Pilocarpine for Xerostomia User Reviews
Brand names: Salagen
Pilocarpine has an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 from a total of 13 reviews for the treatment of Xerostomia. 46% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 31% reported a negative experience.
Reviews for Pilocarpine
- Ynohtna
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- February 13, 2018
Salagen (pilocarpine) "Started using this upon recommendation of my dentist for my severe dry mouth. My mouth gets so dry at times it gets hard to talk and it's destroying my teeth. I find the only time I need this is when at work and sweat a lot. Has helped out a lot. Drawbacks are I get hot/chill flashes at times after taking it and it will definitely make your nose start running. Another problem is I can't take it before going to bed because it produces so much saliva that I get choked on it and you will wake up to a big drool spot on your pillow. I now use a toothpaste containing xylitol before going to bed and that has helped out since regular flouride toothpaste dries my mouth out more. Overall this medication has helped me out a lot and I do recommend it."
- Simca
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- May 9, 2019
"Pilocarpine medicine has made a tremendous improvement to my quality of life, of having a dry mouth. Dry mouth can sound trivial - but if you've got it, it's a daily misery - and in addition to the pain, it destroys your teeth. I use pilocarpine daily."
- KATIE
- Taken for 6 months to 1 year
- October 22, 2020
"Used PILOCARPINE for MONTHS!! Did NOTHING for me. ALL blood tests for Sjogren's came back NEGATIVE. Finally went to an ENT and he took biopsies of inner bottom lip. ALL biopsies came back POSITIVE for Sjogren's. Changed pilocarpine to EVOXAC (cevimeline). BEST move ever!"
- Still...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- October 30, 2022
"I’ve had Scleroderma, Raynaud’s, Sjogrens for over 30 yrs. Always had gum recessions and lately cavities and jaw bone is affected. Dentists, periodontists, endodontist, rheumatologist said to try Pilocarpine. I currently take 3 tabs a day. I sometimes can feel the saliva building in my mouth, which is great! But other times (not always) get the chills, followed by this awful wave of sweat. My clothes become drenched, I’m wiping myself like crazy. Then I’m freezing bc I’m in wet clothes and hair. If I’m fortunate enough to be at home I can change or shower but otherwise I have to suffer through it. I don’t know when/why this happens as sometimes it happens, and sometimes not. I’ve been taking it for over 2 months now, hoping this side effect subsides. Oh, and I get increased fatigue, muscle aches, blurrier vision, hoarseness. I already had these, but are more so now."
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- Nikki
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- February 26, 2019
"Well over a year ago I experienced dry mouth ... Went to my doctor ... Didn't do anything ... Said it was probably because of all the medications I had to take ... Went to another dentist ... Did literally nothing as well ... Went to an oral surgeon ... Charged me $150 and gave me a prescription for a mouth rinse ... Went to ucla ... Saw two oral surgeons ... Gave me pilocarpine ... It corrected my dry mouth but caused me to have a thick stringy saliva in place of the dry mouth ... My new primary care physician suggested that I use biotene mouthwash ... Didn't help ... I still have it ... It's nauseating and I can't find anyone to help me to overcome this crap ... Gets onto my lips and stuff hardens while on my lips ... I unequivocally need help ... Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease ..."
- drugr...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- May 27, 2021
"Awful. I took 5mg for a handful of days at 3 x daily and I quit the last day I took it and was hit with wave after wave of immense amounts of sweat. I felt awful and embarrassed. I will never forget the sensation of my body forcing the excessive sweat out of my pores. All that and my dry mouth showed no improvement. There was absolutely no positive about my experience with pilocarpine. I will take up the task of constantly hydrating with water instead."
- Csl
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- May 27, 2023
"Been using this medicine for 6 months, and it works. My dry mouth symptoms were really bad. It was like the irrigation system in my mouth shut off completely. Raw tongue, mouth sores, aching teeth, dry throat, nose, and eyes. This drug is the only thing keeping me sane and living a semi-normal life. Without it.. life would be nearly unlivable. Started out taking 5 per day at 5mg. Then switched to 3 per day at 7.5 mg. Yes, the sweating can be unrelenting and if you work in a professional setting you will sweat through your clothes. That is the only drawback. The cold sweats are hard to get used to. But the relief from being able to feel fluid in your mouth and throat is worth it."
- Nina
- July 25, 2021
"I’ve been taking Salagen for dry mouth (BMS) for almost a week and my blood pressure which was borderline high now spikes at 200/100 at night. I’m wondering if this is a side effect or maybe I need to see a cardiologist. I’m also on a benzo so for now that has been bringing my bp down but what a horrible feeling when one’s bp gets so high and not sure of cause. Has anyone else experienced hypertension with this particular drug?"
- Gano
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- July 24, 2019
"For dry mouth this is my tip or advice, this works the best: use xylitol tablets, I attach one to the roof of my mouth close to front teeth will slowly melt. Works great NO side effects!"
- Popin...
- November 13, 2017
Salagen (pilocarpine) "I have severe dry mouth from radiation treatment, resulting in severe tooth decay. Salagen has really helped soothe my mouth and gums"
- Anonymous
- September 6, 2019
"After radiation my mouth got so dry that I was unable to talk or sleep at night pilocarpine 7.5 mg 4 times a day changed my life !"
- dee...
- December 26, 2017
Salagen (pilocarpine) "I've taken them for burning dry tongue now my mouth and tongue is even drier"
Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.
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Salagen (pilocarpine) "I have sjogrens so have a dry mouth. I would give it 10, but I find only one drawback. I can take only four per day and many days I could use just one more. But this has really been a godsend for me. I developed 30 small cavities during the time that I was not taking this (about one year). And I was slurring my words so much because of the completely dry mouth - my husband actually thought I was having a series of strokes. With pilocarpine I have my dental problems under control, and I have my voice and comfort back. My primary doctor did not know about this. My rheumatologist did not suggest it, my dentist did not know of it... I got on the internet and looked for a medicine that had the side effect of making my "mouth water" -- almost immediately I found this Rx."