Benztropine : Drug Information
What is Benztropine?
Benztropine is commonly available under the brand name called Cogentin. It belongs to the class of medication known as Anticholinergic. Doctors prescribe Benztropine to treat various types of movement disorders such as Parkinsonism and dystonia. It is also beneficial to reduce and prevent the symptoms caused due to drugs such as chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, etc. It works by reducing the effects of certain chemicals in the body that imbalanced due to disease (such as Parkinson’s), drug therapy, or other causes. Benztropine is available in the form of injections and oral tablets. One can avail of this medication only with a proper prescription from a doctor.
Important Information
- You must visit your doctor regularly and take a proper body checkup to avoid unwanted medicines effects.
- Please don’t stop taking Benztropine without consulting your doctor; otherwise, you may face unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
- Please avoid medicinal errors.
What to know before taking Benztropine?
You should avoid taking this medication if you are allergic to it or any of its components.
To ensure that Benztropine is safe for you, you should tell your doctor if you have or ever had the following medical issues:
- Glaucoma
- Mental illness
- Nerve-mental disorder
- Addicted to alcohol
- Bowel or bladder obstruction
- Urination problem
- Kidney disease
- Any other severe illnesses
Expecting women should not take this medication; it may harm their child. Lactating mothers should consult their doctor before using Benztropine. Doctors should not prescribe you Benztropine if you are below three years of age.
How to take Benztropine?
Take Benztropine precisely as prescribed by the doctor. You must follow all the instructions given on the prescription label and medication guide carefully. Please don’t take it more than recommended and try to be consistent throughout the treatment. Consult your doctor if you are not feeling any improvement in your condition.
Keep the medication out of children’s reach and store it at room temperature away from heat and moisture. After completion of treatment, ask your pharmacist regarding the disposal of leftover medicines.
Benztropine dosage
The dosage of Benztropine prescribed by the doctor is dependent on several factors, such as :
- The age and weight
- Symptoms
- The seriousness of the condition
- Another medical problem that the patient is having
- Other medications that the patient is using
- How the patient reacted to the first dose of the medication
The doctor may prescribe you the dosage of Benztropine according to the different medical conditions of the patient.
In the form of oral tablets
For Idiopathic Parkinsonism
- For adults (above 18 years of age)
An initial dose of 0.5 mg to 1 mg at night before sleeping; your doctor may change your dose as per your condition. However, the maximum quantity of medicines should not exceed 6 mg a day.
- For children (more than three years and less than 18 years of age)
The doctor must determine the dose of this age group after a full examination.
- For children (below three years of age)
Doctors should not recommend Benztropine for this age group.
For Parkinson like symptoms caused due to other medicines
- For adults (above 18 years of age)
An initial dose of 1 mg to 4 mg once or twice a day; your doctor may change your dose as per your condition. However, the maximum quantity of medicines should not exceed 6 mg a day.
- For children (more than three years and less than 18 years of age)
The doctor must determine the dose of this age group after a full examination.
- For children (below three years of age)
Doctors should not recommend Benztropine for this age group.
For Postencephalitic Parkinsonism
- For adults (above 18 years of age)
An initial dose of 0.5 mg to 2 mg at night before sleeping; your doctor may change your dose as per your condition.
- For children (more than three years and less than 18 years of age)
The doctor must determine the dose of this age group after a full examination.
- For children (below three years of age)
Doctors should not recommend Benztropine for this age group.
Overdose
If you ever feel uneasy after taking Benztropine or have taken the medication in excess, Do consult your doctor and seek medical help as soon as possible. You can get medical assistance by calling on the poison helpline number at 1-800-222-1222. It would be best if you don’t ignore these symptoms; they can be very dangerous.
- Headache
- Severe dizziness
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Trouble in swallowing
- Hot and dry skin
- Dilated pupils
- Weak pulse
- Irregular heartbeats
- Seizures
- Fainting
What to avoid while using Benztropine?
Avoid taking alcoholic drinks while you are on this medication. Taking Benztropine may impair your thinking and reaction; you should avoid getting involved in those activities that require attention and alertness. You should avoid getting overheated or dehydrated while exercising in hot weather; Benztropine may decrease sweating, and it can increase the risk of heatstroke. If you are taking ketoconazole, please take a gap of almost two hours before you take Benztropine.
Benztropine side effects
Some of the common side effects of using Benztropine are as follows:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Your eyes can be more sensitive to light.
It is obvious to experience mild side effect symptoms, but if these symptoms bother you so much and are unbearable, you should consult your doctor and ask for medical help. You can stop taking medication and tell your doctor if you face the following problems while taking Benztropine :
- Fast or pounding heartbeat
- Hallucination
- Confusion
- Trouble in swallowing or talking
- Severe dryness in the mouth
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Severe constipation
- Problem in urination
- Pain in eyes
- Blurred vision
- Tunnel vision
- Seeing a halo around the light
- Skin rashes
- Fever
- Severe dizziness
- Symptoms of dehydration such as urinating more than usual, thirstiness, etc
- Allergic reaction to the medicine
You should also report to your doctor from time to time if you experience any new symptoms or your symptoms are getting even worse.
What drugs can interact with Benztropine?
If your doctor is treating you with Benztropine, he must be knowing all the possible interactions with other medications. It will be best to tell your doctor about all the over the counter medicines you take or taken in the past few days. Some of the following medications which can interact with Benztropine are:
- Sleeping pills
- Narcotic pain medication
- Muscles relaxers
- Anti-depressants
- Anti-anxiety medication
- Medicines to treat seizures
- Potassium supplements
- Haloperidol
- Cold or allergy medications containing the drug called an antihistamine
- Medicines for Parkinson’s disease
- Medicines to treat stomach acid, stomach ulcers, motion sickness, irritable bowel syndrome
- Bladder or urinary medication
- A bronchodilator
- A phenothiazine such as chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, etc
- Herbal products
- Any other over the counter medicines
- Vitamins or other nutritional supplements