Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide)

Buscopan is suitable for most adults and children aged 6 years or over, but always check before taking it.

Buscopan is not suitable for some people. For example, check with your doctor if you have an enlarged bowel or an overactive thyroid.

Buscopan comes as tablets that you take 3 or 4 times a day. Follow the instructions that come with your medicine.

Common side effects of Buscopan include a dry mouth, constipation and blurred vision. More serious side effects can happen in rare cases.

Buscopan is not usually recommended during pregnancy. Always check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

It can cause problems to take Buscopan with some other medicines, such as some motion sickness medicines, asthma inhalers or antihistamines.

Most adults can take Buscopan. Most children aged 6 years or over can take it but some brands are only suitable for older children.

Only take Buscopan IBS Relief tablets if your doctor has said that you have irritable bowel syndrome.

Do not give Buscopan Cramps tablets to children aged 5 years or under.

Do not give Buscopan IBS Relief tablets to children aged 11 years or under.

Buscopan is not suitable for some people.

To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take it if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to Buscopan or any other medicine
• have a rare type of glaucoma called acute angle closure glaucoma – Buscopan can increase the pressure in the eye and make your glaucoma worse
• have a very enlarged bowel
• have myasthenia gravis – a condition where the muscles become weak and tire easily
• have a condition where your bowel is blocked and does not work properly, such as paralytic ileus
• are 40 years old or over
• are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding
• have recently passed blood in your poo
• are feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
• have lost your appetite or lost weight
• are feeling tired and looking paler than usual
• have unusual vaginal bleeding or vaginal discharge
• think you may have food poisoning – especially if you have recently travelled abroad
• have a very fast heart rate or any other heart problems
• have difficulty or pain when peeing – for example, if you have an enlarged prostate
• have an overactive thyroid
• have a high temperature
• have digestive problems such as heartburn and acid reflux, severe constipation or ulcerative colitis

Each Buscopan tablet contains 10mg of hyoscine butylbromide. Buscopan tablets are all the same strength whether you get them on prescription or whether you buy them as Buscopan Cramps or Buscopan IBS Relief.

The usual dose for stomach cramps (or cramping pain) in adults and children aged 12 years or over is 1 tablet, taken 3 times a day increased to 2 tablets, taken 4 times a day if needed.

For children aged 6 to 11 years, the usual dose for stomach cramps (or cramping pain) is 1 tablet, taken 3 times a day.

The usual dose for symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) diagnosed by a doctor in adults and children aged 12 years or over is 1 tablet, taken 3 times a day. You can increase this to 2 tablets, taken 4 times a day if needed.

How to take it

Take Buscopan tablets when you have stomach cramps or period pain.

Buscopan does not usually upset your stomach, so you can take it with or without food.

Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water. Do not break, crush or chew it.

These common side effects of Buscopan happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Chew sugar-free gum or suck sugar-free sweets.

Some people with IBS find that chewing gum or sugar-free sweets make their IBS worse. If this happens, do not use gum or sweets. You may find cold unsweetened drinks or sucking on ice lollies or ice-cubes helps your dry mouth.

Get more fibre into your diet, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals, and drink plenty of water. Try to exercise more regularly, for example, by going for a daily walk or run.

Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery until you can see clearly again. Do not take your next dose of Buscopan if your vision is still blurry.

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist if your vision does not return to normal.

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Buscopan is not thought to be harmful in pregnancy. However, because there's only a small amount of information on its use, it's not often recommended.

If you think you need to take Buscopan in pregnancy, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They'll help you decide, or may recommend other medicines for you.

You can take Buscopan while breastfeeding if you need to, but other medicines might be better. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist and they'll help you to decide.

It's not known how much Buscopan gets into breast milk, but it's likely to be low levels, and your baby will not be able to absorb a lot of it into their body from the milk. Your baby is unlikely to get side effects. However, it's better to only take Buscopan occasionally, or for a short time.

It's important to keep monitoring your baby if you're taking any medicine while breastfeeding.

Contact your healthcare professional or call 111 as soon as possible if you notice that your baby is:

• unusually sleepy
• not feeding as well as usual, or not waking to feed
• not putting on weight as you would expect
• being unusually irritable
• constipated, or peeing less

If your baby has any symptoms that are not listed, or if you're worried about them, you can also call 111 or contact any healthcare professional.

Keep breastfeeding as usual until you've got advice about your baby's symptoms.

Some medicines and Buscopan can interact with each other and increase the chances of you having side effects.

Do not take Buscopan at the same time as some motion sickness medicines, such as domperidone or metoclopramide.

This is because they can stop each other from working. Metoclopramide and domperidone increase the movement of the gut, whereas Buscopan reduces it.

Some medicines increase the risk of side effects if you take them at the same time as Buscopan, including:

• medicines for allergies, such as antihistamines
• some medicines for depression, such as amitriptyline
• some medicines for mental health problems like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, such as clozapine or chlorpromazine
• amantadine, a medicine for Parkinson's disease
• quinidine or disopyramide (heart medicines)
• some inhaled asthma medicines, including salbutamol, ipratropium and tiotropium

Do not take Buscopan together with other irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remedies, as they work in the same way. You're unlikely to get extra relief for your symptoms, and it may cause more side effects. Take only 1 IBS remedy, unless your doctor tells you to take more than 1.