Feeling drowsy/doped up with Avert (glyccopyrrolate)?

[sean_turner74]

I started taking Avert (glyccopyrrolate) this year. But when I take it I get very drowsy, my mind slows down and I have trouble concentrating. I honestly feel kind of doped up.

I'm in university doing graduate studies and as bad as my hyperhidrosis can be (generalized, all over the body, though it happens mostly in social situations), I feel like the side effects of Avert are too overwhelming.

I literally can't read a paragraph of a book without having to re-read it a couple times in order to understand it. My short-term memory is very bad while on it. I'm thinking of stopping Avert because I think I'd fail university if I continued.

Dry mouth has never really been a problem for me. I take 2mg once a day.

Has anyone else felt dopey/drowsy while on Avert/robinul (glyccopyrrolate)?

 

[Peony]

I do. But I kinda like it. :>

 

[Amherst]

I've never had that sensation, but I don't even get the major
side effects (dry mouth, etc.), probably because I have such
a tough time absorbing glycopyrrolate. Glyco, unlike
oxybutin, does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It shouldn't
interfere with short-term memory like most other
anticholinergics that cross this barrier do.

 

[sean_turner74]

I do. But I kinda like it. :>

lol I know what you mean. I honestly liked it at first too, but now it's bothersome.

I've never had that sensation, but I don't even get the major
side effects (dry mouth, etc.), probably because I have such
a tough time absorbing glycopyrrolate. Glyco, unlike
oxybutin, does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It shouldn't
interfere with short-term memory like most other
anticholinergics that cross this barrier do.

Yes I read that it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, so I wonder why I feel drowsy/dopey with it. I get a bit of dry mouth but it's never been that bad.. it's tolerable.

In my experience it's a strange medication with unpredictable side effects.

 

[margiehope]

Hi Sean,
No I've never had the dopey/drowsy effect you mention, and this is on higher doses for many years. Yours is a real catch 22--you can't really afford to be dosey, but we all know how hellish HH is.

I have no experience with anything but Avert, but wonder if one of the others (e.g. Oxybutin) might work better for you.

As you say, glyco is strange, also unique to each person and even then different at different times.

Good luck!

 

[Soy Sauce]

I used to get a lot of headaches when I took Avert, along with dizziness, difficulty concentrating, inability to focus my eyesight and yes, some drowsiness.

I definitely feel like Avert had an effect on my brain function and it made me very weary of using that drug. There are no long-term usage info on glycopyrrolate that I know of and I was fearful of what kind of long-term effects it might have on my body, specifically my mental function. Luckily I discovered iontophoresis and it worked for me so I haven't had to use Avert in several years. Even when I was taking it, I would try and use it sparingly, due to my fears. All those constant headaches, blurry vision, inability to concentrate, doped up feeling can't be good, especially with regular, long-term use. But those were my own side-effects. I guess some people don't experience the same effects or to the degree I did.

 

[Jezza]

Like some said it shouldn't have an effect on your brain as it has a hard time crossing the blood/brain barrier. I've never taking glyco (yet) so I have no personal experience. I have taken oxybutynin and that definitely made me a little 'disconnected' but that's expected since that drug does cross the blood brain barrier.

I wonder if it's maybe a feeling of dehydration or something...Kinda like a hangover (when the nice buzz is long gone and your brain is yearning for fluids).

Shame being on alcohol all the time isn't an option...in copious amounts it always dries my skin right up and makes it a little warmer...but I digress...

 

[sean_turner74]

Thanks for the replies!

margiehope: You're right, it really is a Catch 22. I can't afford to do badly at university, but HH can be so bad sometimes... I'll look into other medications/remedies for HH and maybe I'll have better luck with something else. But I tend to have low tolerance for meds/alcohol and usually get side effects from whatever I take.

Soy Sauce: Yes those side effects can be really bad, and it does make me hesitant to continue using it. I don't know why some people don't get those side effects like we did, maybe it has to do with individual body types/health. But I know I can't continue living with my mental functions impaired.

Jezza: It's strange, because even though Avert doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, I definitely feel mentally different after taking it. However, what you said about dehydration makes me think that maybe that's what I feel... Since Avert dries up the body, maybe the lack of fluid going to my brain is causing me to feel that way. Maybe simply drinking more water would help.


Anyways, I've stopped taking Avert for about 2 weeks. What I'm trying to do now is treat my social anxiety which I think is the #1 cause for my HH.... I get overheated sometimes in social situations, so I think if I fix the root of the problem, I can get better. Also, my HH usually gets bad in the hot summer weather, and now that it's cooler fall temperature it's more under control so I can kinda live without Avert.

Since last week I've started to take some supplements to help my mood/anxiety since that triggers HH: I now take a daily Vitamin B Complex, Omega 3 fish oils and Vitamin C, along with multivitamins. I feel so much calmer, more sociable and it's early to tell, but it seems my sweating has decreased a bit. (I will at some later point also try Sage supplements, as I read some members here had luck with it).

I'm trying this for a while and see if maybe my mind-state improves, with less anxiety then perhaps my HH will decrease as a result.