The use of pilocarpine in opioid-induced xerostomia

Abstract

Oral dryness can be a symptom of asystemic disease, an adverse effect of anticholin-ergic, antiadrenergic or cytotoxic drug treatment, orit can be due to local radiotherapy. Opioid use isstrongly associated with xerostomia, although themechanism for this remains unclear; in one studypatients receiving morphine were four times morelikely to have a dry mouth than patients taking otherdrugs known to cause xerostomia.