First ever cream for SWEATING approved in the UK - remedy curbs embarrassing problem by up to 90%

READ MORE: Record one in 7 now on antidepressants, new figures showSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 05:44 EDT, 25 August 2026 | Updated: 05:47 EDT, 25 August 2026 Thousands of NHS patients can soon access a cream that reduces sweating by up to 90 per cent.Axhidrox, which contains the active ingredient glycopyrronium bromide, is applied to the armpits, and works by blocking signals that tell the sweat glands to perspire. While other treatments for excessive sweating - like Botox injections and medicines called antimuscarinics - are sometimes prescribed, this is the first UK treatment designed especially for the problem.Medical-grade antiperspirants, which form a 'plug' inside the sweat glands to block moisture, are available, but commonly cause stinging and irritation. Known medically as hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating is thought to affect some 2.8 million Britons.Sweating is thought to be excessive when it occurs regardless of room temperature, stress levels or physical exertion.The root cause is thought to be misfiring in the part of the brain that tells the glands in the armpit to sweat. It's unknown what exactly triggers the condition, but scientists believe there is a genetic link in 25-50 per cent of cases. Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, affects just as many women as it does menThe new treatment will be available to NHS patients who have exhausted other options in the coming months.It can be bought via online pharmacies for around £130.The approval follows clinical trials that showed the cream's striking effectiveness for banishing extreme sweating. After 12 weeks of regular use, Axhidrox was found to reduce perspiration by an average of 65 per cent in a group of 518 patients.A third of participants in the trial saw a 75 per cent reduction in sweating, and for one in five patients, it was 90 per cent.The benefits continued for roughly a year, according to the German study. The most common side effects included skin reactions, dry mouth and eyes, constipation and blurred vision. The cream contains glycopyrronium bromideThe manufacturers of the drug, German firm Axunio, warn patients to avoid contact with the eyes, mouth and nose. They also tell users to stop using the treatment immediately if they notice swelling mainly of the face, lips or throat which makes it difficult to swallow or breathe, itching and rashes. This could be a sign of a severe allergic reaction.Studies show that hyperhidrosis can be debilitating, with around 75 per cent of patients saying the disorder negatively affects their quality of life. Those with hyperhidrosis are also twice as likely to suffer anxiety than the average person, and almost three times as likely to experience depression, studies show.A recent US study found that a fifth of sufferers could have a mutation in a gene that's known to control the activity of the sweat glands.The scientists, from Johns Hopkins University, then engineered mice to carry the mutation, and found the test subjects developed excessive sweating.'We found that this mutation essentially turns up the volume on the nerve signals that stimulate sweating,' said Dr Malcolm Brock, a surgeon who led the research. 'That insight gives us a specific target to pursue for future therapies.'