Active ingredient: Methantheline - Brands, Medical Use, Clinical Data

Brands, Medical Use, Clinical Data

Drug Category

• Anticholinergic Agents
• Antispasmodics

Dosage Forms

• Tablet (50 mg)

Brands / Synonyms

Asabaine; Avagal; Banthin; Banthine; Banthine Bromide; Dixamone Bromide; Doladene; Frenogastrico; Gastrin I; Gastrin-1 Human; Gastron; Gastrosedan; Mantheline; Metantyl; Metaxan; Methanide; Methantheline Bromide; Methanthelinium; Methanthelinium Bromide; Methanthelinum; Methanthine Bromide; Methelina; MTB 51; Resobantin; Ulcine; Ulcudexter; Vagamin; Vagantin; Xanteline

Indications

For the treatment of peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, gastritis, biliary dyskinesia, pylorosplasm, and reflex neurogenic bladder in children.

Pharmacology

Methantheline is a synthetic quarternary ammonium antimuscarinic used to relieve cramps or spasms of the stomach, intestines, and bladder. It can be used together with antacids or other medicines, such as H2-receptor antagonists, in the treatment of peptic ulcer. Methantheline inhibits muscarinic actions at postganglionic parasympathetic neuroeffector sites.

Mechanism of Action

Methantheline inhibits the muscarinic actions of acetylcholine on structures innervated by postganglionic cholinergic nerves as well as on smooth muscles that respond to acetylcholine but lack cholinergic innervation. These postganglionic receptor sites are present in the autonomic effector cells of the smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes, and exocrine glands. Depending on the dose, anticholinergics may reduce the motility and secretory activity of the gastrointestinal system, and the tone of the ureter and urinary bladder and may have a slight relaxant action on the bile ducts and gallbladder.

Absorption

Rapidly absorbed.

Toxicity

Symptoms of overdose: blurred vision (continuing) or changes in near vision, clumsiness or unsteadiness, confusion, convulsions, difficulty in breathing, muscle weakness (severe), or tiredness (severe), dizziness, drowsiness (severe), dryness of mouth, nose, or throat (severe), fast heartbeat, fever, hallucinations, slurred speech, unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability, unusual warmth, dryness, and flushing of skin.

Biotrnasformation / Drug Metabolism

Hepatic, by enzymatic hydrolysis.

Contraindications

Contraindicated in the following: hypersensitivity to anticholinergics, narrow-angle glaucoma, GI obstruction, myasthenia gravis, paralytic ileus, GI atony, and toxic megacolon.

Drug Interactions

This drug may interact with the following: antacids, diarrhea medicine containing kaolin or attapulgite, ketoconazole (using these medicines with an anticholinergic may lessen the effects of the anticholinergic), central nervous system (CNS) depressants (taking scopolamine with CNS depressants may increase the effects of either medicine), other anticholinergics (medicine for abdominal or stomach spasms or cramps), tricyclic antidepressants (taking anticholinergics with tricyclic antidepressants or other anticholinergics may cause an increase in the effects of the anticholinergic), and potassium chloride (using this medicine with an anticholinergic may make gastrointestinal problems caused by potassium worse).