That Patch Is Making Me Hot!

Published August 15, 2025

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the Transderm Scōp patch (scopolamine) (Figure 1), a medicine patch used to prevent nausea and vomiting. The warning states that the medicine can make your body temperature go up (called hyperthermia) and cause serious problems. FDA issued the warning after receiving reports of people having hyperthermia while using the patch. Most people began to feel better after the medicine was stopped, shortly after the patch was removed. But there were four people who needed to be hospitalized, and two other people died. Most events occurred in children 17years or younger and adults over 60, who have a harder time controlling their body temperature.

Scopolamine is commonly prescribed for people who have nausea and vomiting from motion sickness (e.g., from being on a boat, plane, or riding in a car). This medicine is not approved for use in children. But doctors sometimes prescribe it to help stop excessive drooling in kids with cerebral palsy or other conditions related to brain injury. The patch is placed behind the ear and delivers the medicine for up to 3 days.

In the hyperthermia cases, some people started feeling really hot less than 72 hours after putting on the scopolamine patch. The medicine made it harder for their body to control its temperature. It made them sweat less, so their bodies could not cool down as they should.

The risk of hyperthermia also increases for people who live in places that typically have warm environmental temperatures or if they use a heated blanket. 

To help make healthcare providers and people aware of this risk, the FDA is requiring the drug manufacturers to add a warning to the prescribing information and patient information leaflet.

Here’s what you can do: If your doctor prescribes scopolamine to treat nausea and vomiting, ask about its side effects and the risk of hyperthermia. Ask your doctor about specific symptoms that are signs of hyperthermia and what you should do if you experience them. Follow the directions on how to use the medicine exactly as instructed. Below are important things to know about scopolamine and the risk of hyperthermia:

• Only wear 1 scopolamine patch at a time. Remove the used patch before applying a new one.
• Do not cut the scopolamine patch. Cutting the patch will damage the drug delivery method causing more or less medicine to be released.
• Common side effects of the scopolamine patch include dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, sore throat, and trouble seeing.
• If you are wearing a scopolamine patch and begin to feel really hot and are not sweating, remove the patch from your skin and contact your doctor. You can also go to the nearest hospital emergency department, or call 911. Do NOT apply another patch. Symptoms may last a few hours or days even after the patch has been removed.