Atropine Side Effects
Brand Names: Atreza, AtroPen
Please note - some side effects for Atropine may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA.
Side Effects of Atropine - for the Consumer
Atropine/Difenoxin
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine/Difenoxin:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine/Difenoxin:Blurred vision; constipation; decreased sweating; difficulty sleeping; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth, nose, or skin; headache; loss of appetite; loss of taste; nausea; nervousness.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal bloating or swelling; agitation; changes in heartbeat; confusion; continued or severe diarrhea; delirium; difficulty focusing your eyes; difficulty urinating; exaggerated sense of well-being; excitement; fast/irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations; numbness of the hands or feet; severely enlarged pupils; severe or prolonged restlessness; speech disturbance; unusual weakness; vomiting.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine/Diphenoxylate
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine/Diphenoxylate:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine/Diphenoxylate:Blurred vision; constipation; decreased sweating; difficulty sleeping; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth, nose, or skin; headache; loss of appetite; loss of taste; nausea; nervousness.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal bloating or swelling; agitation; changes in heartbeat; confusion; continued or severe diarrhea; delirium; difficulty focusing your eyes; difficulty urinating; exaggerated sense of well-being; excitement; fast/irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations; numbness of the hands or feet; severely enlarged pupils; severe or prolonged restlessness; speech disturbance; unusual weakness; vomiting.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine:Blurred vision; constipation; decreased salivation; decreased sweating; difficulty sleeping; difficulty swallowing; dilation of the pupils; dizziness; drowsiness; excitement; fever; headache; hot, flushed, dry skin; loss of taste; mild to severe dryness of the nose and mouth; nausea; nervousness; thirst.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); changes in heartbeat; confusion; delirium; diarrhea; difficulty focusing your eyes; difficulty urinating; fast/irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; rash; restlessness with weakness; speech disturbance; unusual weakness; vomiting.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine/Benzoic Acid/Hyoscyamine/Methenamine/Methylene Blue/Phenyl Salicylate
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine/Benzoic Acid/Hyoscyamine/Methenamine/Methylene Blue/Phenyl Salicylate:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine/Benzoic Acid/Hyoscyamine/Methenamine/Methylene Blue/Phenyl Salicylate:Dry mouth; flushing; nausea; vomiting.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision; difficulty urinating; dizziness; fast or irregular heartbeat.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine/Benzoic Acid/Hyoscyamine/Methenamine/Methylene Blue/Phenyl Salicylate Delayed-Release Tablets
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine/Benzoic Acid/Hyoscyamine/Methenamine/Methylene Blue/Phenyl Salicylate Delayed-Release Tablets:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine/Benzoic Acid/Hyoscyamine/Methenamine/Methylene Blue/Phenyl Salicylate Delayed-Release Tablets:Dry mouth; flushing; nausea; vomiting.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision; difficulty urinating; dizziness; fast or irregular heartbeat.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine Drops
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine Drops:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine Drops:Blurred vision; eye itching, burning, or stinging; irritation at the application site.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); difficulty urinating; dry mouth; eye pain; fever; flushing or dryness of the skin; irregular or rapid heartbeat; unsteadiness on your feet.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine Ointment
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine Ointment:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine Ointment:Blurred vision; eye itching, burning, or stinging; irritation at the application site.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); difficulty urinating; dry mouth; eye pain; fever; flushing or dryness of the skin; irregular or rapid heartbeat; unsteadiness on your feet.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine/Diphenoxylate Solution
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine/Diphenoxylate Solution:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine/Diphenoxylate Solution:Blurred vision; constipation; decreased sweating; difficulty sleeping; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth, nose, or skin; headache; loss of appetite; loss of taste; nausea; nervousness.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal bloating or swelling; agitation; changes in heartbeat; confusion; continued or severe diarrhea; delirium; difficulty focusing your eyes; difficulty urinating; exaggerated sense of well-being; excitement; fast/irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations; numbness of the hands or feet; severely enlarged pupils; severe or prolonged restlessness; speech disturbance; unusual weakness; vomiting.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
Atropine/Hyoscyamine/Phenylephrine/Pseudoephedrine/Scopolamine Sustained-Release Tablets
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine/Hyoscyamine/Phenylephrine/Pseudoephedrine/Scopolamine Sustained-Release Tablets:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine/Hyoscyamine/Phenylephrine/Pseudoephedrine/Scopolamine Sustained-Release Tablets:Blurred vision; clumsiness; constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth, nose, or throat; excitability or irritability (especially in children); flushing; giddiness; headache; lack of energy; nausea; nervousness; tearing; trouble sleeping; unusual tiredness or weakness.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); difficulty swallowing; mental or mood changes; fast or irregular heartbeat; unusual bleeding or bruising; trouble urinating; vomiting.
Atropine Tablets
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Atropine Tablets:
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Atropine Tablets:Blurred vision; constipation; decreased salivation; decreased sweating; difficulty sleeping; difficulty swallowing; dilation of the pupils; dizziness; drowsiness; excitement; fever; headache; hot, flushed, dry skin; loss of taste; mild to severe dryness of the nose and mouth; nausea; nervousness; thirst.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); changes in heartbeat; confusion; delirium; diarrhea; difficulty focusing your eyes; difficulty urinating; fast/irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; rash; restlessness with weakness; speech disturbance; unusual weakness; vomiting.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
TopAtropine Side Effects - for the Professional
Atropine
Toxic effects from overdosage of Atropine are not uncommon, especially in children. Individual tolerance varies greatly, but these systemic doses are likely to produce the following effects.
| 0.5 mg |
|
| 1 mg |
|
| 2 mg |
|
| 5 mg |
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| 10 mg and over |
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| 65 mg |
|
A scarlatiniform rash may occur. Atropine may produce fever, particularly in children, through inhibition of heat loss by evaporation. Although large doses of Atropine may cause an alarming condition, recovery is usual.
In the treatment of Atropine poisoning, respiratory assistance and symptomatic support are indicated.
Pilocarpine is sometimes given but is of limited value.
TopSide Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals
General
General side effects have included hyperpyrexia, chest pain, excessive thirst, weakness, syncope, tongue chewing, dehydration, and feeling hot, Other general side effects include "atropine toxicity" (anticholinergic side effects) which often present as fever, agitation, and dry skin/mucous membranes.
Cardiovascular
Tachycardia has sometimes been preceded by an initial, transient bradycardia after smaller doses (less than 0.4 mg) were given. Atropine has produced sustained AV junctional rhythm in some patients with sinus node dysfunction. Premature ventricular depolarizations or ventricular tachycardia has been rare. Ventricular fibrillation have rarely been associated with the use of atropine, especially in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. Rare cases of low and high grade AV block have been associated with the use of atropine in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction. Atropine has caused peripheral vasodilation, known as the "atropine flush".
The use of atropine to treat asymptomatic bradyarrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) is somewhat controversial because (1) it appears that asymptomatic bradycardia is relatively benign, (2) vagolytic drugs may decrease the threshold for ventricular arrhythmias, and (3) animal (dog) data have demonstrated that the use of atropine increases the area of ischemia during MI. Limited human data has agreed with the latter, and have shown that adverse effects in acute MI are related to higher initial and total doses. Patients with two or three vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) appear to be less able to increase nutrient myocardial blood flow in response to atropine-induced cardioacceleration relative to patients without CAD or with less extensive CAD.
While atropine appears to consistently accelerate conduction through the AV node at any dose, atropine may cause SA nodal slowing at lower doses (less than 0.4 mg) and acceleration at higher doses (greater than 4.0 mg), depending on the degree of endogenous parasympathetic activity at the time of drug administration.
Cardiovascular side effects have included sinus tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia, junctional tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, bradycardia, palpitations, ventricular arrhythmia, ventricular flutter, ventricular fibrillation, atrial arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, atrial ectopic beats, ventricular premature contractions, bigeminal beats, trigeminal beats, nodal extrasystole, ventricular extrasystole, supraventricular extrasystole, asystole, cardiac syncope, prolongation; of sinus node recovery time, cardiac dilation, left ventricular failure, myocardial infarction, intermittent nodal rhythm, prolonged P wave, shortened PR segment, R on T phenomenon, shortened RT duration, widening and flattening of QRS complex, prolonged QT interval, flattening of T wave, repolarization abnormalities, altered ST-T waves, retrograde conduction, transient, AV dissociation, increased blood pressure, decreased blood pressure, labile blood pressure, and weak or impalpable peripheral pules.
Nervous system
Nervous system side effects have included lethargy, somnolence, and insomnia. Higher doses (10 mg or more) may be associated with ataxia, hallucinations (visual or aural), coma, or seizures (generally tonic clonic), abnormal movements, confusion, stupor dizziness, amnesia, headache, diminished tendon reflexes, hyperreflexia, muscle twitching, opisthotonus, Babinski's reflex/Chaddock's reflex, hypertonia, dysmetria, muscle clonus, sensation of intoxication, difficulty concentration, vertigo and dysarthria. Atropine may be the cause of "intensive care unit delirium" in some cases. The elderly appear to be more prone to the anticholinergic effects of atropine on the CNS.
If delirium due to atropine develops and there are no contraindications, many experts recommend the use of 2 mg of physostigmine IM or IV once or twice (as needed) as an effective antidote. Repeated doses may be necessary. Diazepam has been useful for the treatment of convulsions secondary to atropine poisoning.
Ocular
When atropine is given orally or parenterally, its effects on the eyes are essentially the same as when applied directly to the eye, except that the concentration of drug that reaches the eye after systemic administration is relatively small and the effects accordingly less.
Ocular side effects have included mydriasis, blurred vision, pupils poorly reactive to light, photophobia, decrease contrast sensitivity, decreased visual acuity, decreased accommodation, strabismus, heterophoria, cyclophoria, acute angle glaucoma, conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, blindness, tearing, dry eyes, dry conjunctiva, irritated eyes, crusting of eyelids and blepharitis.
Gastrointestinal
Gastrointestinal side effects have included dry mouth and mucous membranes (78% of patients), delayed gastric emptying time, reduced gastric acid secretion, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, paralytic ileus, decreased bowel sounds, distended abdomen, decreased food absorption, dysphagia, and gastroesophageal reflux.
Atropine significantly decreases lower esophageal sphincter pressure for 5 to 60 minutes after injection. Because this can place patients at risk of aspiration, it is used with caution as a preanesthetic medication.
Genitourinary
Genitourinary side effects have commonly included dose-related urinary retention (due to anticholinergic effects on the urinary sphincter), and impotence in male patients.
Dermatologic
Dermatologic side effects have included dry mucous membranes, dry warm skin, flushed skin, oral lesions, dermatitis, petechiae rash, macular rash, papular rash, maculopapular rash, scarlatiniform rash, erythematous rash, sweating/ moist skin, cold skin, cyanosed skin and salivation. Inhibition of exocrine sweat glands has not usually been clinically significant except when perspiration is a major factor in body temperature control.
Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity side effects have been rare and have included urticaria, eczema, papillary hyperplasia, mucopurulent discharge, eosinophilia, pruritus, edema, hypotension, abdominal pain, tachypnea, nausea and vomiting.
Local
Local side effects have included mild to moderate pain at the site of injection.
Psychiatric
Psychiatric side effects have included agitation, restlessness, delirium, paranoia, anxiety, mental disorders, mania, withdrawn behavior and behavior changes.
Immunologic
Immunologic side effects have included anaphylactic reactions.
Respiratory
Respiratory side effects have included tachypnea, slow respirations, shallow respirations, breathing difficulty, labored respirations, inspiratory stridor, laryngitis, laryngospasm, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure and subcostal recession.
Top- atropine Concise Consumer Information (Cerner Multum)
- Atropine Professional Patient Advice (Wolters Kluwer)
- Atropine Prescribing Information (FDA)
- Atropine Monograph (AHFS DI)
- Atropine MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)
- Atropine Advanced Consumer (Micromedex) - Includes Dosage Information
- Atreza MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)
- AtroPen Prescribing Information (FDA)
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