What is Glycopyrronium bromide?
Glycopyrronium bromide is used as a treatment for excessive sweating, also known as hyperhidrosis. This is when a person sweats more than needed to cool their body down and keep a normal body temperature. It can affect different areas of your body like your armpits, hands, feet, face, and chest.
(Just in case you were wondering, Glycopyrronium is pronounced: ‘glye-koe-pir-oh-nee-um’.)
There are two types of hyperhidrosis: primary and secondary. Primary hyperhidrosis is the most common type, but it’s not known what causes it. Experts believe it's due to issues with the part of your nervous system that handles sweating. Secondary hyperhidrosis is when the condition is triggered by something else, like pregnancy, menopause, anxiety, certain medications, low blood sugar or infections.
Glycopyrronium bromide is a medication commonly used for conditions such as peptic ulcer disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sialorrhea (excessive drooling). Even though it was used for these conditions first, it was later found to be useful at reducing sweat production. That’s why glycopyrronium is now also used to treat excessive sweating.
Glycopyrronium bromide is officially approved to treat excessive sweating when it's used as part of a special treatment called 'iontophoresis'. Here's how it works: You dip your hands or feet in trays filled with a liquid containing glycopyrronium, and a gentle electric current passes through the liquid. For the armpits, electrodes and pads attached to the iontophoresis machine are placed under your arm. This process is believed to temporarily pause the nerve signals that tell your sweat glands to produce sweat.
Glycopyrronium bromide can also be taken by mouth for hyperhidrosis, but this use is off-label. Off-label is when a medication is prescribed for a condition it hasn't been specifically licensed for. There’s plenty of experience and research to back up the use of glycopyrronium in this way. But, if you're thinking about taking glycopyrronium for hyperhidrosis, it's important to consult a clinician to make sure that this is the best option for you.
How does Glycopyrronium bromide work?
Glycopyrronium or glycopyrrolate, is a type of medication known as an anticholinergic or antimuscarinic agent. It works by blocking a natural substance called acetylcholine from binding to muscarinic receptors in the body. Normally, when acetylcholine binds to these receptors, it tells your sweat glands to start producing sweat. So, by blocking acetylcholine, Glycopyrronium bromide reduces the amount of sweat your body makes.
What doses of Glycopyrronium bromide are there?
You can get Glycopyrronium bromide tablets in 1mg or 2mg doses. It’s also available as an oral solution and a powder.
When taken orally, Glycopyrronium bromide is an off-label treatment for hyperhidrosis. This means that there aren’t any official instructions for taking it for this condition, but the starting dose is usually 1mg or 2mg twice daily.
But your clinician might recommend a different dose, depending on your symptoms. During your treatment, your clinician may adjust your dosage according to how you respond to it. Don’t make changes to the dosage without asking your clinician first, as this may increase your risk of side effects.
