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Suggest Treatment For Excessive Sweating In An Elderly Person

Posted on Mon, 18 May 2015

Question: My 88 year old mother has been having problems with constant sweating. She has not at any point had a fever. I have been giving her Albuterol for a breathing issues the last two days. I he spoken to many Dr's and they can not come up with any aswers

Answered by Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Autonomic neuropathy

Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your concern. Sweating can be due to thyroid issues or due to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. At her age, it is common to have autonomic nervous system dysfunction, either isolated or associated with other diosrders like parkinsonism. This can cause unusual sweating in some parts of body or profuse sweating. This is common in long standing diabetes as well. Some people get this kind of sweating while eating ( Gustatory sweating).

It is good to do a thyroid function test and if that can not give an answer, you may meet your GP or a neurologist for autonomic nervous system testing.

Regards
Binu

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (14 hours later)

This is interesting,in that at the ER, recently they found a lump on her Thyroid, as well on her Pancries. She is mid stage Alzheimer's. She will be having a yearly on the 5th of may. What type of Dr needs to do these test on the lump's? and if they are to evasive at this stage with her Alzheimer's should they be done?.

Thanks, XXXXXXX XXXXX

Answered by Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Based on her functional leve

Detailed Answer:
Not all thyroid lumps are harmful. Well, depends on her functional level, we can decide what to be done for these lumps. If she has no insight in her condition and has advanced dementia, please leave her alone. But if she is oherwise alert and active, we need to investigate actively.

Any thyroid lump over 1 cm in size, need to be investigated with a needle test. Similary the pancreas mass as well. Forgot to menion earlier that few malignancies also can cause increased body temperature, fever and sweating. As i mentioned earlier, autonomic dysfunctions are common in dementia syndromes including Alzheimers.

Thyroid need to be seen by an internist or endocrinologist. But the pancreas mass need to be seen by a gastroenterologist.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar