How does Buscopan® work?
Difference between Buscopan® & Buscopan Forte®
Buscopan® and Buscopan Forte® provide relief from stomach pain with cramps. Discover the difference between the two products and find out which option best suits your needs.
What is the Difference Between Buscopan® and Buscopan Forte®?
Buscopan® and Buscopan Forte® both contain the active ingredient hyoscine butylbromide in different amounts. Each Buscopan® tablet contains 10 mg of hyoscine butylbromide, whereas each Buscopan Forte® contains 20mg hyoscine butylbromide. Both formulations are used to relieve spasms of the gastrointestinal tract.1
How to Take Buscopan® and Buscopan Forte®
Buscopan® Dosage
For adults and children over 6 years: 2 tablets four times a day. Tablets should be swallowed whole with water.
Buscopan Forte® Dosage
For adults and children over 6 years: 1 tablet four times a day. Tablets should be swallowed whole with water.
What is Hyoscine Butylbromide?
Hyoscine butylbromide is used to treat abdominal pain associated with cramps caused by gastrointestinal spasms2. It belongs to a class of drugs known as anticholinergics or antispasmodics, which relaxes the smooth muscle cells of the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract.2
Where Does Hyoscine Butylbromide Come From?
Hyoscine butylbromide is derived from the compound hyoscine, which is an alkaloid present in the Duboisia plant.2
How Does Hyoscine Butylbromide Work?
After being swallowed, Buscopan®, which contains hyoscine butylbromide, works in a two-step action to relax cramps and relieve pain. Buscopan® goes straight to the site of cramping in the intestine to help relax the muscle walls, relieving the associated pain of muscle cramping and spasms.2
Essentially Buscopan is able to specifically treat abdominal pains by relieving the cramps that cause them. This is different to general pain relievers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, that work by just blocking pain signals.3,4
Hyoscine Butylbromide Uses
Buscopan is used to relieve the pain of stomach and bowel cramps by helping your digestive system to relax1.
Visit our product pages for more information about how Buscopan® and Buscopan Forte® can provide relief of stomach pain with cramps.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
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Hyoscine Butylbromide Frequently Asked Questions
Speak to your healthcare practitioner for advice on whether you can take Buscopan® with Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.5
No, hyoscine butylbromide does not directly help with nausea. It provides relief from spasms in the gastrointestinal tract. Hyoscine butylbromide is not to be confused with another medication called hyoscine hydrobromide, which is used to treat motion sickness6. Speak to your pharmacist if you have any concerns.
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- Buscopan Tablets CMI. (n.d.). Accessed Sept 2024. Available at: https://www.nps.org.au/assets/medicines/ae4923e3-9e53-45f4-b480-a53300ff2623.pdf.
- Tytgat G. N. (2007). Hyoscine butylbromide: a review of its use in the treatment of abdominal cramping and pain. Drugs, 67(9), 1343–1357. Last accessed January 29, 2024. Retrieved https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200767090-00007
- Health Direct. Ibuprofen. Available at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ibuprofen (accessed Aug’24).
- MSD Manual. How Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Work. Available at: https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/multimedia/table/how-nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-nsaids-work (accessed Aug’24)
- Buscopan Tablets. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.nps.org.au/assets/medicines/ae4923e3-9e53-45f4-b480-a53300ff2623.pdf.
- NHS (2022). About hyoscine hydrobromide. [online] nhs.uk. Accessed Aug 2024. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hyoscine-hydrobromide/about-hyoscine-hydrobromide/.