Trihexphenidyl

Action: anticholinergic (tertiary amine, so it gets into the brain)

Indication: Parkinson’s disease (adjunct); drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms; possible use in Huntington’s chorea, spastic torticollis

Rationale: block action of excess acetylcholine in CNS

Contraindicated: narrow angle glaucoma, (note: labeling on a drug may be narrow, or some drugs include the contraindications of the drug’s entire class)

Precautions: cardiac, hepatic diseases, obstructive disorders of C.I. and urinary tract, elderly patients with prostate hypertrophy (BHP: benign prostatic hypertrophy)

Side effects: xerostomia, dizziness, blurred vision, photophobia, nausea, insomnia, constpation, confusion, agitation, tachycardia, delirium. Elderly are more sensitive to the side effects of usual adult doses.

Dental aspects: drug suppresses perspiration, and heat loss; caution about ambient temperature; supervision of ambulation due to dizziness and drowsiness; xerostomia with risk of caries and candidiasis.

Category: Pharmacology Notes