Pilocarpine side effects

[MJR1960]

Hi
I’m in the U.K. and the only tablets available on prescription are pilocarpine.   Has anyone had persistent diarrhoea from taking this medication?   If so, was there anything to be done to help or did you have to ditch the pilocarpine?   I have no other side effects from the medication?
Regards
Mel

[Carolina]

Hi, MJ,

I've taken either Pilocarpine or Evoxac since 2002.  Right now I'm on 30 mg Pilocarpine/day, which is 6 of the 5 mg tablets.

I don't have diarrhea from the Pilocarpine. 

Even with this high dose I still have dryness, and use eye drops and run the humidifier in the winter.  For my dry mouth I use Xylimelts during the day if I'm going to be talking, like when I play bridge for two hours.

I'm sorry pilocarpine is giving you this side effect.  We are all so different, it is hard to know what will work, what will have side effects, etc.  Trial and error.

Keep us posted, MJ,  Elaine

[meirish]

Some people do have a lot of gas and diarrhea. It has been suggested that one can take 5 mgm of the mead instead of the 10 mgm that is suggested. I had so much trouble with perspiring so badly that I quit the big dose and went back to 2.5 mgm for a week or two and then increased to 5 mgm several times a day. That dose helped me some so I just stayed there. I tend to have side effects from most drugs on higher dosages so have found that I have to tell  the doctors to start out low and slowly work up. Hope you find some relief. Everyone reacts differently to that drug so just have to see what happens. Good luck meirish

[Gorn]

I found over time I was able to slowly cut my dose back to just one 5mg tablet per day.

This dosage is pretty effective for me with no side effects.