Bentyl

What you should know before using

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

Unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability and unusual warmth, dryness, and flushing of skin are more likely to occur in children, who are usually more sensitive to the effects of anticholinergics. Also, when anticholinergics are given to children during hot weather, a rapid increase in body temperature may occur. In infants and children, especially those with spastic paralysis or brain damage, this medicine may be more likely to cause severe side effects. Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing has occurred in children taking dicyclomine.

Geriatric

Confusion or memory loss; constipation; difficult urination; drowsiness; dryness of mouth, nose, throat, or skin; and unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are usually more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of anticholinergics. Also, eye pain may occur, which may be a sign of glaucoma.

If you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant, make sure your doctor knows if your medicine contains any of the following:

• Atropine—Atropine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animals. However, when injected into humans during pregnancy, atropine has been reported to increase the heartbeat of the fetus.
• Belladonna—Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.
• Clidinium—Clidinium has not been studied in pregnant women. However, clidinium has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.
• Dicyclomine—Dicyclomine has been associated with a few cases of human birth defects but dicyclomine has not been confirmed as the cause.
• Glycopyrrolate—Glycopyrrolate has not been studied in pregnant women. However, glycopyrrolate did not cause birth defects in animal studies, but did decrease the chance of becoming pregnant and the newborn's chance of surviving after weaning.
• Hyoscyamine—Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals. However, when injected into humans during pregnancy, hyoscyamine has been reported to increase the heartbeat of the fetus.
• Mepenzolate—Mepenzolate has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in animals have not shown that mepenzolate causes birth defects or other problems.
• Propantheline—Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.
• Scopolamine—Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.

Breast Feeding

Although these medicines may pass into the breast milk, they have not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies. However, the flow of breast milk may be reduced in some patients. The use of dicyclomine in nursing mothers has been reported to cause breathing problems in infants.

Drug Interactions

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
• Cisapride
• Potassium Chloride

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.

• Desipramine
• Digoxin
• Flecainide
• Imipramine
• Thioridazine

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bleeding problems (severe)—These medicines may increase heart rate, which would make bleeding problems worse.

• Brain damage (in children)—May increase the CNS effects of this medicine

• Colitis (severe) or
• Dryness of mouth (severe and continuing) or
• Enlarged prostate or
• Fever or
• Glaucoma or
• Heart disease or
• Hernia (hiatal) or
• High blood pressure (hypertension) or
• Intestinal blockage or other intestinal problems or
• Lung disease (chronic) or
• Myasthenia gravis or
• Toxemia of pregnancy or
• Urinary tract blockage or difficult urination—These medicines may make these conditions worse.

• Down's syndrome—These medicines may cause an increase in pupil dilation and heart rate.

• Liver disease—Higher blood levels may occur and cause an increase in side effects.

• Overactive thyroid—These medicines may further increase heart rate.

• Spastic paralysis (in children)—This condition may increase the effects of the anticholinergic.