DRUG INTERACTIONS
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility
No long-term studies in animals have been performed to determine the carcinogenic, mutagenic or impairment of fertility potential of Levsin®; however, over 30 years of marketing experience shows no demonstrable evidence of a problem.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category C
Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Levsin®. It is also not known whether Levsin® can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Levsin® should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
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OVERDOSAGE
The signs and symptoms of overdose are headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, dilated pupils, hot dry skin, dizziness, dryness of the mouth, difficulty in swallowing, and CNS stimulation.
Measures to be taken are immediate lavage of the stomach and injection of physostigmine 0.5 to 2 mg intravenously and repeated as necessary up to a total of 5 mg. Fever may be treated symptomatically (tepid water sponge baths, hypothermic blanket). Excitement to a degree which demands attention may be managed with sodium thiopental 2% solution given slowly intravenously or chloral hydrate (100-200 mL of a 2% solution) by rectal infusion. In the event of progression of the curare-like effect to paralysis of the respiratory muscles, artificial respiration should be instituted and maintained until effective respiratory action returns.
In rats, the LD50 for hyoscyamine is 375 mg/kg. Levsin® is dialyzable.
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CONTRAINDICATIONS
Glaucoma; obstructive uropathy (for example, bladder neck obstruction due to prostatic hypertrophy); obstructive disease of the gastrointestinal tract (as in achalasia, pyloroduodenal stenosis); paralytic ileus, intestinal atony of elderly or debilitated patients; unstable cardiovascular status in acute hemorrhage; severe ulcerative colitis; toxic megacolon complicating ulcerative colitis; myasthenia gravis.
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