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Palliative cancer care - oral problems - Management
How should pilocarpine be used?
- Pilocarpine is effective only in people who have residual salivary gland function, and treatment should be withdrawn if there is no response [BNF 52, 2006].
- For people who tolerate pilocarpine but have not responded sufficiently after four weeks, the dose may be increased up to a maximum of 30 mg daily [ABPI Medicines Compendium, 2006c].
- It may take up to three months before dry mouth improves. If there is no improvement by three months, pilocarpine treatment should be discontinued [ABPI Medicines Compendium, 2006c].
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