Formulary
Dicycloverine hydrochloride: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Dicycloverine hydrochloride clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Dicycloverine hydrochloride: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Dicycloverine hydrochloride clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Symptomatic relief of gastro-intestinal disorders characterised by smooth muscle spasm**
- **Child** (By Mouth): 12-17 years 10-20 mg 3 times a day.
- **Adult** (By Mouth): 10-20 mg 3 times a day.
**Symptomatic relief of gastro-intestinal disorders characterised by smooth muscle spasm for dicycloverine hydrochloride**
- **Child 6-23 months** (By mouth): 5-10 mg 3-4 times a day, dose to be taken 15 minutes before feeds.
- **Child 2-11 years** (By mouth): 10 mg 3 times a day.
- **Child 12-17 years** (By mouth): 10-20 mg 3 times a day.
Cautions
For all antimuscarinics (systemic) Acute myocardial infarction (in adults); arrhythmias (may be worsened); autonomic neuropathy; cardiac insufficiency (due to association with tachycardia); cardiac surgery (due to association with tachycardia); children (increased risk of side-effects) (in children); conditions characterised by tachycardia; congestive heart failure (may be worsened); coronary artery disease (may be worsened); diarrhoea; elderly (especially if frail) (in adults); gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; hiatus hernia with reflux oesophagitis; hypertension; hyperthyroidism (due to association with tachycardia); individuals susceptible to angle-closure glaucoma; prostatic hyperplasia (in adults); pyrexia; ulcerative colitis Cautions, further information Elderly In adults: Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria to aid medication reviews (see Prescribing in the elderly for information). Potentially inappropriate: if treating extrapyramidal side-effects of antipsychotic medications (risk of antimuscarinic toxicity) with delirium or dementia (risk of exacerbation of cognitive impairment), angle-closure glaucoma (contra-indicated; risk of acute exacerbation of glaucoma), or chronic prostatism (risk of urinary retention) if two or more antimuscarinic drugs prescribed concomitantly (risk of increased antimuscarinic toxicity)
Contraindications
For all antimuscarinics (systemic) Angle-closure glaucoma; gastro-intestinal obstruction; intestinal atony; myasthenia gravis (but some antimuscarinics may be used to decrease muscarinic side-effects of anticholinesterases); paralytic ileus; pyloric stenosis; severe ulcerative colitis; significant bladder outflow obstruction; toxic megacolon; urinary retention Contra-indications For dicycloverine hydrochloride Child under 6 months (in children)
Side effects
For all antimuscarinics (systemic) Common or very common Constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; dyspepsia; flushing; headache; nausea; palpitations; skin reactions; tachycardia; urinary disorders; vision disorders; vomiting Rare or very rare Angioedema; confusion (more common in elderly) Side-effects For dicycloverine hydrochloride Frequency not known Appetite decreased; fatigue; thirst
Pregnancy
Not known to be harmful; manufacturer advises use only if essential.
Breast feeding
Avoid-present in milk; apnoea reported in infant.
Medicinal forms
Tablet,Solution
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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