Hi Henry,
As I said in my last post, I finally tried the glycoperrolate drug (brand name Robinul). It keeps my hands and feet dry 5 to 6 days a week. For some reason, for 1 to 2 days a week, my hands and feet get wet like crazy. I am still trying to figure out the cause for this. If this will be the routine, I can live with that… even though it totally sucks when my hands and feet get wet on days that I have to meet with people.
My doctor prescribed 2 mg everyday. But I am taking 6 mg everyday. I don't suggest you disobey your doctor like I am doing. Anyway, I have been communicating with another HH sufferer who has been taking 6 to 7 mg everyday for the past 13 years, and she said she is doing fine. Although, whenever I go dancing or running, my hands and feet still get wet. And of course, I do not know what the long term effects of the drug will be. I mean, I've read about the side effects, but I do not know how they will really affect my health. You have to remember that if you are in America and you read the warnings on the drug description, they will tend to sound really scary than I think they should because there are strict product liability laws in the US and pharmaceutical companies I think try to cover every aspect of potential negative side effects. That is just my opinion. (By the way, I took Accutane before for my pimples and the warnings were much scarier than for Robinul - like suicidal thoughts. But I turned out fine and I'm now 98% pimple free. J)
The only side effects I've experienced so far are dry throat and difficulty urinating. But these have improved so much over the past few weeks. They say your memory will be affected, too, but so far I'm doing fine. I just studied and took a federal government exam. My memory seemed to be fine… and I hope it stays that way in the long run.
I started taking the drug a week before I went to a national conference and thankfully, the drug kicked in by that time. (It takes 1 to 2 weeks of initial medication before the drug starts working.) I was dry 60% to 70% of the time. It's amazing how dry hands and feet can make you feel. I was talking to everyone, shaking hands, approaching strangers and introducing myself. I wanted to really take advantage of my dryness. There were a few times when my hands would suddenly sweat, and wow, I couldn't believe how my whole psyche just turns around and my confidence flies out the window. Literally, I would go from being confident to being introverted and paranoid in a matter of seconds.
I would say I am satisfied with the drug, even with the fact that I get wet once or twice a week. That is much better than my previous condition, where I would be dry only 3 or 4 days a month. I would suggest you research about this drug and try it. See if it works for you. It is not cheap - I pay about US$75 for every 120 mgs. I'm still trying to find ways to cut the cost. But it is worth it. For me, it is like living with another condition, like diabetes, where you have no choice but to spend on medication. It's an absolute necessity for me.
Whatever you decide to do, just do something. This is a problem that should be addressed, and I wish I did something about it sooner.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Brian
As I said in my last post, I finally tried the glycoperrolate drug (brand name Robinul). It keeps my hands and feet dry 5 to 6 days a week. For some reason, for 1 to 2 days a week, my hands and feet get wet like crazy. I am still trying to figure out the cause for this. If this will be the routine, I can live with that… even though it totally sucks when my hands and feet get wet on days that I have to meet with people.
My doctor prescribed 2 mg everyday. But I am taking 6 mg everyday. I don't suggest you disobey your doctor like I am doing. Anyway, I have been communicating with another HH sufferer who has been taking 6 to 7 mg everyday for the past 13 years, and she said she is doing fine. Although, whenever I go dancing or running, my hands and feet still get wet. And of course, I do not know what the long term effects of the drug will be. I mean, I've read about the side effects, but I do not know how they will really affect my health. You have to remember that if you are in America and you read the warnings on the drug description, they will tend to sound really scary than I think they should because there are strict product liability laws in the US and pharmaceutical companies I think try to cover every aspect of potential negative side effects. That is just my opinion. (By the way, I took Accutane before for my pimples and the warnings were much scarier than for Robinul - like suicidal thoughts. But I turned out fine and I'm now 98% pimple free. J)
The only side effects I've experienced so far are dry throat and difficulty urinating. But these have improved so much over the past few weeks. They say your memory will be affected, too, but so far I'm doing fine. I just studied and took a federal government exam. My memory seemed to be fine… and I hope it stays that way in the long run.
I started taking the drug a week before I went to a national conference and thankfully, the drug kicked in by that time. (It takes 1 to 2 weeks of initial medication before the drug starts working.) I was dry 60% to 70% of the time. It's amazing how dry hands and feet can make you feel. I was talking to everyone, shaking hands, approaching strangers and introducing myself. I wanted to really take advantage of my dryness. There were a few times when my hands would suddenly sweat, and wow, I couldn't believe how my whole psyche just turns around and my confidence flies out the window. Literally, I would go from being confident to being introverted and paranoid in a matter of seconds.
I would say I am satisfied with the drug, even with the fact that I get wet once or twice a week. That is much better than my previous condition, where I would be dry only 3 or 4 days a month. I would suggest you research about this drug and try it. See if it works for you. It is not cheap - I pay about US$75 for every 120 mgs. I'm still trying to find ways to cut the cost. But it is worth it. For me, it is like living with another condition, like diabetes, where you have no choice but to spend on medication. It's an absolute necessity for me.
Whatever you decide to do, just do something. This is a problem that should be addressed, and I wish I did something about it sooner.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Brian
