I registered just to comment on the above RA Fischer device. I'm a 1st year medical student and have been using the RA Fischer device so far this year with good success. It took a little while to figure out what settings to use (really just power and time) but I have it down pretty well at this point. I spend maybe 15 mins every 1.5-2 weeks and have normal dry hands 90% of the time. If I'm putting down a lot of caffeine in one day I'll still have sweaty hands but I think that happens to alot of people after enough caffeine. Its been a huge improvement on quality of life and simply ease of working with my hands. Doing physical exams on patients is so much better and even when wearing gloves for hours my hands do just fine.
Just to give you my thoughts on the other treatment options. I tried using some of the prescription antiperspirants and really didnt like them. You have to apply every night for consistent results and need to cover the applied area while you sleep. It can also cause tingling, peeling and redness of the skin, not desirable for your hands. My guess is that these treatments were developed for people with axillary (underarm) hyperhidrosis, its just way too cumbersome use on your hands. I did consider a sympathectomy as a family member had it with great results, but there can be some undesired side effects. Autonomics are an intricate system and how your body will respond to a sympathectomy is extremely variable. That said, I really only have palmar and plantar hyperhydrosis so iontophoresis has been perfect. If I had facial flushing or other symptoms which are associated with hyperhidrosis I would have definitely considered a sympathectomy much more seriously. Do your homework on sympathectomies and decided if the potential downsides out weigh the risks (again if I had symptoms outside my hands and feet I would have gone for it.) There are other iontophoresis devices out there that are way cheaper than the RA Fisher device, and much smaller. I went for the RA Fischer device as cost was not a concern at the time (insurance) and it seemed quite durable.
Final takeways. Don't let your hyperhidrosis hold you back from something you want to do, there are treatments available and one of them will hopefully work for you. I think there is limited information out there on hyperhidrosis because patients don't ask. When I spoke with my doctor he told me only 1 person had ever asked about any sort of hyperhidrosis treatment. Approx 3-4% of the population has some form of hyperhyrdosis so clearly is just not something that people think to ask about. I let hyperhyrosis limit me for years and now feel so much better, I had just simply assumed it was something I had to deal with.
Best of luck! Feel free to ask any questions.
