Dicyclomine
Description
Dicyclomine is used to treat intestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (a group of symptoms that affect your digestive system). This medicine works by relaxing the smooth muscles in your stomach and intestine relieving stomach spasms.
Dicyclomine has side effects like nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, sleepiness, etc. These side effects may subside by themselves. Consult your doctor if they bother you for a long time or worsen.
Dicyclomine can be taken with or without food in the dose and duration prescribed by your doctor. Take it regularly at the same time for the ease of remembering and for better results. Complete the treatment and do not discontinue as the symptoms may reappear.
Dicyclomine is not recommended for use if you are allergic to it. It is not approved for use in children younger than 18 years of age as the safety and efficacy data for its use are not available. Inform your doctor if you have kidney, liver, heart, eye, urinary, stomach, and muscle problems including all the medicines you use. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
QUICK LINKS:
Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Dicyclomine
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Nervousness
- Skin rash
- Sleepiness
Uses of Dicyclomine
What is it prescribed for?
- Irritable bowel syndrome
Read More
Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe effect of oral forms (tablet, capsule, syrup) of Dicyclomine can be observed within one to two hours of administration of the dose.
- Duration of effectThe effect of Dicyclomine lasts for an average duration of fewer than 4 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Avoid consuming alcohol during treatment with Dicyclomine may increase drowsiness.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendency has been reported for Dicyclomine.
- Usage in pregnancy?Dicyclomine is generally safe for use during pregnancy. However, it is better to consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?Dicyclomine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women due to the risk of side effects in breastfeeding infants. Hence, consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Allergy
Avoid taking Dicyclomine if you are allergic to it. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulty, etc.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Dicyclomine is generally safe for use during pregnancy. However, it is better to consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
Breast-feeding
Dicyclomine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women due to the risk of side effects in breastfeeding infants. Hence, consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
General warnings
Enlarged prostate
Enlarged prostate (the gland that secrets the fluid that nourishes the sperm) can lead to urinary retention. Use Dicyclomine with caution as it may cause difficulty in urination.
Liver/ Kidney disorder
Use Dicyclomine with caution if you have a liver/kidney problem as it may lead the normal dose of this medicine to build up in your body and cause side effects.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder caused due to pressure built up inside your eyes. This may lead to blindness. Use Dicyclomine with caution as this medicine increases pressure inside your eyes and worsens this condition.
Use in elderly
Use Dicyclomine with caution in the elderly since the risk of severe side effects is significantly high as the liver and kidney function reduces with age.
Use in children
Use of Dicyclomine is not recommended in children below 18 years of age as the safety and efficacy data for use is not available.
Driving or operating machines
Dicyclomine may cause drowsiness in some people. Avoid performing any activities that require high mental alertness like driving vehicles or operating machines if you experience any of these symptoms during treatment with this medicine.
Missed Dose
The missed dose of Dicyclomine can be taken as soon as you remember. However, the missed dose should be skipped if it is almost the time for the next dose.
Overdose
Never take more than the prescribed dose of Dicyclomine. Seek emergency medical treatment in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
N/A
Instructions
Avoid consuming alcohol during treatment with Dicyclomine may increase drowsiness.
Interaction with Medicine
Atenolol
Ipratropium
Potassium Chloride
Disease interactions
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is a condition of irregular heartbeat, either very fast or slow. Use Dicyclomine with caution if you have heart disorder due to an increase in the risk of irregular heartbeats.
Intestinal obstruction
Intestinal obstruction is a condition in which the food and liquid are blocked in the intestine. This may cause severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Avoid using Dicyclomine if you have this condition as it reduces the movement of the digestive tract (the organ responsible for movement and digestion of food) and worsens your condition.
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a condition that causes swelling and pain in the innermost lining of the large intestine (the tube-like structure that is part of processing the food in your body) and rectum. This causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and rectal bleeding.
Avoid using Dicyclomine as it slows down the movement of the digestive tract and causes a condition called toxic megacolon characterized by symptoms like stomach pain, fever, severe diarrhoea, bloating, etc.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Dicyclomine as advised by your doctor. Do not take larger quantities than prescribed.
Avoid performing any activities that require high mental alertness like driving vehicles or operating heavy machines while taking this medicine due to the risk of dizziness.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Dicyclomine works by blocking the action of a chemical substance in your body and relieves the symptoms like stomach and intestinal cramping.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Anticholinergics/antispasmodics, Functional bowel disorder agents
Schedule
Schedule H
DailyMed - Dicyclomine hydrochloride capsule - dicyclomine hydrochloride tablet [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 10 July 2017]. Available from:
Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database [Internet]. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 2017 [cited 10 July 2017]. Available from:
[Internet]. Toxnet.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 10 July 2017]. Available from:
Medlineplus.gov. 2021. MedlinePlus - Health Information from the National Library of Medicine. [online] Available at: [Accessed 21 October 2021].
Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Dicycloverine 10mg tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: [Accessed 21 October 2021].
Information on this page was last updated on 1 Feb 2023
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.