Are you looking for a treatment you haven’t tried yet for excessive sweating?
Today, I’ll review the effects of Kentera patches, which are based on oxybutynin.
💬 The comment section is there for you! Feel free to share your experiences, as they can be valuable to others.
♻️ Last update: September 6, 2025. Written by Nelly Darbois, physical therapist and scientific writer (see here)
Summary
Why talk about Kentera patches?
Here’s a message I received some time ago:
“I suffer from emotional hyperhidrosis with generalized sweating whenever I’m stressed, uncomfortable, in public places, or when it’s hot (so often, but not every day). My doctor and dermatologist suggested Kentera 3.9mg/24h patches (Oxybutynin 36mg), since Ditropan is no longer available in Switzerland. According to my dermatologist, there are fewer side effects with patches (dry mouth, digestive issues), but he has no experience with Kentera. Do you know this product? I’m also worried about side effects and possible rebound sweating after stopping treatment.”
What does a Kentera patch look like?
The Kentera patch is a small, transparent square patch. It sticks to the skin and releases 3.9mg of oxybutynin per 24 hours directly into the bloodstream.
Originally, it’s prescribed for people with overactive bladder. But it’s sometimes used off-label for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
It needs to be changed every 3–4 days, usually on a fixed rotation (e.g., Sun/Wed, Mon/Thu, etc.). They are manufactured by Merckle GmbH.
Where can it be applied?
Apply the patch on clean, dry, non-irritated skin, typically on the:
- abdomen
- hips
- buttocks
Since the drug is absorbed into the blood, it affects sweating across the whole body, not just at the application site.
Rotate application sites—do not apply to the same spot twice in less than 7 days.
How to get it (with or without prescription)?
Kentera patches require a prescription regardless of your country.
They are packaged in boxes of 2, 8, or 24 patches.
I found confirmed availability in Switzerland and Belgium.
For France, ask your pharmacist if they can order it with a prescription.
💡 In countries where it’s available, Kentera is usually covered by public or private health insurance.
Are Kentera patches effective for hyperhidrosis?
I found one clinical study on Kentera patches for excessive sweating:
- Study: Spanish researchers treated 25 hyperhidrosis patients with Kentera patches twice a week for 10 weeks.
- Assessment tools: Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) + Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Results:
- 6/10 patients improved their HDSS score.
- VAS scores improved in all patients, with 68% reporting a ≥3-point reduction.
- Side effects: only 2 patients developed skin irritation (dermatitis) at the patch site.
📌 Kentera has mostly been tested in bladder disorder patients since the early 2000s, so we have long-term safety data on oxybutynin.
To better understand its potential, we should also look at the large number of studies on oral oxybutynin (Ditropan), which I’ve reviewed here: [Oxybutynin (Ditropan) for Excessive Sweating].
Contraindications
Kentera patches should not be used in cases of:
- hypersensitivity to oxybutynin or excipients
- urinary retention
- severe gastrointestinal disorders
- myasthenia gravis
- closed-angle glaucoma
Side effects
Most frequent side effects include:
- Skin reactions at the patch site (redness, itching) → in about 1 in 4 patients
- Dry mouth → 1 in 10 patients
- Constipation (3.9%)
- Diarrhea (3.2%)
- Headache (3%)
- Dizziness (2.3%)
- Blurred vision (2.3%)
Conclusion: Are Kentera patches right for you?
Kentera patches may be an alternative for people who cannot tolerate oral oxybutynin, since they deliver the drug through the skin.
They seem effective for some hyperhidrosis patients, with fewer systemic side effects, but skin reactions are common.
More studies are needed, but the existing evidence suggests they may be worth trying under medical supervision if standard treatments haven’t worked for you.
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Do you have any comments or questions? Your comments are welcome 🙂 !
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📚 SOURCES
Site internet de l’Agence européenne des médicaments
Bergon-Sendin M, et al. Preliminary Experience with Transdermal Oxybutynin Patches for Hyperhidrosis. Actas Dermo-Sifiliograficas 107: 845-850, No. 10, Dec 2016. Available from: URL: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ad.2016.07.003 – Spain
Written by Nelly Darbois
I founded this website in 2012. Since then, I’ve been providing information and positive support to people suffering from excessive sweating. I’m also a physical therapist and science writer, living in French Alps 🌞❄️.