Absence of sweat

[Sylvia]

Hi. During the recent extremely hot spell, I've noticed that I don't seem to sweat. My skin is very hot but dry. I've read that diabetes can cause this. I've been type 1 for 40+ years and not noticed this problem before. Any information please?

 

[Jenny65]

As you age, it's normal for your ability to sweat to diminish. Conditions that damage your autonomic nerves, such as diabetes, also make problems with your sweat glands more likely. (source - Healthline.com)

So it looks like its part of the aging process for everyone but diabetes may make it more likely. I also found this information

What are the causes of anhidrosis?​

If you have anhidrosis, your sweat glands do not work properly. There are many possible causes. Some people are born with the condition, others develop it later in life.

Other known causes of anhidrosis include:

• Skin damage from burns, radiation therapy, or pore-clogging diseases such as psoriasis.
• Damage to the sweat glands from surgery, trauma or scar formation.
• Nerve damage caused by diabetes, alcoholism, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
• Inherited disorder of the metabolic system (Fabry disease).
• Connective tissue disorders, such as systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren syndrome.
• Autonomic nervous system disorders, such as Ross syndrome, and Harlequin syndrome.
• Nerve conditions (neuropathies), such as diabetes-related neuropathy, paraneoplastic neuropathy, inherited neuropathy, amyloid neuropathy, lepromatous neuropathy.
• Central nervous system diseases and conditions, including multiple system atrophy, dementia with lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease, stroke and spinal cord disease.
• Excessive dehydration.

Many medications interfere with sweat gland function. Anticholinergic medications are the most common drug-related cause of anhidrosis. Examples of anticholinergics include glycopyrrolate (Cuvposa®, Robinul®), doxepin (Silenor®, Zonalon®), atropine (Atropen®), cyproheptadine and hyoscyamine (Levsin/SL®, Hyosyne®). Other drug classes and examples include:

• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline).
• Antihistamines (diphenhydramine [Benadryl®, Nytol®]).
• Bladder antispasmodics (oxybutynin [Ditropan XL], tolterodine [Detrol®]).
• Antipsychotics / antiemetics (chlorpromazine, clozapine [Clozaril®], quetiapine [Seroquel®]).
• Antiepileptics (topiramate [Topamax®], zonisamide [Zonegran®]).
• Antihypertensives (clonidine [Catapres®]).
• Opioids (fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone).
• Neuromuscular paralytics (botulinum toxins).

 

[Jenny65]

In this sort of weather you should make an appointment to see your GP as you will need help to get your body to cool down

 

[Flower]

Hi @Sylvia

This is from the Diabetes UK site on peripheral and autonomic neuropathy, if you scroll down to the autonomic section it mentions sweating & not being able to sweat properly.

Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage)

What is diabetic neuropathy? Diabetic neuropathy is when diabetes causes damage to your nerves. It can affect different types of nerves in your body, including in your feet, organs and muscles. Nerves carry messages between the brain and every part of our bodies so that we can see, hear, feel...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Drummer]

When I was in the process of being diagnosed with a failed thyroid I noticed that I did not sweat - that might be something to check as well as all the other possibilities.

 

[AndBreathe]

I don't sweat. This happened as my thyroid was behaving like a lemming, and has continued.