The information on this site is intended to supplement and enhance, not replace, the advice of a physician who is familiar with your medical history. Decisions about your health should always be made ONLY after detailed conversation with your doctor.
Limited Use
[what does this mean?]
Generic drug name:
bethanechol
(be THAN e kole)
Brand name(s):
URECHOLINE
GENERIC:
available
FAMILY:
Cholinergics
Find the drug label by
searching at DailyMed.
Pregnancy and Breast-feeding Warnings [top]
Pregnancy Warning
No data are available for bethanechol from either animal or human studies. Use during pregnancy only for clear medical reasons. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant before you take this drug.
Breast-feeding Warning
No information is available from either human or animal studies. Since it is likely that this drug, like many others, is excreted in human milk, you should consult with your doctor if you are planning to nurse.
Facts About This Drug [top]
Under certain circumstances (e.g., after spinal cord injury, surgery, or childbirth), urine accumulates in the bladder, which cannot be emptied. This is a potentially serious condition, because in addition to the obvious discomfort, the bladder can even rupture in rare cases. Bethanechol helps stimulate the emptying of the bladder by causing the bladder to contract. The contraction of the bladder is stimulated by a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, and bethanechol performs the same...
Under certain circumstances (e.g., after spinal cord injury, surgery, or childbirth), urine accumulates in the bladder, which cannot be emptied. This is a potentially serious condition, because in addition to the obvious discomfort, the bladder can even rupture in rare cases. Bethanechol helps stimulate the emptying of the bladder by causing the bladder to contract. The contraction of the bladder is stimulated by a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, and bethanechol performs the same function as acetylcholine; for this reason it is known as a cholinergic drug. However, its use has generally been replaced by more effective agents.[1]
Although some doctors use the drug to prevent the backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus (reflux esophagitis), evidence to support this use is very limited[2] and the FDA has not approved the drug for this purpose. Information on this condition, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and its treatment are discussed in the section titled Ulcers and Gastroesopageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
The drug should not be used if the bladder or gastrointestinal wall may be weak, as the increased contractions may lead to rupture. Such conditions include mechanical obstruction, surgery, and inflammation.
Importantly, there are a number of drugs that can cause blocked urination. A list of these drugs can be found here.
Before You Use This Drug [top]
Tell your doctor if you have or have had:
Tell your doctor about any other drugs you take, including aspirin, herbs, vitamins, and other nonprescription products.
When You Use This Drug [top]
How to Use This Drug [top]
Interactions with Other Drugs [top]
Evaluations of Drug Interactions 2003 lists no drugs, biologics (e.g., vaccines, therapeutic antibodies), or foods as causing “highly clinically significant” or “clinically significant” interactions when used together with the drugs in this section. We also found no interactions in the drugs’ FDA-approved professional package inserts. However, as the number of new drugs approved for marketing increases and as more experience is gained with these drugs over time, new interactions may be discovered.
Adverse Effects [top]
Call your doctor immediately if you experience:
Call your doctor if these symptoms continue:
last reviewed October 31, 2023
Worst Pills, Best Pills is a project of Public Citizen's Health Research Group Group. As an independent, nonprofit organization, we take no corporate or government contributions and accept no advertising. Copyright © 2024 Public Citizen's Health Research Group. All rights reserved.
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