dicyclomine
Dicyclomine, also known by its brand name Bentyl, is an anticholinergic medication that's used to treat spasms of the muscles in the stomach and intestines in adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This medication is available as generic tablets, capsules, and liquid that are taken by mouth four times daily. There's also an injection form of dicyclomine that's available as brand name and generic; it's injected into the muscle for people who can't take pills by mouth. Common side effects include dizziness, dry mouth, and blurry vision.
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What is Dicyclomine?
What is Dicyclomine used for?
How Dicyclomine works
Dicyclomine is an anticholinergic medication. It works by blocking a chemical called acetylcholine from attaching to receptors in your stomach and intestines. Typically, acetylcholine causes the muscles in your gut to contract.
By blocking acetylcholine, dicyclomine relaxes the muscles in the stomach and intestines to lessen cramping in people with IBS.
Drug Facts
What are the side effects of Dicyclomine?
Common Side Effects
- Dizziness (40%)
- Dry mouth (33%)
- Blurred vision (27%)
- Nausea (14%)
Other Side Effects
- Sleepiness
- Weakness
- Nervousness
Serious Side Effects
- Severe changes in mood, thoughts, or behavior: psychosis, distress, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there), confusion, feelings of extreme happiness (euphoria)
- Irregular heartbeat: fainting, dizziness or lightheadedness, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue
Source:Â DailyMed
More on Dicyclomine side effects
The following side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Confusion (especially in the elderly)
dizziness, lightheadedness that continues, or fainting
skin rash or hives
Incidence not known
difficulty with swallowing
fast irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
hives or welts
hoarseness
irritation
itching skin
joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
redness of the skin
shortness of breath
skin rash
tightness in the chest
trouble with breathing
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common or rare
Bloated feeling
blurred vision
difficult urination
difficulty with swallowing
drowsiness
false sense of well-being
headache
increased sensitivity of eyes to light
loss of memory
nausea or vomiting
redness or other signs of irritation at the place of injection
trouble with sleeping
unusual tiredness or weakness
Incidence not known
Decreased interest in sexual intercourse
inability to have or keep an erection
loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
loss of taste
For patients using scopolamine:
After you stop using scopolamine, your body may need time to adjust. The length of time this takes depends on the amount of scopolamine you were using and how long you used it. During this period of time check with your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects:
irritability
nightmares
pupil of one eye is larger (patch only)
sensitivity of eyes to light (patch only)
trouble in sleeping
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Pros and cons of Dicyclomine
Pros
Typically taken by mouth
Available as an oral liquid that's taken by mouth; good option for people who can't swallow tablets
Available as a lower-cost generic
Cons
Taken 4 times per day
Older adults are more likely to have side effects from the medication
Might not be recommended for people with kidney or liver problems
Can't take if you're breastfeeding because of potentially serious harm to infants
Pharmacist tips for Dicyclomine
You can take dicyclomine with or without food. If the medication upsets your stomach, you can try taking it with food to help.
For the dicyclomine oral solution: Make sure to only use a medication dose cup or oral syringe from the pharmacy to measure out your dose. Don't use household spoons because they aren't accurate and using them might cause you to take the wrong dose.
Dicyclomine can affect your ability to think, focus, and react. Don't drive, operate machinery, or do anything that requires concentration until you know how this medication affects you.
You might have dry mouth while you're taking dicyclomine because this medication causes your body to make less saliva. Make sure to drink plenty of water when you're taking this medication to help relieve dry mouth.
It's also important to drink lots of water and stay hydrated while you're taking dicyclomine because the medication can make it easier for you to overheat in hot temperatures. Dicyclomine can cause your body to sweat less, which can affect how well your body can cool down.
Avoid alcohol while you're taking dicyclomine. In addition to possibly making dicyclomine side effects like sleepiness worse, alcohol can worsen your IBS symptoms.
Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about all the medications you're taking and planning to take. Dicyclomine can interact with certain medications, and these interactions can make side effects worse. Your prescriber and pharmacist can make sure it's safe for you to take all your medications with dicyclomine.
Talk to your gastroenterologist about the risks and benefits of taking dicyclomine if you're pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. It's not completely clear how safe the medication is if it's taken during pregnancy.
Don't take dicyclomine if you're breastfeeding. This medication can get into breast milk and possibly cause serious side effects, such as severe breathing problems, in breastfed babies. Talk to your primary care provider if you're taking dicyclomine and want to breastfeed your baby. They might be able to recommend safer options for you.
Frequently asked questions about Dicyclomine
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What are the risks and warnings for Dicyclomine?
Dicyclomine can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Faster heart rate (caution in people with heart conditions)
Risk factors: Medical conditions that cause the heart to beat fast | Heart problems | High blood pressure
Let your care team know if you have heart problems, such as heart failure, past heart attacks, high blood pressure, or other medical conditions that cause your heart to beat faster than usual. It's possible for dicyclomine to cause your heart rate to go up, which can worsen certain heart conditions. Tell your care team if you notice a change in your heart rate or if you feel your heart pounding or racing.
Changes in mood, thoughts, or behaviors
Risk factors: Age 65 years or older | Mental health conditions
Dicyclomine can sometimes cause changes to your mood, thoughts, or ability to think. It can cause symptoms such as confusion or memory loss. It can also lead to feelings of distress, seeing or hearing things that aren't really there (hallucinations), or extreme happiness (euphoria). Typically, these symptoms go away within 12 to 24 hours after you stop taking dicyclomine. Please let a healthcare professional (HCP) know right away if you experience any changes to your mood, thoughts, or behaviors.
Changes to bodily functions
Risk factors: Age 65 years or older
Dicyclomine can cause changes to your autonomic nervous system, also known as the involuntary functions of your body. For example, the muscles of your gut might slow down, which can lead to constipation. Your body might also make less saliva, which can lead to dry mouth. Dicyclomine can also affect other functions, such as your heartbeat or vision.
In addition, you might sweat less, which can make you feel thirstier and put you at risk for heat stroke. Don't take dicyclomine without asking your HCP first if you have a fever because the medication might make it worse.
Let your HCP know if you experience any unusual and bothersome changes to your bodily functions.
Muscle weakness (caution in people with myasthenia gravis)
Risk factors: Taking a higher dose of dicyclomine than recommended
Though rare, dicyclomine can cause extreme muscle weakness and possibly paralysis. This is very unlikely if you take dicyclomine as prescribed. But muscle weakness is possible if you take a higher dose of the medication than what your prescriber recommended. Don't take dicyclomine if you have a condition called myasthenia gravis, unless your prescriber says it's safe to do so. Let an HCP know right away if you feel any muscle weakness or difficulty moving your body while you're taking dicyclomine.
Strong caution in people with certain gut problems
Let your HCP know before you take dicyclomine for diarrhea if you've ever had a colostomy (or any similar procedures). Sometimes, diarrhea is a sign that you have a block in your gut, especially if you've had these procedures done. Taking dicyclomine in these situations can be harmful.
Also tell your prescriber if you think you have food poisoning to see whether it's safe for you to take dicyclomine. Taking this medication when you have food poisoning can lead to a very dangerous gut problem called toxic megacolon.
In addition, don't take dicyclomine if you have severe ulcerative colitis. Taking large doses of dicyclomine can slow the gut down to a stop. This can result in serious problems, like severe inflammation and swelling of the colon.
Trouble urinating (caution in people with prostate problems)
Use dicyclomine with caution if you have prostate problems. This medication can worsen prostate problems and lead to difficulty urinating. Let your HCP know if you have worsening symptoms of your prostate problem or have trouble urinating while you're taking dicyclomine.
Dicyclomine dosage forms
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10mg | 90 capsules | $14.33 | $0.16 |
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| five 2ml vials of 20mg/2ml | 1 carton | $43.80 | $43.80 |
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10mg/5ml | 120 ml | $15.26 | $0.13 |
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20mg | 20 tablets | $8.16 | $0.41 |
Typical dosing for Dicyclomine
The typical starting dose is 20 mg by mouth four times daily. After one week, your prescriber might raise your dose to 40 mg by mouth four times daily.
Dicyclomine is also available as an injection that's given into the muscle for people who can't take the medication by mouth.
More on Dicyclomine dosage forms
Interactions between Dicyclomine and other drugs
More on Dicyclomine interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Ambenonium
- Bepridil
- Bromopride
- Cisapride
- Dronedarone
- Fluconazole
- Itraconazole
- Ketoconazole
- Mesoridazine
- Nelfinavir
- Pimozide
- Piperaquine
- Posaconazole
- Potassium
- Potassium Chloride
- Saquinavir
- Sparfloxacin
- Terfenadine
- Thioridazine
- Ziprasidone
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Aclidinium
- Alfentanil
- Alfuzosin
- Alprazolam
- Amifampridine
- Amiodarone
- Amisulpride
- Amitriptyline
- Amobarbital
- Amoxapine
- Anagrelide
- Anileridine
- Apomorphine
- Aripiprazole
- Aripiprazole Lauroxil
- Arsenic Trioxide
- Asenapine
- Astemizole
- Atropine
- Azithromycin
- Baclofen
- Bedaquiline
- Belladonna
- Benzhydrocodone
- Benztropine
- Biperiden
- Bromazepam
- Brompheniramine
- Buprenorphine
- Bupropion
- Buserelin
- Buspirone
- Butabarbital
- Butorphanol
- Calcium Oxybate
- Cannabidiol
- Carbinoxamine
- Carisoprodol
- Ceritinib
- Cetirizine
- Chloral Hydrate
- Chlordiazepoxide
- Chloroquine
- Chlorpheniramine
- Chlorpromazine
- Chlorzoxazone
- Ciprofloxacin
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clemastine
- Clidinium
- Clobazam
- Clofazimine
- Clomipramine
- Clonazepam
- Clorazepate
- Clozapine
- Codeine
- Conivaptan
- Crizotinib
- Cyclobenzaprine
- Cyclopentolate
- Cyclosporine
- Cyproheptadine
- Dabrafenib
- Darifenacin
- Darolutamide
- Dasatinib
- Degarelix
- Delamanid
- Desipramine
- Deslorelin
- Deutetrabenazine
- Dexmedetomidine
- Diacetylmorphine
- Diazepam
- Dicyclomine
- Difenoxin
- Digoxin
- Dihydrocodeine
- Dimenhydrinate
- Diphenhydramine
- Diphenoxylate
- Disopyramide
- Dofetilide
- Dolasetron
- Domperidone
- Donepezil
- Doxepin
- Doxylamine
- Droperidol
- Duvelisib
- Ebastine
- Efavirenz
- Eltrombopag
- Enasidenib
- Encorafenib
- Entrectinib
- Eribulin
- Erythromycin
- Escitalopram
- Esketamine
- Estazolam
- Eszopiclone
- Ethchlorvynol
- Ethylmorphine
- Famotidine
- Felbamate
- Fentanyl
- Fesoterodine
- Fingolimod
- Flavoxate
- Flecainide
- Flibanserin
- Fluconazole
- Flunitrazepam
- Fluoxetine
- Fluphenazine
- Flurazepam
- Formoterol
- Foscarnet
- Fosnetupitant
- Fosphenytoin
- Fospropofol
- Fostemsavir
- Gabapentin
- Gabapentin Enacarbil
- Galantamine
- Gatifloxacin
- Gemfibrozil
- Gemifloxacin
- Givosiran
- Glasdegib
- Glucagon
- Glycopyrrolate
- Glycopyrronium Tosylate
- Gonadorelin
- Goserelin
- Granisetron
- Halazepam
- Halofantrine
- Haloperidol
- Histrelin
- Homatropine
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Hydroquinidine
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Hydroxyzine
- Hyoscyamine
- Ibutilide
- Idelalisib
- Iloperidone
- Imipramine
- Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
- Ipratropium
- Itraconazole
- Ivabradine
- Ivosidenib
- Ketamine
- Ketazolam
- Ketobemidone
- Ketoconazole
- Lapatinib
- Larotrectinib
- Lefamulin
- Leflunomide
- Lemborexant
- Lenvatinib
- Levocetirizine
- Levofloxacin
- Levorphanol
- Lofexidine
- Lopinavir
- Lorazepam
- Lorlatinib
- Loxapine
- Lumacaftor
- Lumefantrine
- Macimorelin
- Magnesium Oxybate
- Meclizine
- Mefloquine
- Memantine
- Mepenzolate
- Meperidine
- Mephobarbital
- Meprobamate
- Meptazinol
- Metaxalone
- Methacholine
- Methadone
- Methocarbamol
- Methohexital
- Methotrimeprazine
- Metoclopramide
- Metronidazole
- Midazolam
- Mifepristone
- Mirtazapine
- Mizolastine
- Moricizine
- Morphine
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Moxifloxacin
- Nafarelin
- Nalbuphine
- Netupitant
- Nicomorphine
- Nilotinib
- Nitrazepam
- Norfloxacin
- Nortriptyline
- Octreotide
- Ofloxacin
- Olanzapine
- Ondansetron
- Opium
- Opium Alkaloids
- Orphenadrine
- Osilodrostat
- Osimertinib
- Oxaliplatin
- Oxazepam
- Oxitropium Bromide
- Oxybutynin
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Ozanimod
- Paliperidone
- Panobinostat
- Papaveretum
- Papaverine
- Paregoric
- Paroxetine
- Pasireotide
- Pazopanib
- Pentamidine
- Pentazocine
- Pentobarbital
- Perampanel
- Perphenazine
- Phenobarbital
- Pimavanserin
- Pimozide
- Pipamperone
- Pipenzolate Bromide
- Pirenzepine
- Piritramide
- Pitolisant
- Ponesimod
- Posaconazole
- Potassium Oxybate
- Prazepam
- Pregabalin
- Primidone
- Probucol
- Procainamide
- Prochlorperazine
- Procyclidine
- Promethazine
- Propafenone
- Propantheline
- Propiverine
- Propofol
- Protriptyline
- Quazepam
- Quetiapine
- Quinidine
- Quinine
- Ramelteon
- Ranolazine
- Remifentanil
- Remimazolam
- Revefenacin
- Ribociclib
- Rifampin
- Risperidone
- Scopolamine
- Secobarbital
- Secretin Human
- Selpercatinib
- Sertindole
- Sertraline
- Sevoflurane
- Siponimod
- Sodium Oxybate
- Sodium Phosphate
- Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
- Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
- Solifenacin
- Sorafenib
- Sotalol
- Stramonium
- Sufentanil
- Sulpiride
- Sultopride
- Sunitinib
- Tacrolimus
- Tamoxifen
- Tapentadol
- Telavancin
- Temazepam
- Teriflunomide
- Terodiline
- Tetrabenazine
- Thiopental
- Thioridazine
- Thiothixene
- Tilidine
- Tiotropium
- Tizanidine
- Tolterodine
- Topiramate
- Toremifene
- Tramadol
- Trazodone
- Triazolam
- Triclabendazole
- Trifluoperazine
- Trihexyphenidyl
- Trimipramine
- Triptorelin
- Tropicamide
- Trospium
- Umeclidinium
- Vandetanib
- Vardenafil
- Vemurafenib
- Venlafaxine
- Vilanterol
- Vinflunine
- Voclosporin
- Voriconazole
- Vorinostat
- Zaleplon
- Zolpidem
- Zopiclone
- Zotepine
- Zuclopenthixol
How much does Dicyclomine cost?
Dicyclomine contraindications
Blockage in the urinary tract
Blockage in the stomach or intestines
Severe ulcerative colitis
Reflux esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus due to reflux)
Unstable clinical status if you're bleeding
Currently breastfeeding
What are alternatives to Dicyclomine?
Stomach and intestine problems (e.g., stomach ulcers, stomach cramps, irritable bowel syndrome)
Control spasms in certain conditions (e.g., overactive bladder)
Colic in babies (Dicyclomine elixir and drops only)
Pain from gallstones or kidney stones
Runny nose
Relief of certain symptoms (e.g., sweating, salivation, muscle rigidity, tremors) of Parkinson’s disease
What is the latest news about Dicyclomine?
Dicyclomine images
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References
Best studies we foundAzer, S. A., et al. (2023). Reflux esophagitis. StatPearls.
Chartwell RX, LLC. (2023). DICYCLOMINE HYDROCHLORIDE capsule; tablet [package insert]. DailyMed.
Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). (2023). Dicyclomine. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Gennaro, C., et al. (2019). Symptomatic approach to gas, belching and bloating with OMT treatment options. Osteopathic Family Physicians.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. (2023). DICYCLOMINE HYDROCHLORIDE solution [package insert]. DailyMed.
Koersalman, J., et al. (1999). Different effects of an oral anticholinergic drug on gastroesophageal reflux in upright and supine position in normal, ambulant subjects: A pilot study. The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
MedlinePlus. (2022). Colostomy.
Nexus Pharmaceuticals LLC. (2023). DICYCLOMINE HCL- dicyclomine hydrochloride injection [package insert]. DailyMed.
Page, J.G., et al. (1981). Treatment of the irritable bowel syndrome with Bentyl (dicyclomine hydrochloride). Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.
Sam, C., et al. (2023). Physiology, acetylcholine. StatPearls.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved drugs.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved drugs.
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