Adult Dosing
Dry mouth associated with head and neck cancer radiotherapy
- 5 mg PO tid, titer the dose according to therapeutic response and tolerability
- Max: 30 mg /day or 10 mg/dose
- Response will be seen by 12 wks of treatment
Dry mouth in Sjogren's Syndrome Patients
- 5 mg PO qid
- Response will be seen by 6 wks of treatment
Pediatric Dosing
- Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established
See Supplemental Patient Information
- Administer pilocarpin with great caution and under close medical supervision in patients with significant cardiovascular disease as they are unable to compensate for transient changes in hemodynamics or rhythm induced by pilocarpine
- Pilocarpine increases airway resistance, bronchial smooth muscle tone, and bronchial secretions, hence use cautiously and under close medical supervision in patients with controlled asthma, chronic bronchitis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Pilocarpine causes the contraction of gallbladder or biliary smooth muscle resulting in to complication including cholecystitis, cholangitis, and biliary obstruction, use cautiously in patients with known or suspected cholelithiasis or biliary tract disease
- Pilocarpine increases ureteral smooth muscle tone resulting in to renal colic, particularly in patients with nephrolithiasis
- Visual blurring resulting into visual acuity, especially at night and impairment of depth perception has been reported with ocular formulations of pilocarpine. Advise patients to be cautious while driving at night or performing hazardous activities in reduced lighting
- Pilocarpine toxicity can cause exaggeration of its parasympathomimetic effects like headache, visual disturbance, lacrimation, sweating, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal spasm, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, atrioventricular block, tachycardia, bradycardia, hypotension, hypertension, shock, mental confusion, cardiac arrhythmia, and tremors
- May impair fertility
Cautions: Use cautiously in
- Hepatic impairment
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Suspected cholelithiasis
- Biliary tract disease
- Nephrolithiasis
- Cognitive or psychiatric disturbances
- Concomitant use with beta adrenergic antagonists
Supplemental Patient Information
- Advise patient to exercise caution in night driving and performing other hazardous occupations in poor illumination, as pilocarpin can cause visual disturbance
- Advise patients to consult their physician, if they sweat excessively while taking pilocarpine hydrochloride and cannot drink enough liquid as dehydration may develop
Pregnancy Category:C
Breastfeeding: Alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant, as no information is available on the use of oral pilocarpine during breastfeeding. This information is based on LactMed database (available at http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT last accessed 19 April 2011). because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from pilocarpin manufacturer recommends that decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.
Pricing data from www.DrugStore.com in U.S.A.
- Salagen 5 MG TABS [Bottle] (EISAI)
90 mg = $173.98
270 mg = $505.95 - Salagen 7.5 MG TABS [Bottle] (EISAI)
100 mg = $247
300 mg = $715.94
Warning: This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.
