Dicyclomine
- Class: Antispasmodic
- Used for: irritable bowel syndrome
- Say it: dye-SYE-kloh-meen
- Forms: capsule, tablet, oral liquid, injection
DICYCLOMINE breaks the CYCLE of cramping. The bowel's spasm lets go.
It is an antimuscarinic acting on gut smooth muscle, so it treats the cramping part of irritable bowel — not the diarrhoea or the constipation. Dry mouth and blurred vision come with it.
It is an antimuscarinic acting on gut smooth muscle, so it relieves colicky cramp. The same receptors elsewhere give dry mouth, blurred vision, retention and confusion.
Side effects
Common: dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision
Serious: confusion in older adults, urinary retention
Typical dose
10–20 mg four times daily
Before meals. Avoid in the elderly and in glaucoma or prostatic obstruction.
Check yourself
Which side effects should be expected from dicyclomine?
- Dry mouth, blurred vision and urinary retention
- Diarrhoea and excessive salivation
- A slow pulse and low blood pressure
- Persistent dry cough
Show answer
A. Dry mouth, blurred vision and urinary retention
Blocking muscarinic receptors in the gut cannot be done without blocking them in salivary glands, eye and bladder. The side effects are the mechanism showing up where it was not wanted — option two is the opposite, a cholinergic picture.
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