Treatment of Generalized Hyperhidrosis with Oxybutynin in Postmenopausal Patients

Abstract

Postmenopausal hyperhidrosis is a form of secondary hyperhidrosis, and hormone-replacement therapy is a commonly used therapeutic option. However, some women do not benefit from this treatment, and oral anticholinergics are a logical alternative for reducing generalized sweating in these patients. Twenty-one patients were medicated with 5 or 10 mg of oxybutynin per day. After a 3-month follow-up period, efficacy was assessed with the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to assess the improvement in patient’ quality of life. The HDSS score was 3.2±0.4 (mean±SD) before medication and 1.9±0.4 after 3 months. The baseline DLQI score of 8.4±1.0 was reduced to 4.4±0.9. No serious side-effects or adverse events resulted from treatment. Oxybutynin was a well-tolerated, effective, and safe method for treating postmenopausal sweating. However, long-term medication and the limited effects of the treatment were disadvantages.