Scopolamine (hyoscine) may be associated with a withdrawal syndrome if chronic therapy is suddenly stopped.
Example: prolonged use of scopolamine patches to avoid motion sickness
Clinical findings during withdrawal:
(1) nausea
(2) dizziness or disturbances with equilibrium
(3) headache
Re-exposure to scopolamine usually reduces the severity of these symptoms.
The mechanism appears to be an increase in muscarinic receptors, resulting in heightened sensitivity to endogenous acetylcholine.
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Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
