Procyclidine hydrochloride

Procyclidine hydrochloride is an anticholinergic drug principally used for the treatment of:

• Drug-induced parkinsonism, akathisia and acute dystonia;
• Parkinson disease; and
• Idiopathic or secondary dystonia.

Additional recommended knowledge

Safe Weighing Range Ensures Accurate Results

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Daily Sensitivity Test

Uses

It is used in patients with schizophrenia to reduce the side effects of antipsychotic treatment, such as parkinsonism and akathisia.

Procyclidine is also a second-line drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. It improves tremor but not rigidity or bradykinesia.

Procyclidine is also sometimes used for the treatment of dystonia (but not tardive dyskinesia), a rare disorder that causes abnormal muscle contraction, resulting in twisting postures of limbs, trunk, or face.

Signs of Overdose

Signs of procyclidine overdose are those of an anticholinergic and include confusion, agitation and sleeplessness that can last up to or more than 24 hours. Pupils become dilated and unreactive to light. Tachycardia (fast heart beat), as well as auditory and visual hallucinations have also been reported.

Other known symptoms of overdose are: clumsiness or unsteadiness, being severely drowsy, having a severely dry mouth, nose, or throat, having an altered mood or other mental changes, seizures, being short of breath or having troubled breathing, a dry and warm, flushed skin.

A suspected overdose with severe life-threatening symptoms should immediately be brought to medical attention, where reversal can be attempted with physostigmine administered intravenously or subcutaneously.

References

• (March 2003) British National Formulary, 45.