Buscopan - Medicine To Treat Stomach Cramps and IBS - NHS
Buscopan - Medicine To Treat Stomach Cramps and IBS - NHS
Buscopan - Medicine To Treat Stomach Cramps and IBS - NHS
(Link: www.nhs.uk/)
1. About Buscopan
Buscopan relieves painful stomach cramps (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stomach-ache/),
including those linked with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Link:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/).
It can also help bladder cramps and period pain (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/period-pain/).
Buscopan comes as tablets available on prescription. You can also buy it from pharmacies.
It can also be given by injection, but this is usually only done in hospital.
2. Key facts
Buscopan relieves the pain of stomach cramps by helping your gut to relax.
The medicine works very quickly. Painful cramps should ease within 15 minutes.
It's unusual to have any side effects, but some people get a dry mouth, constipation and
blurred vision.
Buscopan comes on prescription and as 2 different products (Buscopan IBS Relief and
Buscopan Cramps) that you can buy from a pharmacy or shop.
If you're self-treating with Buscopan, do not take it for longer than 2 weeks without
checking with a doctor.
Important
Do not give Buscopan Cramps tablets to children under the age of 6 years.
Do not give Buscopan IBS Relief tablets to children under the age of 12 years.
There are some extra safety checks to think about if you have bought Buscopan Cramps and
Buscopan IBS relief from a pharmacy without a prescription.
For safety, talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking Buscopan Cramps and Buscopan
IBS if you:
think you may have food poisoning (especially if you have recently travelled abroad)
Only take Buscopan IBS relief tablets if your doctor has said that you have irritable bowel
syndrome.
Buscopan also comes as 2 different products that you can buy from a pharmacy or shop:
Buscopan tablets are all the same strength (10mg) whether you get them on prescription or
whether you buy them as Buscopan Cramps or Buscopan IBS Relief.
Dosage
The usual dose of Buscopan for stomach cramps (or cramping pain) in adults and children
aged 12 years and over is 2 tablets taken 4 times a day.
For children aged 6 to 11 years, the usual dose is 1 tablet taken 3 times a day.
The usual dose of Buscopan for symptoms of IBS diagnosed by a doctor in adults and children
aged 12 years and over is 1 tablet taken 3 times a day.
When to take it
Take Buscopan tablets as and when you have stomach cramps or period pain.
Buscopan does not usually upset your stomach, so you can take it with or without food.
Only take Buscopan IBS Relief if a doctor has confirmed that you have IBS.
Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten
one.
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.
You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways that are suitable for you and
your medicines.
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Speak to your pharmacist or doctor if you're worried, or if you have taken more than 1 extra
dose.
5. Side effects
Like all medicines, Buscopan can cause side effects in some people, but most people have no
side effects or only minor ones.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or do not go away:
dry mouth
constipation
blurred vision
fast heart rate
get a painful red eye with loss of vision (this could be caused by an increase in pressure in
your eye)
find it hard to pee
you get a skin rash that may include itchy, red, swollen, blistered or peeling skin
you're wheezing
you get tightness in the chest or throat
you have trouble breathing or talking
your mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat start swelling
You could be having a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment
in hospital.
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These are not all the side effects of Buscopan. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your
medicine packet.
You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.
Tiny amounts of Buscopan may get into breast milk, but it's not known if it harms your baby.
There's a small risk that Buscopan may reduce your milk production.
For more information about how Buscopan can affect you and your baby during pregnancy,
read this leaflet on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPs) website (Link:
http://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Hyoscine/).
Some medicines and Buscopan can interfere with each other and increase the chances of you
having side effects.
Do not take Buscopan at the same time as some travel sickness (Link:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/motion-sickness/) medicines, such as domperidone (Link:
www.nhs.uk/medicines/domperidone/) and metoclopramide (Link:
www.nhs.uk/medicines/metoclopramide/).
This is because they can cancel each other out and 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:
It's usually best not to take Buscopan together with other 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 advises otherwise.
Medicine safety
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal
medicines, vitamins or supplements.
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Buscopan relieves stomach cramps and period pains by helping your digestive system
and bladder relax.
It does this by reducing the wave-like contractions of the muscle in the walls of the
stomach, bowel and bladder.
Buscopan helps to treat stomach cramps and period pains, but does not cure them.
Buscopan tablets start to work within 15 minutes. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if
your symptoms do not improve within 2 weeks.
Do not take Buscopan for longer than 2 weeks. Talk to your doctor if your symptoms
change, get worse or have not improved in the meantime.
Your doctor will want to rule out an illness that may be causing your symptoms.
If it's on the advice of your doctor, you can take Buscopan for longer.
Buscopan is safe to take for a long time (more than 3 months) as long as you take the
recommended dose and you're not having any side effects.
The tablets in each contain the same active ingredient (hyoscine butylbromide) and in
the same strength (10mg).
Usually it's best not to take Buscopan at the same time as other IBS remedies – just take
one or the other.
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Yes, you can take Buscopan at the same time as everyday painkillers like paracetamol
(Link: www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/) and ibuprofen (Link:
www.nhs.uk/medicines/ibuprofen-for-adults/).
There are other IBS remedies, including peppermint oil (Colpermin) and mebeverine
(Colofac).
Peppermint oil and mebeverine are also antispasmodic remedies. They work in a similar
way to Buscopan to relax stomach muscles and ease painful cramps.
Both peppermint oil and mebeverine are available to buy from high street pharmacies.
Mebeverine is also available on prescription.
There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking Buscopan will reduce fertility in either
men or women.
But if you're trying to get pregnant, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking
it. They may want to review your treatment.
Buscopan does not affect any type of contraception, including the contraceptive pill
(Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill/) or
emergency contraception (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/emergency-
contraception/).
Buscopan can give you blurred vision or make you dizzy. If this happens to you, do not
drive, cycle or use machinery or tools until it's worn off.
But try to keep to the recommended guidelines of no more than 14 units of alcohol a
week.
A standard glass of wine (175ml) is 2 units. A pint of lager or beer is usually 2 to 3 units
of alcohol.
There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to prevent or ease painful
stomach cramps and IBS.
It can really help to understand which, if any, foods trigger your cramps and then
reduce or remove them from your diet.
It can also help to control your stress levels – for example, by doing breathing exercises
or trying a relaxation therapy such as yoga, Pilates or meditation.
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Aim to exercise 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Regular activity is good for your
digestive system.
Related conditions
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-
syndrome-ibs/)
Period pain (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/period-pain/)
Stomach ache (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stomach-ache/)
Useful resources
HealthUnlocked: Buscopan forum (Link: https://healthunlocked.com/buscopan)
British Dietetic Association: IBS and diet (Link:
https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/IBSfoodfacts.pdf)
Guts UK: charity (Link: https://gutscharity.org.uk/)
IBS Network: charity (Link: https://www.theibsnetwork.org/)
Pain Concern: charity (Link: http://painconcern.org.uk/)
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