Oral agent offers relief from generalized hyperhidrosis
An inexpensive and well-tolerated anticholinergic reduces sweating in those with localized—and generalized—hyperhidrosis.
PRACTICE CHANGER
Use low-dose oxybutynin as a first-line treatment option for patients with primary hyperhidrosis to improve symptoms and quality of life.1
STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATION
B: Based on a single, good quality, randomized controlled trial.
Schollhammer M, Brenaut E, Menard-Andivot N, et al. Oxybutynin as a treatment for generalized hyperhidrosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2015;173:1163-1168.
WHAT'S NEW
This is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate the efficacy of an oral agent for generalized primary hyperhidrosis. This trial used a relatively low dose of oxybutynin, which produced significant benefit while minimizing anticholinergic adverse effects.
CAVEATS
There are many situations for which anticholinergic medications are inappropriate, including use by geriatric patients and those with gastrointestinal disorders, urinary retention, or glaucoma.
CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
Few if any challenges exist to the utilization of oxybutynin; inexpensive generic versions are widely available.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The PURLs Surveillance System was supported in part by Grant Number UL1RR024999 from the National Center For Research Resources, a Clinical Translational Science Award to the University of Chicago. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center For Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.
