min, boil then simmer for a total of 45 min. This is a short cut method. The way how you are supposed to do it is boil 30 min then strain, then boil again 30 min and strain. At the 2 mixes. This is kind of hard to keep up with. See how you do with a small handful. You can move up to a bigger handful after a few days if no adverse reaction. Just judge by taste. The liquid should have a sour flavor, but not intollerably sour. Alse pale red, not dark dark red. If it is extremely sour, or dark red then add water to dilute it.

[PlumDragon]

Sorry, didnt see this thread earlier...

Generally, you might want to look into herbs that constrict and obstruct, but you wont want to use any of this class if your constipated...A few quick examples:

- shanzhuyu (sour mountain date) constricts and obstructs movements and can be used for perspiration. Starting dosage 5 g.

- Not sure if youll be able to get it, but mahuanggen (Chinese Ephedra root) will check excessive perspiration and night sweats. Starting dose 3 g.

- wuweizi (Five-flavored seed) can check excessive perspiration, as well as do alot of other things like tonify the heart. Starting dose 5 g.


Baizhu (white atractylode) is an herb that corrects deficiencies; in this case it can dry dampness and check perspiration. Starting dose 5 g rhizome.

[PlumDragon]

more of a constant cold sweat.
I mentioned above using shanzhuyu. Shanzhuyu and renshen (ginseng radix) have been used to treat extremely cold sensations after profuse sweating. Not sure if this fits your bill or not but figured Id throw it out there...

[herb ox]

...just to reinforce the difference of mahuang (herba ephedra) and mahuanggen (radix ephedra) - the root has nearly opposite effects of the plant. Mahuang PROMOTES sweating, whereas its root (radix) CHECKS prespiration. Make sure you get the mahuanggen (radix ephedra) or you could make your condition worse.

good luck

herb ox

[-disciple-]

Thanks all for your help. I did meent sweaty palms when i said palpitations, not irregular heart beat. No need for worry there. Anyways, thanks!