What is an anticholinergic drug used for?
Anticholinergic medications are a class of drug that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous system. They are used to treat a wide variety of conditions associated with activation of the parasympathetic nervous system.
What OTC drugs are anticholinergic?
Many older adults continue to use OTC drugs that have anticholinergic properties. Older antihistamines— such as diphenhydramine, brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, dimen- hydrinate, doxylamine, and meclizine, as well as the urinary tract antimuscarinic agent oxybutynin—are strongly anticholinergic.
What is an example of an anticholinergic effect?
Anticholinergic Side Effects Absence of sweating. Increased body temperature. Light sensitivity due to slowed pupil dilation. Blurred vision or double vision.
What side effects are produced by anticholinergic drugs?
While the classic anticholinergic problems of decreased secretions, slowed gastrointestinal motility, blurred vision, increased heart rate, heat intolerance, sedation and possibly mild confusion, may be uncomfortable for a younger patient in relatively good health, these effects can be disastrous for older patients.
What are anticholinergic antidepressants?
A. Anticholinergic drugs work by blocking the effects of acetylcholine, a substance that transmits messages in the nervous system. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. In the rest of the body, it stimulates muscle contractions.
Is Benadryl a cholinergic?
Like other first-generation (older) antihistamines, Benadryl can make you very sleepy. For that reason, it is also used as a sleep aid. Additionally, Benadryl is classified as an anticholinergic.
Is Xanax an anticholinergic?
Vistaril (hydroxyzine pamoate) and Xanax (alprazolam) are used to treat anxiety. These drugs are in different classes. Vistaril is an antihistamine with anticholinergic (drying) and sedative properties. Xanax is a benzodiazepine.
Is amantadine an anticholinergic?
Amantadine is a weak, non-competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor, which increases dopamine release and prevents dopamine reuptake. Although amantadine does not have anticholinergic activity, there may be anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth, urinary retention, and constipation clinically.
What are some examples of anticholinergic drugs?
Examples of these drugs include:
- atropine (Atropen)
- belladonna alkaloids.
- benztropine mesylate (Cogentin)
- clidinium.
- cyclopentolate (Cyclogyl)
- darifenacin (Enablex)
- dicylomine.
- fesoterodine (Toviaz)
What is the difference between cholinergic and anticholinergic drugs?
Cholinergic drugs stimulate the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system by activating receptors for acetylcholine. Anticholinergic drugs inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system by blocking the action of acetylcholine so that it cannot bind to receptors that initiate the parasympathetic response.
Which antipsychotic is most anticholinergic?
Clozapine is considered to be a highly anticholinergic agent, while risperidone is considered to have minimal anticholinergic effects. Twenty-two inpatients (15 taking clozapine and 7 taking risperidone) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia participated in the study.