Head & Neck Cancer Patients: In controlled studies, 217 patients received pilocarpine, of whom 68% were men and 32% were women. Race distribution was 91% Caucasian, 8% Black and 1% of other origin. Mean age was approximately 58 years. The majority of patients were between 50 and 64 years (51%), 33% were ≥65 years and 16% <50 years.
The most frequent adverse experiences associated with Salagen were a consequence of the expected pharmacologic effects of pilocarpine. (See Table 2.)
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In addition, the following adverse events (≥3% incidence) were reported at dosages of 15-30 mg/day in the controlled clinical trials. (See Table 3.)
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The following events were reported with treated head and neck cancer patients at incidences of 1-2% at dosages of 7.5-30 mg/day: Abnormal vision, conjunctivitis, dysphagia, epistaxis, myalgias, pruritus, rash, sinusitis, tachycardia, taste perversion, tremor, voice alteration.
The following events were reported rarely in treated head and neck cancer patients (<1%): Causal relation is unknown.
Body As a Whole: Body odor, hypothermia, mucous membrane abnormality.
Cardiovascular: Bradycardia, ECG abnormality, palpitations, syncope.
Digestive: Anorexia, increased appetite, esophagitis, gastrointestinal disorder, tongue disorder.
Hematologic: Leukopenia, lymphadenopathy.
Nervous: Anxiety, confusion, depression, abnormal dreams, hyperkinesia, hypesthesia, nervousness, paresthesias, speech disorder, twitching.
Respiratory: Increased sputum, stridor, yawning.
Skin: Seborrhea.
Special Senses: Deafness, eye pain, glaucoma.
Urogenital: Dysuria, metrorrhagia, urinary impairment.
In long-term treatment were 2 patients with underlying cardiovascular disease of whom 1 experienced a myocardial infarct and another an episode of syncope. The association with drug is uncertain.
Sjogren's Syndrome Patients: In controlled studies, 376 patients received pilocarpine, of whom 5% were men and 95% were women. Race distribution was 84% Caucasian, 9% Oriental, 3% Black and 4% of other origin. Mean age was 55 years. The majority of patients were between
40 and 69 years (70%), 16% were ≥70 years and 14% <40 years. Of these patients, 161/629 (89/376 receiving pilocarpine) were >65 years. The adverse events reported by those >65 years and those <65 years were comparable, except for notable trends for urinary frequency, diarrhea and dizziness. The incidences of urinary frequency and diarrhea in the elderly were about double those in the non-elderly. The incidence of dizziness was about 3 times as high in the elderly as in the non-elderly. These adverse experiences were not considered to be serious. In the 2 placebo-controlled studies, the most common adverse events related to drug use were sweating, urinary frequency, chills and vasodilatation (flushing). The most commonly reported reason for patient discontinuation of treatment was sweating. Expected pharmacologic effects of pilocarpine include the following adverse experiences associated with Salagen. (See Table 4.)
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In addition, the following adverse events (≥3% incidence) were reported at dosages of 15-30 mg/day in the controlled clinical trials. (See Table 5.)
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The following events were reported in Sjogren's patients at incidences of 1-2% at dosing of 20 mg/day: Accidental injury, allergic reaction, back pain, blurred vision, constipation, increased cough, edema, epistaxis, face edema, fever, flatulence, glossitis, lab test abnormalities, including chemistry, hematology and urinalysis, myalgia, palpitation, pruritis, somnolence, stomatitis, tachycardia, tinnitus, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, vaginitis.
The following events were reported rarely in treated Sjogren's patients (<1%) at dosing of 10-30 mg/day: Causal relation is unknown.
Body As a Whole: Chest pain, cyst, death, moniliasis, neck pain, neck rigidity, photosensitivity reaction.
Cardiovascular: Angina pectoris, arrhythmia, electrocardiogram abnormality, hypotension, hypertension, intracranial hemorrhage, migraine, myocardial infarction.
Digestive: Anorexia, bilirubinemia, cholelithiasis, colitis, dry mouth, eructation, gastritis, gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal disorder, gingivitis, hepatitis, abnormal liver function tests, melena, nausea and vomiting, pancreatitis, parotid and salivary gland enlargement, increased sputum, taste loss, tongue disorder, tooth disorder.
Hematologic: Hematuria, lymphadenopathy, abnormal platelets, thrombocythemia, thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, abnormal WBC.
Metabolic and Nutritional: Peripheral edema, hypoglycemia.
Musculoskeletal: Arthralgia, arthritis, bone disorder, spontaneous bone fracture, pathological fracture, myasthenia, tendon disorder, tenosynovitis
Nervous: Aphasia, confusion, depression, abnormal dreams, emotional lability, hyperkinesia, hypesthesia, insomnia, leg cramps, nervousness, paresthesias, abnormal thinking, tremor.
Respiratory: Bronchitis, dyspnea, hiccup, laryngismus, laryngitis, pneumonia, viral infection, voice alteration.
Skin: Alopecia, contact dermatitis, dry skin, eczema, erythema nodosum, exfoliative dermatitis, herpes simplex, skin ulcer, vesiculobullous rash.
Special senses: Cataract, conjunctivitis, dry eyes, ear disorder, ear pain, eye disorder, eye hemorrhage, glaucoma, lacrimation disorder, retinal disorder, taste perversion, abnormal vision.
Urogenital: Breast pain, dysuria, mastitis, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, ovarian disorder, pyuria, salpingitis, urethral pain and urgency, vaginal hemorrhage and moniliasis.
The following adverse experiences have been reported rarely with ocular pilocarpine: Atrioventricular block, agitation, ciliary congestion, confusion, delusion, depression, dermatitis, middle ear disturbance, eyelid twitching, malignant glaucoma, iris cysts, macular hole, shock and visual hallucination.