Information for the public

Summary of possible benefits and harms

Summary of possible benefits and harms

How well does glycopyrronium work?

No studies have looked at how well glycopyrronium tablets or liquid work for reducing excessive sweating when compared with other treatments.

The only information available comes from reports of the experiences of individual people who have been treated with glycopyrronium tablets at different medical centres. Five of these reports have been published: 3 reports included 100 adults with excessive sweating of unknown cause; 1 report included 31 children or young people with excessive sweating of unknown cause; and 1 report included 19 people with a type of sweating called 'compensatory hyperhidrosis'.

Across these 5 reports, glycopyrronium tablets improved sweating to some degree for between 7 and 9 people out of every 10 who took this medicine, but it is difficult to know how well it worked for each person. The remaining people who took glycopyrronium either did not find that it improved their sweating, or they experienced side effects that caused them to stop taking the medicine.

These 5 reports provide only weak evidence on whether glycopyrronium tablets work well for treating excessive sweating.

What are the possible harms or side effects?

Across the 5 reports side effects of glycopyrronium were common, affecting between 3 and 8 out of every 10 people who took this medicine. The most common side effect was a dry mouth. Other side effects experienced less often were dry eyes, headache, an unsettled stomach, and feeling that their heart was racing (called palpitations). In 2 of the 5 reports, around a quarter of adults taking glycopyrronium stopped taking the medicine because of side effects. In the report in young people, 1 young person stopped taking glycopyrronium because of palpitations. In the other 2 reports, no one stopped taking the medicine because of side effects.

In the USA, glycopyrronium tablets and liquid are available, but these are not licensed for treating excessive sweating. The US tablets are not recommended if the person has certain medical conditions such as:

  • glaucoma (a condition where pressure builds up in the eye which can affect vision)

  • severe ulcerative colitis (a condition where the lower part of the gut becomes inflamed which can cause pain and bloody diarrhoea)

  • myasthenia gravis (a condition causing muscle weakness, particularly in the upper part of the body such as the eyelids, face, neck and arms).

There are also warnings of some stomach problems that can happen, and it is suggested that a person avoids very hot temperatures because it can reduce how much a person sweats.

Please note that the results of the reports only indicate the benefits and harms for the people in these reports. It is not possible to predict what the benefits and harms will be for an individual patient being treated with glycopyrronium.