Buscopan 10mg

Buscopan general information

What is Buscopan used for?

Buscopan tablets 10mg are used to relieve painful and colicky muscle spasm in the gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach, intestines and bowels; the urinary tract and biliary tract, including the bile duct and the cystic duct, which connects the bile duct and the gall bladder. These tracts contain smooth muscle in their walls and they normally contract in smooth waves called peristalsis to move food through the gastrointestinal tract, bile from the bile duct into the upper intestines (duodenum) and urine from the kidneys into the bladder. When the muscles contract abnormally they cause spasm, which can be very painful. Buscopan tablets 10mg are used for muscle spasm causing abdominal pain and cramps associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); muscle spasm of the bladder due to several causes, including urinary tract infection and cyctitis; also muscle spasm of the bile duct often associated with blockage due to gall stones, which can cause pain and other symptoms including nausea and vomiting.

How does Buscopan work?

Buscopan tablets 10mg contain hyoscine, an antispasmodic that acts directly on the smooth muscle in the walls of the gastrointestinal, biliary and urinary tract. Smooth muscle contraction is involuntarily, which means it is not under conscious control, and is controlled by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is a chemical that sends messages to nerve cells stimulating smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine exerts its action by binding to muscarinic receptors on the smooth muscle cells. Hyoscine in Buscopan tablets 10mg has anticholinergic activity and binds to muscarinic receptors, blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the same receptors. This action is the basis of the spasmolytic activity of hyoscine in Buscopan tablets 10mg and causes smooth muscle to relax which relieves muscle spasm that occurs when muscle contraction is spasmodic and uncontrolled.

What does Buscopan contain?

Buscopan tablets 10mg contain the active ingredient hyoscine, an antispasmodic with anticholinergic activity used to relieve muscle spasm. They also contain calcium hydrogen phosphate, maize starch, soluble starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, tartaric acid, stearic acid, sucrose, povidone, purified talc, acacia, titanium dioxide, macrogol 6000, carnauba wax and white beeswax.

Treating muscle spasm with Buscopan

Buscopan tablets 10mg contain the active ingredient hyoscine, an antispasmodic drug used to relieve muscle spasm in the gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach, intestines and bowels; urinary tract, and biliary tract, including the bile duct and the cystic duct which connects the bile duct and the gall bladder. These tracts contain smooth muscle in their walls and control of smooth muscle contraction is involuntarily being controlled by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is a chemical that sends messages to nerve cells stimulating smooth muscle to contract. Spasm results when muscle contraction is spasmodic and uncontrolled. Hyoscine in Buscopan tablets 10mg has anticholinergic activity and binds to muscarinic receptors on the smooth muscle cells, blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the same receptors. This causes smooth muscle to relax, which relieves muscle spasm.

What are the side effects of Buscopan?

The most commonly reported side effects when taking Buscopan tablets 10mg include: dry mouth, tachycardia (rapid heart beat), dyshidrosis (an eczema-like skin condition) and difficulty passing urine.

When should Buscopan not be used?

You should not use Buscopan tablets 10mg if you:

• are allergic to hyoscine or any ingredients in Buscopan
• are pregnant or are breastfeeding
• have myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder, or megacolon a bowel condition
• untreated narrow angle glaucoma, intestinal or urinary obstruction, tachyarrhythmia (rapid heart beat)
• are taking medicines that interact with Buscopan, including: anticholinergics like tiotropium and ipratropium for asthma, tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and imipramine, tetracyclic antidepressants like mirtazapine, antihistamines like loratadine for allergy, antipsychotics like piozide, the antiarrhythmics quinidine and disopyramide, amantadine for Parkinson’s Disease, metoclopramide for nausea, beta-adrenergic drugs like salbutamol for asthma.

What medications interact with Buscopan?

Several medications interact with Buscopan and should either not be taken while you are taking Buscopan or only after discussion and instruction from your doctor:

• Drugs that cause a serious reaction with Buscopan: beta-adrenergic drugs like salbutamol for asthma
• Drugs that affect Buscopan: metoclopramide for nausea
• Drugs that are affected by Buscopan: anticholinergics like tiotropium and ipratropium for asthma, tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and imipramine, tetracyclic antidepressants like mirtazapine, antihistamines like loratadine for allergy, antipsychotics like piozide, the antiarrhythmics quinidine and disopyramide, amantadine for Parkinson’s Disease, metoclopramide for nausea

How should Buscopan be taken?

You should take your Buscopan tablets 10mg swallowed whole with a glass of water four times daily, with or without food. The dose you take and for how long will depend on your doctor’s recommendation. You should only take your Buscopan tablets 10mg for two-three days to relieve symptoms, unless recommended by your doctor.

How long should you take Buscopan?

You should only take your Buscopan tablets 10mg for two-three days to relieve symptoms, unless recommended by your doctor.

Missed dose of Buscopan

If you miss a dose of Buscopan tablets 10mg take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose.

How should Buscopan be stored?

You should store your Buscopan below 25°C in a cool dry place.