Oral pilocarpine for treatment of opioid-induced oral dryness in healthy adults
Abstract
Pilocarpine induces a profuse flow of saliva when administered orally, but effects on drug-induced oral dryness have not been examined. The aim of this trial was to investigate if pilocarpine increases production of saliva in individuals suffering from dry mouth due to treatment with opioids. Sixty-five individuals were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The subjects received tramadol (50 mg t.d.s.) to induce oral dryness, and were thereafter assigned to one of three groups. Secretion rate of saliva was measured before and after tramadol, and after the oral administration of pilocarpine (5 mg), placebo, or no treatment. Baseline characteristics did not differ among the groups (mean ± SEM: 0.37 ± 0.06 mL/min), and tramadol lowered the secretion at the same level in all groups (0.15 ± 0.02 mL/min). Pilocarpine increased the flow above that observed with placebo (0.66 ± 0.19 vs. 0.15 ± 0.02 mL/min). Thus, pilocarpine re-establishes the flow of saliva in the state of tramadol-induced oral dryness.
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- Authors
- Götrick, B., Åkerman, S., Ericson, D., Torstenson, R., & Tobin, G.
- Affiliations
- Malmö University (SE)
- Venue
- Journal of Dental Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2004-05
- Volume
- 83
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 393-397
- ISSN
- 0022-0345 (ISSN-L)
- 1544-0591
- OpenAlex
- W2119220128
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Dental Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Malmö University Publications (Malmö University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Stiftelsen Ragnhild och Einar Lundströms Minne
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Salivary Gland Disorders and Functions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Oral health in cancer treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › HIV/AIDS oral health manifestations
- Keywords
- pilocarpine, xerostomia, salivary secretion, tramadol, salivary flow rate, anticholinergic effects
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Oral, Adult, Analgesics, Opioid, Analysis of Variance, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Male, Pilocarpine, Placebos, Saliva, Secretory Rate, Tramadol, Xerostomia, Muscarinic Agonists
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