Anticholinergic medication for preventing hyperhidrosis

If use of antiperspirants and iontophoresis fails, and in case of severe hyperhidrosis, it is possible to resort to medicinal treatments. Some medicines can therefore be useful to prevent excessive perspiration. Treatments for hyperhidrosis include anticholinergic drugs, ingested orally. They block the action of acetylcholine.

What is acetylcholine?

Acetylcholine is a substance produced by our brain that facilitates communication between neurons. It is involved in many mechanisms.
The eccrine sweat glands responsible for sweat secretion are stimulated by acetylcholine, among other things.

Anticholinergic drugs

Use of anticholinergic drugs to combat severe hyperhidrosis may be considered if first-line treatments fail.
This option is rarely used as a long-term solution because it has side effects, such as dry mouth, constipation, loss of taste, dizziness, etc. They are used mainly in case of severe generalized hyperhidrosis.

There are also topical anticholinergics that can be applied locally in the form of aqueous solutions. These are applied usually to the forehead and to the scalp.

Other therapeutic solutions

Finally, and more rarely, antidepressants may be prescribed. This category of medication can have a drying effect, which is useful in fighting excessive perspiration while helping the patient to get over depression caused by the difficulties of living with particularly severe hyperhidrosis.