Botulinum Toxin (Botox) Treatment for

Excessive Sweating
Joint Hyperhydrosis Clinic
Endocrinology & Dermatology
Scunthorpe General Hospital

This leaflet has been designed to

give you important information
about your condition / procedure,
and to answer some common
queries that you may have.
Introduction
Botulinum Toxin, commonly known as Botox,
is a protein toxin obtained from special
bacteria Colostridium Botulinum. Botox is
an effective treatment for excessive sweating
of the armpits and in special cases sweating
of the palms and forehead.
Botox when injected under the skin of the
affected area paralyses the small nerves
supplying the sweat gland and as a result
reduces the amount of sweat produced. The
effect of Botox treatment on the sweat glands
usually lasts between 6-12 months after
which time further treatment will be needed.
Method of administration
A small volume of the Botox solution (1 ml =
15 drops) is injected in the affected area of
the skin through 8-10 small jabs using a fine
needle similar to the one used in the insulin
syringe.
You may experience mild pain/discomfort.
You can ask for a cold spray before the
injections as some patients find this reduces
the pain of injections.
Any special preparations required?
No special preparation required except we
advise you, if possible, to shave clean your
armpits on the morning of the procedure and
refrain from putting on any deodorants (roll-
on or spray).
What will happen when I attend for
my treatment?
In total you will be in the hospital for about 30
minutes.
On arrival please report to the reception at
the dermatology unit and a nurse will attend
to you.
You will be asked to complete a
questionnaire about how bad your sweating
is before the treatment.
A doctor will explain the procedure to you
and you will have the chance to ask any
questions.
You will need to sign a consent form before
the treatment to confirm that you are happy
to go ahead with the treatment.
A nurse will take you to the treatment room
and make sure that the area under your
armpit is clean.
A cold spray will be applied over your armpit
to numb the skin; you can ask not to have it if
you prefer so.
Each armpit will be injected with a fine
needle 8-10 times, in order to spread the
Botox over the whole of the affected area.
After completion of the treatment you will be
observed for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure that
you did not develop any reaction or allergy to
the Botox treatment.
Before you leave you will be provided with a
review date for the assessment of the
treatment effect.
Is it a permanent cure for my
armpits sweating?
No, according to the manufactures product
information the treatment keeps the armpits
relatively dry for between 2-12 months. On
average many people have relief for between
4-6 months; thereafter the injection will have
to be repeated. We do not encourage too
frequent or excessive use of Botulinum Toxin
as it can lead to future resistance or
weakening to the effect of treatment.
Are There Any Side Effects of This
Treatment?
No major side effects have been reported so
far except for mild pain and bruising at the
site of the injections. Very few people have
complained of excessive sweating elsewhere
in the body for a short period of time
following the injection. Very transient
weakness of the arms and arm pain has also
been reported but this is very rare.
Allergic reaction to Botulinum Toxin is
possible, but not commonly observed in
practice.
Are there any precautions required
after the treatment?
We generally advise that you avoid
strenuous exercise or taking a hot bath for
the 24 hours following treatment.
References
Side effects and duration of treatment
information sourced from:
http://www.botoxseveresweating.com/InfoPh
ysicians/Duration.aspx
Concerns and Queries
If you have any concerns / queries about any
of the services offered by the Trust, in the
first instance, please speak to the person
providing your care.
For Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
Alternatively you can contact the Patient
Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on
(01472) 875403 or at the PALS office which
is situated near the main entrance.
For Scunthorpe General Hospital
Alternatively you can contact the Patient
Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on
(01724) 290132 or at the PALS office which
situated on C Floor.
Alternatively you can email:
nlg-tr.PALS@nhs.net
Confidentiality
Information on NHS patients is collected in a
variety of ways and for a variety of reasons
(e.g. providing care and treatment, managing
and planning the NHS, training and
educating staff, research etc.).
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal
duty to keep information about you
confidential. Information will only ever be
shared with people who have a genuine
need for it (e.g. your GP or other
professionals from whom you have been
receiving care) or if the law requires it, for
example, to notify a birth.
Please be assured however that anyone who
receives information from us is also under a
legal duty to keep it confidential.
Zero Tolerance - Violent,
Threatening and Abusive Behaviour
The Trust and its staff are committed to
providing high quality care to patients within
the department. However, we wish to advise
all patients / visitors that the following
inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated:
Swearing
Threatening / abusive behaviour
Verbal / physical abuse
The Trust reserves the right to withdraw from
treating patients whom are threatening /
abusive / violent and ensuring the removal of
those persons from the premises.
All acts of criminal violence and aggression
will be notified to the Police immediately.
Risk Management Strategy Date of issue: October, 2014

The Trust welcomes comments and Review Period: October, 2017

suggestions from patients and visitors that Author: Consultant Dermatologists
could help to reduce risk. IFP-807
Perhaps you have experienced something
whilst in hospital, whilst attending as an NLGFT 2014
outpatient or as a visitor and you felt at risk.
Please tell a member of staff on the ward or
in the department you are attending / visiting.

Moving & Handling

The Trust operates a Minimal Lifting Policy,
which in essence means patients are only
ever lifted by nursing staff in an emergency
situation.
Patients are always encouraged to help
themselves as much as possible when
mobilising, and if unable to do so, equipment
may be used to assist in their safe transfer.
If you have any questions regarding moving
and handling of patients within the Trust,
please speak to a member of staff in the
ward or department you are visiting.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS

Foundation Trust
Diana Princess of Wales Hospital
Scartho Road
Grimsby
01472 874111
Scunthorpe General Hospital
Cliff Gardens
Scunthorpe
01724 282282
Goole & District Hospital
Woodland Avenue
Goole
01405 720720
www.nlg.nhs.uk