Good News For Those Suffering From Excessive Sweating

People who suffer from the problem of excessive sweating even during the cold months of winter may now have a relief from their condition. Researchers from Saint Louis University School of Medicine had reported that long-term treatment with Botox (botulinum toxin type A) could be effective for treating this condition.

Interim data from the first long-term study of repeated treatment with Botox® (botulinum toxin type A) for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis (severe underarm sweating) demonstrated that Botox is safe and effective and consistently results in clinically meaningful, long-lasting improvements in patients’ symptoms, daily functioning and quality of life.

These findings are from one of several new studies assessing Botox safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness as well as the impact of this serious medical condition on patients’ daily lives. The results were presented this week by researchers at the summer meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Chicago.

“These long-term data demonstrate that Botox for severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis over a two-year period is a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients who otherwise struggle with substantial impairment,” said Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., and lead investigator of the study. “The fact that this condition causes more debilitation than such serious ailments as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and depression indicates the importance for patients to get the right diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.”

The three-year open-label extension study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of repeated Botox treatment for severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis and its effect on measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and daily functioning. The study enrolled 193 patients who had participated in a previous, one-year randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Repeat Botox injections were administered when the clinical effect of a previous injection diminished and patients reported a score of 3 or 4 on the

Hyperhidrosis Severity Scale (HDSS), indicating their underarm sweating was barely tolerable or intolerable and frequently or always interfered with their daily activities, and when a gravimetric measurement was recorded of at least 50 mg of spontaneous sweat in each axilla over five minutes at rest.

Interim results from this study showed that Botox continued to be effective with repeated treatment. After treatment sessions 2 and 3, 81 percent (83/104) and 78 percent (40/51) of patients, respectively, reported at least a 2-grade improvement in HDSS score. Repeated treatment with Botox also produced a consistent reduction (≥75 percent) in sweat production. Some of the conclusions from the study are the following:

· Patients reported significantly less occupational dissatisfaction and limitation. Before treatment, 66 to 72 percent of patients were somewhat or very dissatisfied with their ability to perform their current work activities, compared to just 9 to 20 percent of patients after treatment (p<0.001).

· Half the number of patients reported feeling “emotionally damaged or injured” because of their hyperhidrosis than those who had reported before. (76 to 83 percent of patients before vs. 32 to 42 percent after treatment, p<0.001).

· Patients reported significantly less limitation in interpersonal and social situations. Before treatment only 17 to 33percent of patients reported being somewhat or very satisfied with their ability to perform non-work activities, a proportion that increased to 78 to 88 percent of patients after treatment.

No serious treatment-related adverse events were reported. The most frequently reported adverse events were infection (respiratory system: 14 percent), infection (body as a whole: 12 percent) and injection-site pain (11 percent). The majority of adverse effects were mild in severity.

Source- Newswire

Further Information on Botox- from Medindia

Botox: This is also called botulinum toxin type A, a kind of toxin that is used for therapeutic purposes. The toxin, when introduced into the body in a hyperactive muscle, it can check the release of acetylcholine from the nerve ends of the motor neurons. This can cause a temporary paralysis of the targeted muscle. Currently this is used to treat severe pain in the neck and head from abnormal head position in the condition of cervical dystonia in adults.

Primary axillary hyperhidrosis: This is a physical condition that result from excessive sweating that a person undergoes to maintain the body temperature. Patients suffering from this condition may sweat up to four times more than the average person sweats. The condition is often a cause of embarrassment to the patient and may affect his quality of life.