Dermatologist's Take
Qbrexza is a once-daily medicated cloth for heavy underarm sweating. It blocks the signal that turns on sweat glands. Dry mouth and blurred vision are common, so wash your hands after each use and keep it away from your eyes.
At a glance
- AKA: Qbrexza; glycopyrronium tosylate; glycopyrrolate cloth
- Drug Class: Topical anticholinergic (blocks the sweat signal)
- Rx or OTC: Prescription only
- Typical Dose: One pre-moistened 2.4% cloth wiped across both underarms once a day
- Time to Work: Sweating often drops within about a week; steady effect over a few weeks
- Evidence Level: Good for underarm sweating (primary axillary hyperhidrosis); FDA-approved for ages 9 and up
What is it?
What is it text.
How it works
Sweat glands are switched on by a nerve chemical called acetylcholine. Glycopyrronium is an anticholinergic, which means it blocks acetylcholine from reaching the sweat gland. With the signal blocked, the treated skin makes less sweat. Because it is wiped onto the skin, most of the effect stays where you apply it, though a small amount can be absorbed and cause body-wide (systemic) effects like dry mouth.
What it treats
How it's typically used
Use one cloth once a day. Wipe it across both underarms one time. Apply to clean, dry, unbroken skin, and not right after shaving. Each cloth is single-use, so throw it away after one use. Wash your hands well with soap and water right after using it. This matters because the medicine on your fingers can get into your eyes and cause blurred vision or widen your pupils. Keep it away from your eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals. This is educational only. Follow the label and your doctor's directions.
Common side effects
- Dry mouth (the most common; affects about 1 in 4 people)
- Blurred vision
- Widened (dilated) pupils
- Dry eyes, dry throat, or dry skin
- Redness, burning, or itching where applied
- Constipation
- Trouble urinating
- Headache
Serious side effects
- Eye problems: sudden eye pain, blurred vision, or seeing halos (this could signal a rise in eye pressure)
- Trouble passing urine
- Overheating: because it can lower sweating body-wide, you may not cool down well in heat or during exercise. Watch for dizziness, weakness, or a very hot feeling.
Call a doctor if these happen. Get urgent care for eye pain with vision loss or for signs of heat illness.
Who shouldn't take it
- Do not use if you have certain conditions that anticholinergics can worsen, such as narrow-angle glaucoma, an enlarged prostate with urinary trouble, a blocked bladder, severe ulcerative colitis, toxic megacolon, or myasthenia gravis.
- Use caution with other anticholinergic medicines, since the drying effects can add up.
- Do not apply to broken or irritated skin.