Excessive sweating an escalating problem for Canadians

Main Category: Dermatology
Article Date: 14 Jul 2004 - 4:00 PDT

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After a long cold winter, summer is finally here! With the arrival of the hot weather, out comes the skin-baring summer wardrobe and light-coloured fabrics. For most people, the summer heat means more deodorant and anti-perspirant to combat the possibility of a little extra sweat.

But for millions of people around the world - including approximately 300,000 Canadians - summer is not the only time of year for an embarrassing and often debilitating physical condition of excessive sweating. Called hyperhidrosis, this serious condition negatively impacts their lives all year round.

However, now more than ever before, people are starting to talk about this problem and bring it into the open to treat it. The public and the medical community are learning that there is a variety of treatment options available that can drastically improve the quality of life, and there are specially-trained doctors who can help them.

"There is a dire need for public information on hyperhidrosis," states Dr. Charles Lynde, a Dermatologist and Chair of the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA). "Many people who suffer from this condition are too embarrassed to consult their doctors and think they are 'abnormal'. Although excessive sweating is non-life-threatening, it is a serious medical condition that can cause immense anguish and emotional pain to people. In the extreme, it can ruin careers, personal relationships and lives. We want to let them know there are solutions."

While the exact causes of the condition are not known, hyperhidrosis is not caused specifically by temperature or stress factors. It is believed to be a genetic problem that stops the body from properly regulating its sweat output; and causes some sufferers to produce up to four times the average volume of sweat. For those who perspire profusely, summer just exacerbates their condition as it becomes more difficult for them to hide under layers of thick, dark clothing - clothing that often has to be changed multiple times a day!

In addition to devastating social implications, hyperhidrosis can have real financial implications due to the high cost of replacing and dry-cleaning damaged clothes as well as the loss of a job in some cases. As well, other health problems can develop due to hyperhidrosis such as skin irritations and infections. Some studies have compared the quality of life of many hyperhidrosis patients to those with severe acne or psoriasis.

After many years of people suffering in silence, news about the condition is finally starting to spread. Last week, the CDA's annual convention in Victoria, B.C., devoted seminars to the topic to educate dermatologists about treatment options for their patients. In February, the American Association of Dermatologists (AAD) also devoted a major portion of their annual convention to hyperhidrosis in six poster presentations on the topic, including new U.S. study results. As well, a two-hour Continuing Medical Education (CME) forum was conducted and will be held again in August at the summer AAD meeting.

Today, Canadian sufferers have more resources and options than ever before. The International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHHS), a newly-formed global organization that supports those suffering from the condition, has a comprehensive web site, www.sweathelp.org. Another resource specifically for Canadians, www.sweatmanagement.ca, offers a Physician Finder with over 100 names of doctors to those looking for professional help in their area.

"Until recently, the information available to the public and to doctors on treatment options for severe sweating was very limited," says Dr. Nowell Solish, Dermatologist at Sunnybrook and Women's Health Science Centre and a Board Member of the IHHS. "In fact, many doctors still don't know about new solutions for severe cases, such as BOTOX(R) injections, and how they can alleviate the condition dramatically for most patients."

The latest treatment option for hyperhidrosis is BOTOX(R), which was approved in 2001 by Health Canada for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating in the underarms. BOTOX(R) is administered via tiny injections within the skin of the affected area, and blocks the release of the chemical that signals the perspiration. Dr. Solish has been using BOTOX(R) for years to successfully treat patients.

"Many of my patients are anxious, depressed, even suicidal because of this problem - it truly rules their lives and can negatively affect both their productivity at work and their personal relationships," continues Dr. Solish. "Often, they go undiagnosed, or are misdiagnosed or untreated due to lack of awareness about solutions even among physicians. BOTOX(R) injections and other treatment options have offered new hope to these sufferers and can provide peace of mind by controlling the sweating. Word is starting to get out that there is help."

Vancouver patient Tanya Threatful admits that her excessive sweating, which first appeared in her late 20s, ruled her life socially, professionally and emotionally for years until she tried BOTOX(R). She lost her job as a sales representative because she could not concentrate while interacting with customers - something she attributes directly to her embarrassing sweating problem. She also avoided intimacy with her boyfriend and passed up social invitations to friends' cottages and other parties due to her life-altering condition and the anguish it caused her.

"BOTOX(R) allowed me to resume my old life - in fact, it changed my life completely. After my first injection, it was like a whole new world opened up for me. I could wear whatever I wanted and not be afraid of looking and smelling sweaty," says Tanya. "I was no longer insecure, withdrawn or introverted. I could be the social, confident person I always was inside. My life improved 100 per cent because of this treatment."

Twenty-one-year-old Toronto student, Betty Smith, feels the same way. After suffering through high school - enduring taunts from peers and longing to wear the fashionable outfits of the popular crowd - Betty even tried super-strength anti-perspirants, but to no avail. She was finally referred to Dr. Solish after two years of research and has never looked back since her first BOTOX(R) injection.

"I can finally speak to people confidently, without having to constantly doubt myself and find the nearest bathroom where I can change my clothes," confesses Betty. "I don't want other girls to have to go through what I did in high school. They need to know they aren't freaks and that there is a solution!"

BOTOX(R) treatments for underarm excessive sweating last for seven months on average and achieve high patient satisfaction. In clinical trials, sweating was reduced by 83 per cent within one week. The only side effect observed during the clinical study was perceived excessive sweating in other body parts, which happened in 4.5 per cent of patients. Others include discomfort and bruising of the injection sites, which is common with any injection procedure.

Other treatment options for milder cases of hyperhidrosis include topical antiperspirants of various strengths, which contain aluminum chloride; or iontophoresis, a treatment that sends electricity to the affected areas, using a battery-operated machine. For more severe cases, surgical options such as ETS-C (Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathetomy by Clipping) may be considered. Most treatments, including BOTOX(R), are covered by many private health insurance plans. To find a doctor trained in hyperhidrosis treatments, visit http://www.sweatmanagement.ca.



About BOTOX(R)

In addition to treating hyperhidrosis, BOTOX(R) therapy is currently approved in Canada for the treatment of involuntary head rotation caused by muscle spasm (cervical dystonia); uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm); crossed eyes (strabismus); deformity associated with juvenile cerebral palsy (equinus foot); and focal spasticity, such as those associated with stroke in adults. BOTOX Cosmetic(R) is also approved for the treatment of brow furrow (glabellar lines).

About Allergan, Inc.

BOTOX(R) is produced and distributed by Allergan, Inc. Allergan, with headquarters in Irvine, California, is a technology-driven, global health care company providing eye care and specialty pharmaceutical products worldwide. Allergan develops and commercializes products in the eye care, neuromuscular and skin care markets that deliver value to its customers, satisfy unmet medical needs, and improve patients' lives. Allergan is a public company and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGN. Allergan Canada, based in Markham, Ontario, has representatives serving health care and retail customers across the country.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements", such as statements regarding the effectiveness of BOTOX(R), and its potential uses. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from Allergan's expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include general industry and pharmaceutical market conditions; general domestic and international economic conditions, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product marketing such as the unpredictability of market acceptance for new pharmaceutical and biologic products and/or acceptance of new indications for such products; potential difficulties in manufacturing a new product formulation; domestic and foreign health care reforms; and trends toward managed care and health care cost containment, and governmental laws and regulations affecting domestic and foreign operations. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors can be found in press releases issued by Allergan as well as Allergan's public periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under the heading "Certain Factors and Trends Affecting Business" in Allergan's 2001 Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2002. Copies of Allergan press releases and additional information about Allergan are available from the Allergan Investor Relations Department by calling 714-246-4636.

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