An overview of oxybutynin and its use in primary hyperhidrosis

Abstract

Primary hyperhidrosis typically starts in childhood and lasts until maturity. The main areas affected are the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and the axilla.A patient with hyperhidrosis who started taking oxybutynin for urinary urgency is described in a case report from 1988; the patient's episodes of intense sweating stopped after a few hours. Numerous investigations conducted in recent years have confirmed its effectiveness in treating hyperhidrosis.Since it has recently been established that people with hyperhidrotic conditions have an overabundance of acetylcholine and 7-nicotinic receptors in their sympathetic ganglia, targeted treatment with oxybutynin has started to be reported. In 2003, the FDA approved oxybutynin transdermal administration for the first time in the form of a transdermal patch. The first transdermal delivery system (TDS) for oxybutynin was a patch that could be applied to the buttocks, hips, or abdomen.The transdermal patch was found to have less negative side effects and to be just as efficient in reducing the symptoms of overactive bladder when compared to oxybutynin taken orally. In the senior population, which is more likely to develop overactive bladder, transdermal distribution may also lessen the amount of pills required, memory loss, and drug-drug interactions, all of which are desired outcomes. Adults with hyperactive bladders may benefit from topically applied oxybutynin gel treatment. Oxybutynin chloride gel has been shown to be effective in treating primary focal hyperhidrosis in studies. Oxybutynin may have a longer half-life than other topical drugs like aluminium chloride, with a serum half-life of 62–84 hours following topical treatment.Patients' primary focal hyperhidrosis is treated less severely and have better health-related quality of life thanks to oxybutynin 3% gel.