Open AccessTreatment of Compensatory Gustatory Hyperhidrosis with Topical Glycopyrrolate
Author(s) -
Won Oak Kim,
Hae Keum Kil,
Duck Me Yoon,
Min Jeong Cho
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
yonsei medical journal/yonsei medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.702
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1976-2437
pISSN - 0513-5796
DOI - 10.3349/ymj.2003.44.4.579
Subject(s) - glycopyrrolate , hyperhidrosis , medicine , sore throat , anesthesia , anticholinergic , sympathectomy , botulinum toxin , dysphagia , dermatology , surgery , atropine
Gustatory hyperhidrosis is facial sweating usually associated with the eating of hot spicy food or even smelling this food. Current options of treatment include oral anticholinergic drugs, the topical application of anticholinergics or aluminum chloride, and the injection of botulinum toxin. Thirteen patients have been treated to date with 1.5% or 2% topical glycopyrrolate. All patients had gustatory hyperhidrosis, which interfered with their social activities, after transthroacic endoscopic sympathectomy, and which was associated with compensatory focal hyperhidrosis. After applying topical glycopyrrolate, the subjective effect was excellent (no sweating after eating hot spicy food) in 10 patients (77%), and fair (clearly reduced sweating) in 3 patients (23%). All had reported incidents of being very embarrassed whilst eating hot spicy foods. Adverse effects included a mildly dry mouth and a sore throat in 2 patients (2% glycopyrrolate), a light headache in 1 patient (1.5% glycopyrrolate). The topical application of a glycopyrrolate pad appeared to be safe, efficacious, well tolerated, and a convenient method of treatment for moderate to severe symptoms of gustatory hyperhidrosis in post transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy or sympathicotomy patients, with few side effects.