This thread made the top of my head sweat 
!
I get it real bad -just thinking of a pickle or a mustard hot dog
[stops to wipe head]
gets me going. I always thought it was a form of Hyperhidrosis. My doctor never disagreed with this, but he never agreed either.
I have the exact same affliction. Anything with vinegar in it. Only difference is I have always had it. I tell people it is going to happen. They usually just say whatever. But then It happens and it all of a sudden “wow,your not kiddin huh?”. But it’s only on my head and upper neck. And in seconds after ingesting vinegar, beads of sweat appear and start rolling down my head. It is quite amazing really. I always considered it a mild allergic reaction. But I , in reality,have no idea what it is.
It’s good to know I am not alone
Vinegar can be healthy:
I sometimes like to drink vinegar - especially the spiced vinegar that comes with pickled onions. It doesn’t make me sweat, fortunately.
A very unlikely but possible link is a sensitivity to alcohol either genetic or brought on by organ malfunction or medication. One symptom of problems dealing with alcohol is sweating / flushing. Some ethnicities have a genetic intolerance to alcohol and their bodies react negatively to it.
The vinegar connection comes from the fact that vinegar contains a small amount of fermentation products, as do some sauces and tomato preserves. People who are on various antabuse medications (those which partially block your bodies breakdown of alcohol and thereby make you sick if you drink) also have to avoid certain foods which contain minute alcohol-like substances such as pickles and hot sauces, which will trigger similar headaches/sweats/nausea symptoms as alcohol will.
I believe you are referencing what commonly gets called “Asian Flush” (due to its high prevalence in Asian populations).
It is a reddening of the face not sweating and is specifically related to alcohol exposure, often even small amounts, not other fermentation products or acid. The syndrome occurs due to a genetically based lack of an enzyme that breaks down a breakdown product of ethanol: acetaldehyde.
“Asian flush” tends to be associated with far more than just a simple facial reddening, and I included the genetic aspect in my response because sensitivity to alcohol can be caused by several things in addition to medication. But yes, medication can and does produce a similar effect to not having the breakdown enzyme by blocking it’s action in those who do have it:
As described here: Disulfiram - Wikipedia)
Disulfiram works by inhibiting the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, causing many of the effects of a hangover to be felt immediately following alcohol consumption. Disulfiram plus alcohol, even small amounts, produces flushing, throbbing in the head and neck, a throbbing headache, respiratory difficulty, nausea, copious vomiting, sweating, thirst, chest pain, palpitation, dyspnea, hyperventilation, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, fainting, marked uneasiness, weakness, vertigo, blurred vision, and confusion.
No one person is likely to experience everything in that list of symptoms, but there is enough diversity among people that at least a few might experience just the sweating symptom in response to vinegar when something is preventing acetaldehyde breakdown in their body (I myself experienced that plus headache, and none of the others).
Vinegar is created by converting ethanol (the alcohol that we drink) to acetic acid. As such, there are traces of alcohol in vinegar; enough so that it’s listed as one of several foods to avoid when you are on antabuse drugs.
As I said, it’s a long shot that is what’s happening in the OP’s case but still a possibility.
Head sweating in isolation is however not how it presents, and flushing is always present. Sometimes respiratory issues, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, anxiety … but not isolated head sweating.
Think of it this way: flush syndrome is very common in Asian populations and those who have it have no reported problems with the wide variety of vinegar based and fermented products fairly prevalent in most Asian cuisines.
There are multiple genes involved producing enzymes that metabolize acetaldehyde. Those with the flush syndrome, to moderate or severe degrees, have a problem with one of those gene pathways. There are still others so some enzyme is out there. Disulfiram potently inhibits the enzyme no matter which gene produces it. Yes potentially trace amounts of ethanol in some vinegary fermented products may be enough to cause reactions for some of those on disulfiram and therefore those on it are advised to avoid those foods.
Aye yi yi… I’m not trying to argue that Asian flush is caused by vinegar. I’m pointing out that 1) sweating in response to vinegar can be triggered in a small number of people by a sensitivity to alcohol, which is found in trace amounts in vinegar, 2) that there are different reasons one might have or develop such a sensitivity, and 3) that this is an unlikely explanation in this case but still a possibility.
Okay. Educate me. Point to me to some information about these rare other conditions in which small to trace amounts of alcohol cause isolated head sweating. And please what are the causative mechanisms, the reasons?
This is beyond absurd; if you are curious about the existence of “rare conditions in which small to trace amounts of alcohol cause isolated head sweating”, then feel free to go do your own research into it; I’ve not made that claim.
If you dispute that sweating can be a symptom of alcohol sensitivity, that certain medications as well as genetics can cause such a sensitivity, or that vinegar contains trace amounts of alcohol, I suggest you contact the thousands of doctors, chemists, and researchers who’ve studied this for decades; they aren’t hard to find.
If you don’t understand the meaning of phrasing like “this is unlikely to be the actual cause but is a distant possibility” repeated 3 times over, I don’t know what to tell you, other than I’ll not be wasting any more time in this thread.
I can say this. I have no reaction to alcohol. Only vinager. And it’s not any medicine I take since I have had this affliction for my entire life. Worst part of this affliction is I really like vinager.
One time when I was overseas in the military. I was at a dining facility with a medic from my platoon. I got French fries and covered them in Frank’s red hot. I told him vinager makes me sweat a lot. And that much is going to have me pouring sweat. He is like ok whatever. I started eating. He literally stopped eating and was concerned about me, having witnessed sweat dripping off me at the rate it was. But like I assured him that day. It stops at sweating. No other odd effects what so ever, no matter hot much I consume