Pilocarpine

Generic name: pilocarpine (oral) [ PYE-loe-KAR-peen ]
Brand name: Salagen
Dosage form: oral tablet (5 mg; 7.5 mg)
Drug class:Cholinergic agonists

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Jun 6, 2022. Written by Cerner Multum.

What is pilocarpine?

Pilocarpine affects the nervous system and increases saliva secretion in the mouth.

Pilocarpine is used to treat dry mouth caused by Sjogren's syndrome, or by radiation to treat head and neck cancer.

Pilocarpine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Warnings

You should not use pilocarpine if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, or asthma that is untreated or uncontrolled.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use pilocarpine if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• untreated or uncontrolled asthma; or

• narrow-angle glaucoma.

To make sure pilocarpine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other breathing disorder;

• glaucoma or vision problems;

• liver disease;

• kidney disease;

• heart disease;

• gallbladder problems;

• mental ...