Salagen tablets 5 mg for dry mouth symptoms (pilocarpine hydrochloride)

General information on Japanese Salagen tablets 5 mg for dry mouth symptoms (pilocarpine hydrochloride)

Package details: 100 tablets

Manufacturer: Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Japan

Active ingredient: pilocarpine hydrochloride (chemical formula C11H17ClN2O2)

Medical effect: Salagen tablets are effective for the treatment of oral dryness associated with radiation therapy to the head and neck and in patients with Sjogren's syndrome.

Contraindications and precautions: do not use patients with heart disease, bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, patients with gastrointestinal obstruction or obstruction of the urinary bladder, with epilepsy, parkinsonism or Parkinson's disease, iritis, edema or pain in salivary gland, interstitial pneumonia, pancreatitis, hypersensitive enteropathy, peptic ulcer, gallbladder disorder or gallstone, stone formation (in urinary tract, kidney), prostatic hyperplasia or hyperthyroidism. Do not use for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

• If an allergic reaction occurs, stop taking the medicine and consult with your doctor.
• If you’re taking any other medication, please consult with your doctor before use.
• As this medicine may cause visual impairment, be careful when operating dangerous machinery in a dark place or driving a car at night.
• As this medicine may cause excessive sweating, be sure to take enough water to avoid dehydration.

Dosage and administration of Salagen tablets 5 mg from Japan for dry mouth symptoms (pilocarpine hydrochloride)

For adults, take 1 tablet 3 times a day within 30 minutes after meal. Avoid taking this medicine on empty stomach.

How effective are Salagen tablets 5 mg from Japan for dry mouth symptoms (pilocarpine hydrochloride)?

Salagen tablets contain pilocarpine hydrochloride, a hydrochloride salt of a natural alkaloid extracted from plants of the genus Pilocarpus. It works as a cholinergic parasympathomimetic agent, binding to muscarinic receptors and inducing exocrine gland secretion. As the result, Salagen tablets stimulates the secretion of large amounts of saliva, sweat and eye secretion and help to treat the oral dryness.

Who should take Salagen tablets 5 mg from Japan?

Salagen tablets are recommended for the patients with the syndrome of dry mouth caused by radiation therapy to the head and neck or by Sjogren's syndrome. Studies showed that the dosage of 5 mg of active ingredient administered for 12 weeks is found the most effective for the treatment of the mouth and eyes (F.B. Vivino, I. Al-Hashimi et al. “Pilocarpine tablets for the treatment of dry mouth and dry eye symptoms in patients with Sjögren syndrome: a randomized, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, multicenter trial”. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1999, January;159(2): 174-81).