One Treatment Not Sufficient - New York, NY
My first treatment was on April 27th 2012 with a...
My first treatment was on April 27th 2012 with a nurse. The treatment is more painful than most users and the marketing brochures detail. To start, there are dozens of injections of lidocaine to numb the underarm area. The Miradry machine - which sounds like it is singing Enya repertoire oddly - is applied to the skin for a limited time in each area. Depending on the area, the Miradry machine lands, it can hurt like a mother or just feel mildly irrititating.
I went home with some ice packs provided by the office. Despite using the ice packs, my underarms blew up to massive proportions - perhaps needing their own zip code. They recommend taking OTC Advil or Tylenol. I believe they should offer up a prescription for a stronger anti-inflammatory available by prescription. I say this as the Advil had little result. I turned to Naproxen which I had a prescription for, and that helped a lot. The zip code arm pits kept their volume for about three days and then returned to their pre-Hulk status completely within two weeks. What is left are bumpy ridges which remain on about a month.
Today, the swelling is gone but unfortunately the sweating remains. I still have substantial sweating under my right arm. Photo below snapped from this morning. I took the photo on a humid morning in NY where I walked about 10 blocks. My left underarm remained dryer.
I was told that the first treatment alone works for 95% of the patients. Apparently I'm the odd woman out. I hope the second treatment does the trick and eliminates this embarrassing underarm sweating for good. Otherwise, this has been an expensive and painful procedure
Replies (5)
I had the Miradry procedure done at the end of March this year. I had a very similar experience to yours. The pain of certain areas where the numbing didnt seem to take was very painful and I had no idea how many injections I was going to receive in each arm pit and was shocked when they told me just before we got started. My swelling was quite substantial too- It was quite scary to see. its has been roughly three months since I had the procedure done and I still have quite substantial sweating under my arms... *sigh* what a disappointment. Im hoping as well that my second treatment will give me the results I was hoping for. I had to travel from Canada to the US to have this done, so it was very costly!! Good luck!!
I just had my second Miradry treatment on August...
It is too early to tell whether my underarm sweating is gone due to the swelling, but right now it appears I am not sweating much at all under my arms despite it being very hot and humid in NYC. In fact, earlier this week, I walked from the east to west side during one of the hottest, most humid days of the summer and while my face and back got sweaty, my underarms remained dry.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that when the swelling subsides and the bumps go away, the sweat will also stay far, far away.
I'll keep you posted in a few weeks!
Replies (10)
That is great that you are noticing good improvement so far. I'll be so interested to hear if it stays that way once your swelling goes down! Hoping so!!
Hi, thank you for your posts. I hope that the procedure will be successful for you. I have a question. does this procedure help with oder? I scrub, exfuoliate, shave and still have an oder problem, and have tried many deoderant/anti persperant. My issue is more of oder not of sweat.
That is a great question to pose to the board certified doctors who volunteer on RealSelf. I'm going to submit it in our Q&A section. Just click the link below if you would like to watch for answers with me. It usually takes 24-48 hours for the doctors to start posting.
Helen1,
I have been looking over posts and read over your concern. As an almost “healed” member of the hyperhidrosis community and a nursing student, I would like to pass along some advice, if I may. (I say “healed”, because I had my first Miradry treatment a little over a month ago. My second and final is in early November. I have had great results!!! My underarm sweating has reduced an estimated 60 – 70 %. With very little, basically no odor unless I am in the gym. )
You may have hyperhidrosis, but based on my own experience, the research that I have done and from watching documentary shows on weird conditions, I personally do not believe that HH is a condition that you suffer from.
My thoughts:
1.) Try waxing instead of shaving in your sweaty areas. It gets the hair up from under the base of the skin where sweat and odor starts and not just on the surface as shaving or hair removal creams do.
2.) Bathe at least once a day and put on fresh clothes each time.
---A little trick I’ve learned…after you take off your clothes for the day, try rinsing the underarm areas of your shirts off with mild soap before putting them in the hamper. This does not allow the sweat to dry which helps reduces the chance that the sweat smell will linger the next time you wear the outfit.
3.) Try using soap that has antibacterial components to it such as a Zest, Dove, Dial, etc. Many people have moderate to mild odor simply because they are using the wrong soap.
4.) Also try this type of soap called “Iceover Deodorant Soap.” You can find it on amazon.com or search this website by klima. People with HH are encouraged to use it: http://www.klimadeodorant.com/ This site also has other helpful things you may be able to use for your body issues.
5.) Try to avoid smelly or scented deodorants. When you sweat or get odor, the “scent” only makes the odor worst. (So I have been told).
6.) There is a “support” website for people with this sweating issue for underarm, face, back, hands, feet, etc. http://www.sweathelp.org/en/. If you truly have a HH issue, this website can better direct you to find doctors, information on free treatment through seminars, give advice on gaining help from insurance and gives coupon discounts on buying products to help with it.
7.) There is also a rare chance that you have one of many types of rare conditions of the liver and kidney. I do not know of any cure for these issues besides change of diet. Here is a website that can lead you get better understanding in case you want to get tested: http://voices.yahoo.com/when-bad-body-odor-sign-serious-medical-612266.html?cat=70
8.) Speaking of diet: avoid caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, (the first two primarily) these things some ho w make it to sweat glands to cause them to work over time.
9.) You could also have Bromhidrosis. This is a condition that works like hyperhidrosis, but instead of having odor that is associated with sweat, the person just has the odor.
Keep in mind, I am NOT a physician simply a person that researches, so make sure you follow up with one as soon as you can. Some doctors such as those with just general practicing knowledge and ones in rural areas do not know much about HH or bromhidrosis. Some may only see one or two patients per year with this issue, so it is really not worth their time to research or go to gain more updated knowledge for that small amount of patients. So if you are not satisfied with an answer from one doctor, try another until you get the help you need.
Need more help? Feel free to contact. Good Luck!!!
Thank you so much for adding this review to the Miradry community!! It is so important we hear such authentic stories as yours!!
Have to admit, your comment about your underarm needing its own zip code after the treatment made me laugh out loud - like that you keep your sense of humor even when things aren't exactly going the way you would have liked.
I'm really sorry to hear your right arm pit is being stubborn. :-/ Fingers crossed that second treatment knocks it out for good! Please keep us posted!!