A 25-year-old woman from Sittingbourne, Kent, says she must change her top every five minutes and cannot work due to a severe sweating condition. Freya Baker has lived with hyperhidrosis for seven years, a condition that causes excessive sweating regardless of temperature, and claims it has devastated her life.
Ms Baker says she is restricted to loose-fitting t-shirts and must stuff cloth under her armpits to absorb the sweat. The condition has severely affected her self-esteem, leaving her reluctant to leave the house. 'It is constant. I can't wear a shirt for more than five minutes,' she said.
Her symptoms began in 2019 after taking the antidepressant sertraline for anxiety and borderline personality disorder. Although she stopped the medication, the sweating persisted. It took years to get a diagnosis, and she was eventually prescribed propantheline tablets, which she says caused dehydration and were ineffective.
Ms Baker has now secured NHS funding for Botox injections, costing around £400 per session, which should temporarily block the nerves triggering sweat glands. However, she has received no information on when the treatment will start or how many sessions are funded. 'It would be a serious game changer,' she said.
The condition has prevented her from working. In a previous supermarket role, she was assigned night shifts to avoid customers. She is now calling for hyperhidrosis to be recognised as a disability and for greater awareness. 'Why should we have to be ashamed and hide in our houses?' she said.
