Mepenzolate

Mepenzolate can cause side effects that may impair your vision, thinking, or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of mepenzolate.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Mepenzolate can decrease sweating, and you could develop heatstroke more easily.

The following drugs can interact with mepenzolate. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

• amantadine (Symmetrel);
• nitroglycerin;
• heart rhythm medicines such as quinidine (Quinaglute, Cardioquin, Quinidex);
• sedatives such as diazepam (Valium) or medicines to treat mental illness such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine) or thioridazine (Mellaril);
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or selegiline (Emsam);
• medicine to treat Parkinson's disease, such as rasagiline (Azilect) or selegiline (Eldepryl); and
• cold or allergy medicines containing antihistamines such as Benadryl, Dimetapp, Actifed, Chlor-Trimeton, and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with mepenzolate. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

You should not take this medication if you are allergic to mepenzolate, or if you have:

• problems with urination;

• a blockage in your intestines, paralytic ileus, severe ulcerative colitis, toxic megacolon;

• glaucoma; or

• myasthenia gravis.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take mepenzolate:

• diarrhea (especially if you have a colostomy or ileostomy);

• numbness or tingling in your hands or feet;

• liver or kidney disease;

• ulcerative colitis;

• overactive thyroid;

• congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or coronary artery disease;

• high blood pressure (hypertension);

• hiatal hernia or acid reflux disease;

• an enlarged prostate; or

• asthma or any allergies.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether mepenzolate passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not take mepenzolate without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from mepenzolate.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Mepenzolate is usually taken 4 times each day, with meals and at bedtime. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Take this medicine with a full glass of water.

Taking this medication may slow down your digestion, causing a bloated feeling or other stomach discomfort. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about this effect.

Store mepenzolate at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and direct light.

The following drugs can interact with mepenzolate. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

• amantadine (Symmetrel);

• nitroglycerin;

• heart rhythm medicines such as quinidine (Quinaglute, Cardioquin, Quinidex);

• sedatives such as diazepam (Valium) or medicines to treat mental illness such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine) or thioridazine (Mellaril);

• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or selegiline (Emsam);

• medicine to treat Parkinson's disease, such as rasagiline (Azilect) or selegiline (Eldepryl); and

• cold or allergy medicines containing antihistamines such as Benadryl, Dimetapp, Actifed, Chlor-Trimeton, and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with mepenzolate. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

In the U.S.

• Cantil

Available Dosage Forms:

• Tablet

Therapeutic Class: Gastrointestinal Agent

Pharmacologic Class: Antimuscarinic

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For mepenzolate, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to mepenzolate or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of mepenzolate in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of mepenzolate in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving mepenzolate.

Pregnancy

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking mepenzolate, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using mepenzolate with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Bupropion
• Donepezil
• Tiotropium

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of mepenzolate. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Autonomic neuropathy (nerve problem) or
• Heart rhythm problems (eg, arrhythmia) or
• Hiatal hernia with reflux (stomach problem) or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Tachycardia (fast heart rate)—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Congestive heart failure or
• Enlarged prostate or
• Heart disease (eg, coronary artery disease) or
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or
• Ulcerative colitis—Use with caution. May cause side effects to become worse.

• Glaucoma or
• Myasthenia gravis or
• Paralytic ileus (bowels don't move) or
• Stomach or bowel blockage (eg, achalasia, intestinal atony, pyloroduodenal stenosis, toxic megacolon) or
• Urinary bladder blockage—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.

• Tartrazine sensitivity—Cantil® contains tartrazine, which may cause allergic reactions in patients with this condition.

Use mepenzolate as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.

• Take with meals and at bedtime.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Take a missed dose as soon as you think about it.
• If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time.
• Do not take 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Feeling lightheaded, sleepy, having blurred eyesight, or a change in thinking clearly.
• Dizziness.
• Headache.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Less sweating.
• Change in taste.
• Upset stomach or throwing up.
• Hard stools (constipation).
• Dry mouth.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. Check with your pharmacist. If you have any questions about this medicine, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take mepenzolate or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to mepenzolate. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine.

Review Date: October 4, 2017

Mepenzolate is a postganglionic parasympathetic inhibitor. It decreases gastric acid and pepsin secretion and suppresses spontaneous contractions of the colon.

Absorption

Oral: Low

Excretion

Urine (3% to 22%); feces

Refer to adult dosing. Use caution or avoid; anticholinergics generally not tolerated in older adults.

Store below 30°C (86°F). Keep tightly sealed. Protect from heat.