[22943]

I just started Levsin this past week and it seems to be working ok. I've actually been going to the bathroom every day for once! But, I'm a little worried about one side effect that seems to be popping out. I've been going to the gym everyday for the last 6 days and I've been on the Levsin for 4 days, since I started the Levsin, I've noticed that I seem to sweat less. This was listed as one of the potential side effects. Tonight I spent 60 minutes doing a cardio workout and was working hard, hard enough that before I would have broken a pretty heavy sweat and I barely broke a sweat at all. I'm worried because my goal is to get back in goal for my hockey team, with this comes 50 pounds of gear. I'm worried that I will run an increased risk of injury from heat if I do this. I don't want to give up a medication that seems to be doing some good for me, but I can't give up hockey either. It's who I am, I'm trying to make it back to the level I was a few years ago to try to go to a future Olympic games. Has anyone used this medication before? Has anyone had this problem and did it go away?I hate this stupid disease! I'm tired of it interfereing in my life and what I want to do.

 

[Kathleen M.]

I never really noticed a lot of difference, but I was careful in hot conditions to make sure I didn't over heat.One thing you can do that is fairly simple, but works really well is take a bandana and get it wet. best with cool water. Wring it out just enough so it is not too drippy and drape it on the back of the neck. I did some outdoor work when I was young and they would bring a cut up beach towel soaked in icewater to help us with the heat in the afternoon.It accomplishes a lot of the same cooling as sweating, and you could keep a small cooler with cold water handy to rewet the bandana when you need it.At least with hockey the rink tends to be cool enough that that alone will help with the overheating issues.You could see if peppermint would do the same thing for you as the Levsin. I find a couple of peppermint Altoids are nearly as effective for my cramps as a Levsin, and peppermint usually doesn't get the same reduced sweating warnings.K.

 

[22943]

Hmmm, I had no idea that peppermint did the same thing. I might have to give that a go. It would be much easier and cheaper to carry those around, especially when traveling. That would mean not having to find a Walgreens pharmacy! The bandanna idea would work for the gym, I might try it. It won't work very well at the ice rink I'm afraid though unless I'm riding the pine pony (warming the bench), I have too much stuf on, a neck guard, chest protector, helmet, etc. You'd be surprised at how much a goalie sweats off while playing, at one point I was sweating off close to 3 pounds a game! And that's a conservative estimate. I've rung my t-shirts out after an intense game. I checked my heart rate and I was in the proper range and I should have been sweating like a racehorse, but I wasn't. A little scary. I'll have to make sure that I bring lots of Gatorade with me from now on too. I think I will plave a call to the nurse and see what she recommends, maybe there's something that is equal to the Levsin that won't have that effect.