1 Min In Opinion
Follow this topic
Bookmark
Record learning outcomes
- What is Buscopan?
Buscopan® is the world’s number one range of antispasmodic products designed to deal with belly pain cramps. Hyoscine Butylbromide (HBB) is the active ingredient in Buscopan. HBB is derived from scopolamine, an alkaloid occurring naturally in plants of the Duboisia species:1 HBB is chemically modified to ensure a specific action which uniquely targets and relieves abdominal pain.2
Worldwide, millions of adults3 (four out of every 10) suffer from abdominal cramps. One in two of these sufferers treat cramps with OTC medicine, but we know currently 75 per cent are mistreating with analgesics, because gastrointestinal cramps are not recognised as cramps by patients and the difference between analgesics and antispasmodics is unclear to patients.4 This is why we are calling on pharmacists to partner with us to eradicate mistreatment in abdominal pain.
- What are the benefits of Buscopan Cramps and Buscopan IBS Relief medicines?
Buscopan Cramps and Buscopan IBS Relief tablets start relieving belly pain in just 15 minutes,5 it acts locally in the gut to target painful abdominal cramping and reduces the intensity and frequency of abdominal pain episodes.
IBS: Conventional pain-managing drugs are not suitable for IBS pain. Antispasmodic medicines like HBB containing Buscopan IBS Relief are recommended as first-line treatment for IBS abdominal cramping pain, alongside dietary and lifestyle advice.6
Functional Abdominal Cramping Pain (FACP): the prevalence of FACP, either on its own or alongside other conditions, is up to 46 per cent.7 Buscopan Cramps targets the source of pain,5,8,9 whereas analgesics/antacids only mask the pain with the added risk of several side effects
- How does it work to tackle stomach pain?
The gut is a muscle that can cramp causing abdominal pain. Normal, coordinated movement of circular and longitudinal smooth muscle layers propels forward the contents of the intestine. Cramps result from the overstimulation of these muscles.10
HBB is an anticholinergic that acts locally at muscarinic receptors on smooth-muscle cells in the gastrointestinal tract due to its high tissue affinity. HBB inhibits abnormal muscle contraction to relax smooth muscles and stop pain-causing spasms and cramps.5 By targeting the smooth muscle cells responsible for painful cramping in the gut, Buscopan can reduce future pain episodes.11 Buscopan’s tolerable safety profile is thanks to HBB’s molecular structure and inability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier.8
- What is the recommended dosage?
Buscopan Cramps and Buscopan IBS Relief tablets are small, easy to swallow, gluten and lactose free. The daily dose varies from three to eight tablets, depending on the age and spasms intensity.12,13
- Where can pharmacy teams find out more?
Visit: buscopan.co.uk
References
1. Samuels LA. Clin Med Ther. 2009:1;647–655;
2. Tytgat GN. Drugs. 2007;67:1343–1357
3. Quigley EMM, et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006;24:411–419
4. Data on file, Opella (Source: Segmentation survey 2023, Global sample size 6000
5. Lacy BE, et al. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2013;48:926–935
6. gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/early/2021/04/27/gutjnl-2021-324598.full.pdf
7. Müller-Lissner S, et al. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2022;56(10):844–852
8. Tytgat GN. Drugs. 2007;67:1343–1357.
9. Hamza, M & Dionne, RA. Curr Mol Pharmacol. 2009;2(1):1–14.
10. Smith, TK & Robertson, WJ. J Physiol. 1998;506(Pt 2):563–577
11. Müller-Lissner S, et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006;23:1741–1748
12. Buscopan Cramps SmPC: Buscopan Cramps - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 891 Last accessed on 09.05.2025
13. Buscopan IBS Relief SmPC: Buscopan IBS Relief - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 3884 Last accessed on 09.05.2025
In Opinion