Butylscopolamine

Butylscopolamine, also known as scopolamine butylbromide, butylhyoscine and hyoscine butylbromide, is a peripherally acting antimuscarinic, anticholinergic agent^[1] used as an abdominal-specific antispasmodic. It is a quaternary ammonium compound and a semisynthetic derivative of scopolamine. It is marketed under the trade name Buscopan by Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Germany, who also offer a combination of butylscopolamine and paracetamol, marketed under the nameBuscopan Plus (in some countries, Buscopan Compositum).

Butylscopolamine is used to treat pain and discomfort caused by abdominal cramps, menstrual cramps, or other spasmodic activity in the digestive system. It is also effective at preventing bladder spasms. It is not an analgesic in the normal sense, since it doesn't 'mask' or 'cover over' the pain, but rather works to prevent painful cramps and spasms from occurring in the first place. The attachment of the butyl-bromide moiety effectively prevents the movement of this drug across the blood-brain barrier, effectively minimising undesirable CNS side-effects associated with scopolamine/hyoscine