HYOSCYAMINE SULFATE

Use caution in patients with hiatal hernia associated with reflex esophagitis. Use extreme caution and only when needed in patients with autonomic neuropathy, hyperthyroidism, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. Investigate any tachycardia before giving any anticholinergic drugs since they may increase the heart rate.

Prolonged use of anticholinergics may decrease or inhibit salivary flow, thus contributing to the development of caries, periodontal disease, oral candidiasis, and discomfort.

Information for Patients: This medication should be taken 30 minutes to one hour before meals. This medication should be used with caution during exercise or hot weather; overheating may result in heat stroke. Hyoscyamine may cause drowsiness, dizziness or blurred vision; patients should observe caution before driving, using machinery or performing other tasks requiring mental alertness.

Drug Interactions: Absorption of other oral medications may be decreased during concurrent use with anticholinergics due to decreased gastrointestinal motility and delayed gastric emptying. Drug interactions may occur when anticholinergics are used with the following medications: antacids, antidiarrheals (adsorbent), other anticholinergics, antimyasthenics, cyclopropane, haloperidol, ketoconazole, metoclopramide, opioid (narcotic) analgesics, and potassium chloride.

Pregnancy:

Pregnancy Category C. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with this product. It is also not known whether this product can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity.

Hyoscyamine crosses the placenta. This product should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Nursing Mothers: This product is excreted in human milk. This product should not be administered to a nursing mother.

Pediatric Use: This product is not recommended for use in children under twelve years of age. Infants and young children are especially susceptible to the toxic effects of anticholinergics. Close supervision is recommended for infants and children with spastic paralysis or brain damage since an increased response to anticholinergics has been reported in these patients and dosage adjustments are often required.

When anticholinergics are given to children where the environmental temperature is high, there is a risk of a rapid increase in body temperature because of these medications’ suppression of sweat gland activity. A paradoxical reaction characterized by hyperexcitability may occur in children taking large doses of anticholinergics.

Geriatric Use: Geriatric patients may respond to usual doses of anticholinergics with excitement, agitation, drowsiness, or confusion.

Geriatric patients are especially susceptible to the anticholinergic side effects, such as constipation, dryness of mouth, and urinary retention (especially in males). If these side effects occur and continue or are severe, medication should probably be discontinued. Caution is also recommended when anticholinergics are given to geriatric patients, because of the danger of precipitating undiagnosed glaucoma.

Memory may become severely impaired in geriatric patients, especially those who already have memory problems, with the continued use of anticholinergics since these drugs block the actions of acetylcholine, which is responsible for many functions of the brain, including memory functions.