Anticholinergic Side-effects (Bentyl)
#176700 - 05/04/05 09:33 PM
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I went to the GI yesterday, she prescribed Bentyl, 10 mgs, 4 times a day (after each meal, and bedtime). I looked it up, and was surprised to see that it is an anticholinergic. I previously took Artane (trihexylphenidyl)--a related anticholinergic--for almost a year for an entirely different condition (pre-IBS). I looked up on the board different people's experiences with Bentyl and found that the side effects mentioned here (and on drug databases) were almost identical to the ones I experienced with Artane.
Artane was a really scary drug for me, I experienced some of the "typical" side effects (Artane is an old-school type drug), like dry mouth, blurred vision, drowziness, etc. But, I also experiences some crazy drug reactions. My eyes changed chemically somehow, so that they were dissolving soft contact lenses, and horizontal lines (like the floor, wall, etc.) appeared quite wavy. It took months for this to go away, even after discontinuing the drug. Also, a side-effect that was no mentioned for either drug, but the whole time I was takening Artane I felt very "subdued". Like I was dying, or wanted to die, or expected to die. Not suicidal, more the idea being ninety years old and just closing your eyes, "giving up", and dying. But I'm *way* too young for that to make *any* sense. The scary thing was that I didn't realize it until after I stopped taking it, and realized that there was actual emotion in life.
I guess I'm hesitant to try the Bentyl, if it is likely that much (or any) of that could happen again. I mean, yes, I'm sick and tired of spending hours in the morning dashing back to the potty, but hey--at least I am frustrated by it, and care about my life. Somehow, that seems better than being too drugged to "feel". But, I don't want to write off something that could help, if the drugs are not too closely related.
Has anyone taken other anticholinergics (Cogentin, Detrol (the one with the "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now" commercials  ), Di-Spaz, Anaspaz, Antispas, Pamine, etc.) and also Benyl? Were your reactions similar? Or, has anyone tried multiple drugs in the same drug family (even a different drug family) and had terrible side effects with one, and not with another? Does anyone know how long Bentyl has been on the market?
Also...has anyone taken Bentyl and experienced that deadness associated with it? Or even during that time in your life, even if you didn't think it was related to the medication?
Thanks so much....
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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Well, I've taken Bentyl, Levsin, Donnatol and Librax before, but they are pretty much all the same with the exception that the Donnatol and Librax also have a mild sedative. I'm not at all familiar with the other drugs you mentioned.
I work for an eye doctor though and I am concerend about the waviness you describe in your vision. That is a sign that your cornea is being damaged and could lead to serious, permanant vision problems. I've personally never heard of Bently causing that. It does cause blurred vision because it relaxes the muscle of the eye but that is different from the waviness you describe. I would moniter yourself very carefully and if you start to notice that again, stop it right away.
I've never noticed the lack of emotion thing before either from Bentyl but like I mentioned, I'm not exactly sure how the Bentyl is different from that other drug you were on. Hopefully someone else will be able to answer better!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I went to my eye doctor about it at the time, and he seemed concerned also. Actually, he wrote down the name of the drug, so that neither he nor his family would ever take it! He didn't mention the cornea damage, just that it was certainly not a good thing. Gosh, that's scary.  Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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Hi! I'm currently on Bentyl (and have been taking it for 8 months now) I was previously on it years and years ago and for me it stopped working. I had a bad bout of IBS 8mths ago and started taking the Bentyl again and have finally noticed that it's working. It did take a few months for me to notice any change but I can safely say for about 2 consecutive months now, I have not had any attacks(with the exception of having the norm around my period).
As for the side effects....When I first started taking it the first 5 days or so my mouth was VERY dry. That went away. Every once in a while I notice that my mouth is dry but it's not bothersome by any means. I do notice I get "floater" type of things in my eyes sometimes that pass. That too is not bothersome either. I also am on a .10mg dose that I take twice a day. For me that works. I take one in the morning before I eat breakfast and then again at lunch before I eat. I seem to not need one for dinner . Who knows why>!>!> If I notice that I'm having an extra bad day, I might take one before dinner. Or sometimes if I know I'm going out to eat I'll pop one. I kinda learned when I should take them myself and take them as needed.
Funny you say that about the eye doctor though cause I seem to recall at my last eye appt (which was 2 years ago) that he said Bentyl/Donnatal and others do effect your eyes in some way. I can't remember what he said but I do remember him going into a long schpeal about IBS and medications and it effecting the eyes. Mine were ok though according to him. Now I go to the eye doc again next week so I'm gonna pay more attention this time   ..
I would recommend the Bentyl as for me it had the least amt of side affects.I've tried Levsin and it gave me heart palpitations & Donnatal made me "out there". Never have I experienced the weird "deadness" that you described. Give it a try and see how it is but with me it took a few months for it to kick in so give it some time.
Lots of luck!
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~~~Lisa~~~
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I'm probably not very representative, but I had an allergic reaction to bentyl, not a normal one though, my arms would shake uncontrollably. A doc at student health (I'm a college student) prescribed it, and when I went back two days later because I was shaking, he sent me to the ER to get a shot of Benadryl. They had to take my blood pressure on my leg because I was shaking so bad. I've also tried to take Pamine, but I got nasty bloody noses and it didn't help, so I stopped taking it.
I hope you find a med that works for you!
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Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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