Brand names for hyoscyamine include Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, Donnamar, and Neoquess. It is used to provide
symptomatic relief to various gastrointestinal disorders including spasms,
peptic ulcers,
IBS,
pancreatitis,
colic and
cystitis.
It has also been used to relieve some heart problems and control some of
the symptoms of
Parkinson's disease. It is
anticholinergic, working by inhibting the action of
acetylcholine in smooth and cardiac muscle, the sinoatrial and
atrioventricular nodes and the exocrine glands.
Side effects include eye pain, blurred vision, restlessness, dizziness,
arrythmia, flushing, faintness. An overdose will cause headache, nausea,
vomiting and CNS symptoms including disorientation, hallucinations,
euphoria, inappropriate affect, short-term memory loss and coma.
It can be extracted from plants of the
Solanaceae family, notably
Datura stramonium. Empirically it is C17H23NO3.
Its structural name is α-(hydroxymethyl)-,
8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl ester,
[3(S)-endo]-1αH,5αH-Tropan-3α-ol. It is also known as benzeneacetic acid.