Pilocarpine
Medication used to treat glaucoma and dry mouth / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pilocarpine is a medication used to reduce pressure inside the eye and treat dry mouth.[1][4] As an eye drop it is used to manage angle closure glaucoma until surgery can be performed, ocular hypertension, primary open angle glaucoma, and to constrict the pupil after dilation.[1][5][6] However, due to its side effects it is no longer typically used for long-term management.[7] Onset of effects with the drops is typically within an hour and lasts for up to a day.[1] By mouth it is used for dry mouth as a result of Sjögren syndrome or radiation therapy.[8]
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Trade names | Isopto Carpine, Salagen, Vuity, others |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a608039 |
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Routes of administration | Topical eye drops, by mouth |
Drug class | Miotic (cholinergic)[1] |
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Elimination half-life | 0.76 hours (5 mg), 1.35 hours (10 mg)[3] |
Excretion | urine |
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ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.936 |
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Formula | C11H16N2O2 |
Molar mass | 208.261 g·mol−1 |
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Common side effects of the eye drops include irritation of the eye, increased tearing, headache, and blurry vision.[1] Other side effects include allergic reactions and retinal detachment.[1] Use is generally not recommended during pregnancy.[9] Pilocarpine is in the miotics family of medication.[10] It works by activating cholinergic receptors of the muscarinic type which cause the trabecular meshwork to open and the aqueous humor to drain from the eye.[1]
Pilocarpine was isolated in 1874 by Hardy and Gerrard and has been used to treat glaucoma for more than 100 years.[11][12][13] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[14] It was originally made from the South American plant Pilocarpus.[11]