Hyoscyamine side effects?

[Cat-a-Tonic]

As most of you know, I'm undiagnosed. When I last saw my GI, about 2 weeks ago, I told him I've been bloated and have been experiencing prickly abdominal pains. He thought that Hyoscyamine would help and prescribed me a month's supply. I don't remember the dosage but I was to take it twice a day. Apparently it works better for IBS but since I'm undiagnosed my GI felt it was worth trying.

So I was on it for two weeks. About one week ago, I started experiencing horrible nausea, lots of d, and vomiting. I normally experience some nausea, but this nausea was different - it didn't respond to Zofran, and usually Zofran works well for me. And I very rarely vomit, so that's not the norm either. I was ill Wed & Thurs, then started to feel better Fri & Sat and eased back into eating, and then Sun thru now I've felt pretty ill again. Near constant nausea, d, abdo pain. Again, the nausea isn't responding to Zofran. The nausea is worst shortly after I eat. I can drink liquids just fine without pain (that kind of makes me wonder if I have a stricture or partial blockage going on - I didn't have d today, but I did have "skinny poo").

Has anyone else experience anything like this from Hyoscyamine? I stopped taking it a day ago but I'm still feeling crappy. I'm waiting on a call back from my GI but sometimes he takes a little while to get back to me, so I thought I'd ask you guys while I'm waiting. And I guess I should also ask, what does a stricture or partial blockage feel like? Do my symptoms sound like that to you guys?

 

[Mountaingem]

:hanglease go to doctor, don't call and wait for him to get around to eeing you. I've taken Hycosamine for 17 years and NEVER had this...I've never had a stricture but I have had a blockage, please don't freak out but it sounds very similar to what I experienced. I've also gone to the hospital with these symptoms from a serious bowel infection as well.

Anytime you have symptoms way out of your "normal" range, I would go to the doctor.
I would take a trip to the ER. There they can do a CAT scan, abdominal ultrasound and see what's going on, plus usually they have GI on call.

Cat, I hope you get answers soon-keep us posted!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Thanks Jeannette. Haven't heard back from my GI yet (I called him at 8 AM and it's nearly 3 PM now - guess he doesn't think this is an urgent matter!). I also posted about this in the undiagnosed club, and someone there responded that nausea, vomiting, diarrhea are all possible side effects of Hyoscyamine. So for now I will stay off the Hyoscyamine and see if I improve. I did have half a tuna sandwich for lunch and am not nauseous yet, so I think that's a good sign. Haven't had d today either. I'll closely monitor my symptoms and will of course go to the ER if anything changes or worsens.

BTW, here's the link I was given in the other thread, in case anyone else is curious:
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/hyoscyamine-side-effects.html

It's funny, just the other day I was thinking that my pupils looked oddly too large - now I see that enlarged pupils are another possible side effect! Sheesh, this stupid drug has given me more side effects than pred did, no joke!

 

[xJillx]

I have been taking Hyoscyamine for several months now and it has only helped with my symptoms. I thought my GI was full of it when she thought I had IBS on top of Crohn's, but perhaps she was onto something.

Even though I have no issue with it, that of course doesn't mean you wouldn't. So, if you think these new/intensified symptoms of due to the Hyoscyamine, then take a break for a day or two. But if you don't see an improvement, you should get checked out to rule out other potential causes. Keep us posted!

 

[Mountaingem]

Thanks Cat I had no idea. Sorry you're learning the hard way!:worthy:

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

An update: I *still* haven't been able to get ahold of my GI (long story!) but I am now positive that it was side effects from the Hyoscyamine that made me so ill. I have been off of it since Monday, and I'm almost back to normal. The nausea is mostly gone, I can eat again, my pupils are back to normal, no more diarrhea or cramps, and I haven't vomited again.

 

[Mountaingem]

Good Lord Cat!!! Upgrade that doctor Sweetie-glad you're better

 

[Crohn's Mom]

Glad you're feeling better Cat and you figured it out on your own..but, Jeannette is right...time to upgrade that GI! Enough is enough!

 

[Dexky]

Hey Cat, are the bloat and abdo pains gone too?

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Mark, the bloat and abdo pains were what I was originally put on Hyoscyamine for, and I haven't noticed any improvement there. In fact for a little while the bloat was wayyy worse, I had horrible gas pains a couple days after I started taking the Hyo and I could only relieve the pain by lying face-down on the floor with a pillow under my tummy. I'm back to my usual level of bloat and pain now. But I can deal with that, I'm mostly just glad to be rid of all those nasty side effects!

As for my GI, yeah, I'm not happy with his lack of attention to me. I've been planning on seeing my primary care doc in a little while anyway, so I'm going to ask him for a referral to a new GI. In the meantime I'm going to do a bit of research and see if I can find a good IBD specialist GI.