Buscopan

I have Crohn's disease, and normally I post on that forum. But this topic is probably relevant to suffers of IBS, so I'm reposting here.

I'll start by saying that I really don't know that much about IBS, but I understand that extremely painful abdominal cramps is a common feature. With Crohn's disease, that also happens, though it's only a small part of the overall illness which does extreme damage to the intestines.

A drug named Buscopan gives amazing relief from abdominal cramping pain. Please note that Buscopan only relieves abdominal cramps - it is not effective against any other kind of pain. And it is not a treatment for whatever underlying disease you might have (and you should definitely get that diagnosed and treated). So don't think of this as a cure.

Buscopan is available in injectable and pill form, but I have not found the pills to be effective. I've learned to inject myself IM (not IV). I find it easiest to inject myself in the upper leg, just below the hip, but you can pretty much do it anywhere you can reach. If someone helps you, then the buttocks is a logical site. Anyway, the pain relief is almost immediate - the cramps just disappear and stay away for a couple of hours. There is a limit on how many times a day you can be injected (about 5 times max) - more than that, and I don't know what might happen.

Please note that this is not something you should be doing everyday. Use it sparingly, only when you are in severe pain. If you can get by without it, so much the better.

Now here's the catch - you can't buy Buscopan in the USA. I can't find any logical reason for this, other than that the US FDA hasn't approved it. This is odd, because it's non-addictive, you can't get high, and it's been on the market for about 50 years. There are some possible side effects (not recommended for people who have glaucoma). The drug is made in Germany and is very cheap (about US$1 per ampule). You can read about it on the company's web site:

http://buscopan.com

It can be bought in Canada or Mexico (Spanish name Buscapina). In many countries it can be bought across the counter, but in Canada it does require a prescription. You might have to make a trip across the border, I'm not sure you can buy it through the Internet. It should be legal to bring into the USA if you have a prescription from a non-American doctor. However, I would ask at the US Customs when going in if they have any objection. Show them a printout of the buscopan.com web page - you don't want to piss off Customs.

Some people might tell you not to do this. I do suggest you discuss with your doctor first, though if he/she is American, don't be surprised if you encounter complete ignorance about Buscopan. All I can say is that I think I'd be dead (from suicide) if I hadn't had Buscopan to get me through my Crohn's attacks. Whether or not it will help you is something you need to test yourself, hopefully in consultation with a doctor.

Feel free to ask me more about this.

best regards,
Robert

Thank you for your reply. I think you are half correct - Buscopan is also known as "hyoscine butylbromide", but Levsin is not hyoscine, rather hyoscyamine, which is very similar but appears to have more serious side effects. It's ironic that the FDA approves hyoscyamine but not hyoscine butylbromide. Please note that I never heard of hyoscyamine until about 10 minutes ago, when I read your post and did a Google search, so if you think I'm wrong and that these are in fact the same drugs, please correct me. There is a Wikipedia page for hyoscyamine here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyoscyamine

According to this web page:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/Uses/0,3915,7467%7CHyoscyamine+Injection,00.html
hyoscyamine is available as an injection but only in an ER or hospital, and cannot be given to patients for home use.


There is a Wikipedia entry for Buscopan here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buscopan

Quoted as follows:
Butylscopolamine, also known as scopolamine butylbromide and hyoscine butylbromide is a is an abdominal-specific antispasmodic. It is marketed under the trade name Buscopan® by Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Germany. who also offer a combination of butylscopolamine and acetaminophen, marketed under the name Buscopan Plus®. Butylscopolamine is used to treat pain and discomfort caused by abdominal cramps or other spasmodic activity in the digestive system. When taken orally, it cannot enter the bloodstream or otherwise leave the digestive tract, so that it is only able to affect the smooth muscles of the digestive system as it passes through. 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.

I don't pretend to be a doctor, and I've been known to be wrong. But I do have lots of experience with Buscopan (it was introduced to me by an Australian doctor). For me, the pills don't work, but injections are stunningly effective. I have bought it across the counter in Taiwan and South Korea, two countries where I've spent a lot of time. In one case, I felt a Crohn's attack coming on while I was aboard an international flight. Had I done nothing, I would have wound up on the floor doubled up in pain. Instead, I ducked into the rest room and shot up, and my attack ceased, sparing me, the flight crew and passengers a nasty ordeal.

best regards,
Robert

Dear Canyonbabe711,

Thank you for the information. You may be entirely correct about the drugs, and that they are in fact different names for the same chemical.

I wonder what Levsin costs? As I mentioned above, Buscopan is dirt cheap - barely costs more than aspirin. I've noticed that drug prices in the USA are ridiculously high compared to other countries I've been to.

The big question is whether or not it can even be bought in injectable form for home use. I think you are correct that in the USA (but not in most other countries) a prescription is needed for needle-syringe kits. But some people seem to have them - I presume that diabetics can obtain such kits for insulin injections.

Anyway, America's War on Drugs continues, however ineffectively. Unfortunately, it's also a War on Patients with legitimate medical needs, but that's another topic.

Hope you are feeling well these days.

best regards,
Robert

Actually, although they are very similar, buscopan works only in the intestine with many less side effects. It used to be legal in the U.S. until it was replaced by the newer, slightly different version. I was informed of this by my physician who used to administer injections to his patients many years ago while it was still allowed to be used in the U.S. Thank you Robert for your information. I would be so happy to have the relief that you describe from the buscopan!