# Questions on Bentyl/Dicyclomine



## metropolis (Feb 8, 2000)

Hi folks:I have been taking Bentyl (Dicyclomine) for 3 years now and I was wondering if anyone else on this board has experienced the same side effects as me. It makes me terribly drowsy and I notice that I have difficulty urinating at times. It's a bit frustrating, particuarly at work. Is there anyone out there who has switched from Bentyl to another drug and suffered fewer side effects? Thanks!


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## Sabrina (Mar 20, 2001)

I've been taking Bentyl for about a year & a half.I get the dry mouth and don't urinate as much as I think I should, I feel kinda dull after takign one also. I keep taking them tho cause they also act as a mini-tranquilizer for me. I just haven't gotten around to trying anything else - I'm scared it wouldn't work. Others have luck with Remeron. Good luck


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## DeeDee1 (Feb 29, 2000)

I currently take Bentyl and have taken Levsin in the past. I have the same effects you do taking Bentyl, however, these are mild for me compared to the side effects of Levsin. I got a terribly dry mouth and could go all day without going pee. As far as treating symptoms, however, I think Levsin did a better job at controlling spasms.


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## loon (Dec 10, 2001)

I used to take Bentyl without much success. I am now taking Donnatal and am having a much better time of it(3x daily - 1/2 hour before meals). I really don't have side effects from either but my doc has me take the Bentyl (20 mg.) in addition to the Donnatal when cramping is really bad (like yesterday) and I find that the combination does make me woozy. Didn't feel very comfortable driving home from work yesterday. However it did stop the pain from the cramping...loon


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## bobby5832708 (May 30, 2000)

I've been taking Bentyl for ab out 20 years now and find that it has the best combination of symptom relief and side-effects. I am also relatively sensitive to varying doses of Bentyl. My doctor gives me 20mg tablets and says to take 3 times a day. That high of a dosage would completely wipe me out and turn me into a zombie. If it's going to be one of those days I take 1/2 tablet first thing in the morning and another 1/2 at lunchtime if necessary with 20mg a day as the maximum. This stops my guts from spasming about 90% of the time and also acts as an anti-anxiety drug. The reason I like Bentyl is that it is not habit-forming and is relatively safe as it has been in use for many years. After all these years my body still reacts the same way to the same low dose. It hides many of the symptoms of IBS-- it doesn't cure them. I don't think there is a cure yet as we all wouldn't be here if there was one!!


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## RitaLucy (May 3, 2000)

met... I take it but not regularly. It does give me a dry mouth but it works for me to help calm down the spasms. Strangely enough it is one of the meds that I don't really have adverse reactions to. That is a plus for me as I tend to have adverse reactions to most meds.


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## JenS (Dec 18, 2000)

How much Bentyl do you take each day? I take the 10mg child's dose--instead of 20mg--due to the drowsiness.


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## loon (Dec 10, 2001)

If I'm not going to drive (...or operate any other heavy machinery...) I take the full 20mg. Otherwise I take 10mg (I have Rx for both). I only take it in addition to my daily dose of Donnatal (or is it Donnetel...I can never remember how to spell...)loon (nicknamed this for a reason...)


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## smason (Jan 7, 2002)

A GI doctor prescribed Bentyl for me. In order to avoid possible nausea, I took the Bentyl about 10 minutes before eating rather than 30 minutes before eating. I took it for a few days before meals and it seemed to help a little, but then I had a horrible spasming of the left lower colon. The spasming was less like the labor pain type cramping I normally get and more like horrible stabbing and twisting of the colon.I called the on call doctor and he said to stop taking it right away. So I haven't been taking it since.Does anyone here have experiences that would leave you to believe that I may have avoided this attack if I had taken the Bentyl 30 minutes before eating? Is it possible I was just too late?Thanks,Sarah


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## metropolis (Feb 8, 2000)

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I take the 20mg once or twice a day. I keep taking it becuase I'd rather be drowsy than in pain but it's a tough trade-off. I'm not on Donnatal - how is that different?


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## JenS (Dec 18, 2000)

Metro,That may be the problem (once or twice a day). You really need it with all three meals and again at bedtime???


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## Patty (Mar 18, 1999)

I couldn't stay on Bentyl; it made me too drowsy to function.


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## Stace (Sep 20, 2000)

Worked great on my painful spasms. No side effects for me.Stacey


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## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

Moved to the *Antispasmodics* forum.Use the *Hop To:* below to jump there.


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## Elayne1 (Dec 8, 2001)

I took bentyl on my own schedule (as little as possible) and no matter how much i took, it didnt work. i am now on levbid 2x a day and i am finding releif...but i still cary imodium with me and probably take one every other day (whenever i get that o no feeling.


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## paulgraf (May 14, 2002)

Dicyclomine was prescribed for my Spastic Colon Condition. Probably the worst thing I could have done. I wasn't eliminating properly and relaxing the Colon, which is what this did, was just the opposite of what I really needed.


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## DeDe (Apr 16, 2001)

Hello,I take 1 Dicyclomine and 1 Immodium every morning. So far until the "miracle drug" Lotronex comes back this regiment has helped. I am allowed to take up to 4 of each pill a day, but I have not had to. I have had IBS(D) for 12 years .


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## Debra M (Aug 13, 2001)

I take Bentyl too. My doc prescribed the 10mg, take 1-2 of them 3 or 4 times a day. But when I was working I could only take one during work or I'd be so drowsy. They also gave me Librax once after a visit to the Emergency Room...those wiped me OUT!!!!! So if I am in extreme pain, I take those...but they are habit forming. Now that I am not working, and having the IBS-D pains daily (ya think stress???) I have to take the Bentyl all day long. I am thinking they don't work so well anymore. I really don't know what else to take, these drugs were all new to me after my diagnosis last July. Oh, but I also take Luvox, which is an anti anxiety/OCD med...maybe the combo just isn't right for me.Debra


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## steffi (Jun 14, 2002)

hey it isnt just me then?i have been taking bentyl for just a week now and feel so sleepy about an hour or so after i take it.....apparently this is common?i have ibs/d (crohns) and have had a stressful past couple of months.....and will continue as i am moving starting grad school etc.....so it is safe to ask my doctor if i can stay on it through all this?i am just starting to eat again after 3 weeks of liquids/crackers/soup....and dont want an attack to start back up again as soon as i get off bentyl...because i know the stress will still be with me.......


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## carolauren (Mar 14, 2002)

Bentyl works much better than Levsin did for me. I felt really tired and got visual disturbances on Levsin, and it did nothing for my cramps. I take 10 mg ideally 1 hour before eating (my GI's direction) and it really helps tone down my reaction to food. It also helps if I'm having cramping at other times, but takes awhile. I get a little dry mouth and feel pleasantly relaxed, not spacy or drowsy. It doesn't affect being able to pee, at least at that dose. I haven't taken more than 10 mg, but sometimes take it every 3 hours on a bad day.


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## jlb (May 27, 2002)

Five years ago the only pill I took was a vitamin. Now I take hormones, thyroid, high blood pressure, allergy and antidepressant pills. I don't medicate well, probably because of my low weight. The 10mg of Dicyclomine 3x daily really did me in and I found myself falling asleep at work







and taking super-long naps on the weekend














. Real exciting for my spouse who loves adventurous weekends in beautiful NYS. However, reducing the Dicyclomine to one daily was not enough. I'm back on the 3x regime and discovered that the only time they don't work is when an stressful topic is introduced. It irritates me that I'm this sensitive.


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