Pilocarpine

In earlier posts, I mentioned pilocarpine and other artificial lubricants to help mitigate Sjogren’s syndrome symptoms. Oral pilocarpine is used to treat dry mouth caused by Sjogren's syndrome and chemotherapy. A common type of artificial Pilocarpine is a "cholinergic" drug, or a drug that mimics the effects of the chemical acetylcholine in the human body, which is produced by nerve cells. Acetylcholine is the messenger between nerve cell to nerve cell interaction, and between nerve cells and organs that they control. For example, acetylcholine is responsible for causing the salivary glands to make saliva and the lacrimal glands to make tears to lubricate the eyes.
In addition to its effects on the salivary and lacrimal glands, acetylcholine controls the production of fluid within the eye, and pilocarpine eye drops have been used to treat glaucoma for many years. In 1994, an oral formulation of pilocarpine was approved by the FDA for the treatment of dry mouth caused by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, a treatment that damages the salivary glands and reduces their production of saliva. In 1998, the oral preparation was approved for the management of Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that damages the salivary and lacrimal glands. There is no generic form of this medication. Prescriptions are, however, available. Generally, the average dosage is 5mg- 7.5mg, and it is inexpensive considering the fact that it is a prescription medicine only. Oral pilocarpine usually is taken three or four times daily. The maximum effect occurs in approximately one hour but may occur later if it is taken with food. The effects last three to five hours. Excessive sweating (diaphoresis) is a frequent side effect of pilocarpine. Other side effects include chills, dizziness, excessive tearing, increased need to urinate, visual disturbances, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and slow heart rate. Of course, before you start a dose of anything you should consult your doctor. This treatment may help you!