hyoscine at a glance
Medicine class
Antimuscarinic, also called an anticholinergic.
Licensed patch use
Prevention of nausea, vomiting and vertigo caused by travel sickness.
Application
Apply to clean, dry, hairless, unbroken skin behind the ear.
Important handling
Do not cut the patch. Wash your hands after handling it and wash the application site after removal.
What is hyoscine used for?
The patch has one licensed role. Other uses are outside the product licence.
Licensed: prevention of travel-sickness symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and vertigo.
Outside the licence: specialist use for excessive saliva or secretions and some other causes of nausea or vomiting. Serious anticholinergic toxicity has been reported, particularly with use outside the licence.
How does hyoscine work?
Hyoscine blocks muscarinic effects of acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous systems. For travel sickness, it is thought to reduce signals from the inner ear’s balance system to brain pathways controlling nausea and vomiting.
How to take hyoscine
Follow the product leaflet or prescriber’s instructions. Apply the patch to intact skin behind the ear and do not cut it.
Handle it by the edge and avoid touching the adhesive surface.
Wash your hands immediately after applying, removing or touching it to avoid transferring hyoscine to the eyes.
After removal, wash the skin and fold the patch with its sticky sides together before safe disposal.
Keep it as dry as practical; brief bathing or swimming should not usually affect adhesion.
Remove it before a medical scan because it contains aluminium.
hyoscine side effects
Common or expected effects
- Sleepiness or dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision or enlarged pupils
- Skin irritation, itching, redness or burning where the patch is applied
- Eyelid irritation
- Constipation
Get urgent medical advice
- High temperature or overheating
- Inability to urinate
- Confusion, disorientation, agitation or hallucinations
- Painful red eye with loss of vision, suggesting acute glaucoma
- Seizure, reduced consciousness or breathing difficulty
- Serious allergic reaction
hyoscine in pregnancy
Hyoscine is not routinely recommended during pregnancy because human evidence is limited. It may be considered when the expected benefit outweighs potential risk, so discuss its use with a doctor if pregnant or planning pregnancy. Exposure alone does not require additional fetal monitoring beyond routine antenatal care.
hyoscine while breastfeeding
Only small amounts are expected in breast milk. Occasional use is considered compatible with breastfeeding; with more regular use, watch the baby for sleepiness, constipation, reduced urination or poorer feeding. The patch product information advises caution and discussion with a doctor.
hyoscine interactions
Interactions mainly increase antimuscarinic or sedative effects, or oppose medicines that stimulate gut movement.
Sedating antihistamines
May increase sleepiness, blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation and urinary difficulty.
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline
Combined antimuscarinic effects can increase confusion, blurred vision, constipation and urinary retention.
Other antimuscarinics, including ipratropium or tiotropium
Additive effects may increase anticholinergic adverse reactions.
Common questions about hyoscine
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is hyoscine the same as Buscopan?
No. Travel-sickness products contain hyoscine hydrobromide, whereas Buscopan contains hyoscine butylbromide and has different uses.
Can a hyoscine patch be cut?
No. It is a reservoir patch, and cutting it may alter delivery.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.