Scopolamine butylbromide

Scopolamine butylbromide

Scopolamine butylbromide, also known as hyoscine butylbromide and sold under the brandname Buscopan among others, is a medication used to treat crampy abdominal pain, esophageal spasms, renal colic, and bladder spasms. It is also used to improve respiratory secretions at the end of life. Scopolamine butylbromide can be taken by mouth, injection into a muscle, or into a vein.

Pharmacology

Scopolamine butylbromide is a quaternary ammonium compound and a derivative of scopolamine. It is a competitive antagonist for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor types M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5. It is not able to cross the blood-brain barrier due to its quaternary structure, and thus does not induce the central side effects that are associated with scopolamine.

Medical uses

Scopolamine butylbromide is effective in treating crampy abdominal pain. It is also used for the treatment of esophageal spasms, renal colic, and bladder spasms. In palliative care, it is used for its drying effect on respiratory secretions.

Side effects

Common side effects include dry mouth, sleepiness, urinary retention, and constipation. It is unclear if use is safe during pregnancy. It is in the antimuscarinic family of medications and works by blocking some of the actions of acetylcholine within the nervous system.

History

Scopolamine butylbromide was first synthesized in 1950 by the German company Boehringer Ingelheim, which has marketed it under the brand name Buscopan since 1951.

See also

• Scopolamine
• Antimuscarinic
• Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

‎