Prescription medication · Anticholinergic / Antispasmodic
dicyclomine
Also sold as Bentyl. Dicyclomine treats irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 13,367
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 3
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
dicyclomine (Bentyl) is a prescription Anticholinergic / Antispasmodic, reported less often than most tracked drugs (13,367 FDA reports), with 3 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
dicyclomine (Bentyl) is a prescription Anticholinergic / Antispasmodic. Dicyclomine treats irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Dicyclomine is a medicine that helps with irritable bowel syndrome. It reduces muscle spasms in the gut.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.08/unit
Generic Available
Yes (29 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Dicyclomine treats irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Common side effects
Dizziness, Dry mouth, Blurred vision
Key warnings
Dicyclomine can worsen heart problems.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from dicyclomine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Dicyclomine works by blocking a substance called acetylcholine. This substance tells the muscles in your gut to contract. By blocking acetylcholine, dicyclomine helps to relax these muscles and reduce spasms.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 13,367 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for dicyclomine, by number of reports
- Nausea
Nausea
1,251 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
1,193 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
1,119 reports
- Pain
Pain
1,003 reports
- Headache
Headache
861 reports
- Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Kidney Disease
716 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
688 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
682 reports
- Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Pain
681 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
618 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for dicyclomine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where dicyclomine sits
dicyclomine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 46% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is dicyclomine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 13,367 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
13,367
Reports Mentioning Death
790
5.9% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
4,021
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAUSEA | 1,251 |
| 2 | DIARRHOEA | 1,193 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 1,119 |
| 4 | PAIN | 1,003 |
| 5 | HEADACHE | 861 |
| 8 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 716 |
| 9 | DIZZINESS | 688 |
| 10 | VOMITING | 682 |
| 11 | ABDOMINAL PAIN | 681 |
| 12 | DYSPNOEA | 618 |
| 13 | ANXIETY | 586 |
| 14 | ABDOMINAL PAIN UPPER | 565 |
| 15 | FALL | 553 |
| 16 | ARTHRALGIA | 528 |
| 17 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 527 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Dicyclomine can worsen heart problems. It can also cause heat stroke because it reduces sweating. Some people, especially older adults or those with mental illness, may get psychosis or delirium. Overdose can cause muscle weakness and paralysis, especially in people with myasthenia gravis. This medicine may not be safe if you have a bowel obstruction, ulcerative colitis, or an enlarged prostate.
Known Drug Interactions
7.5 Effect on Absorption of Other Drugs Anticholinergic agents may affect gastrointestinal absorption of various drugs by affecting on gastrointestinal motility, such as slowly dissolving dosage forms of digoxin; increased serum digoxin concentration may result.
Mechanism: Dicyclomine slows down the movement of the gut, which gives the body more time to absorb digoxin into the blood.
7.2 Other Drugs with Anticholinergic Activity The following agents may increase certain actions or side effects of anticholinergic drugs including dicyclomine hydrochloride: amantadine, antiarrhythmic agents of Class I (e.g., quinidine), antihistamines, antipsychotic agents (e.g., phenothiazines), benzodiazepines, MAO inhibitors, narcotic analgesics (e.g., meperidine), nitrates and nitrites, sympathomimetic agents, tricyclic antidepressants, and other drugs having anticholinergic activity.
Mechanism: Both drugs have similar effects on the body, so taking them together can increase the risk of side effects like dry mouth or constipation.
7.3 Other Gastrointestinal Motility Drugs Interaction with other gastrointestinal motility drugs may antagonize the effects of drugs that alter gastrointestinal motility, such as metoclopramide.
Mechanism: These two drugs work in opposite ways on how the stomach moves, which means they can cancel each other out. One drug tries to speed up the gut while the other tries to slow it down.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take dicyclomine if I have glaucoma?
Can I take dicyclomine if I am breastfeeding?
What should I do if I get a fever while taking dicyclomine?
Can dicyclomine be used for children?
Can I drive while taking dicyclomine?
What should I avoid while taking dicyclomine?
Can I take antacids with dicyclomine?
What if dicyclomine doesn't seem to be working?
Can I drink alcohol while taking dicyclomine?
What are the signs of an overdose?
What are the common side effects of dicyclomine?
Does dicyclomine interact with other medications?
What drug class is dicyclomine?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for dicyclomine?
Has dicyclomine been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations: Firm went out of business and could no longer continue stability studies.
Akorn, Inc.
Related Medications in Anticholinergic / Antispasmodic
Other drugs grouped near dicyclomine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
alosetron
Lotronex
Alosetron (Lotronex) is a medicine for women with severe diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Compare with dicyclomine →
aprepitant
Emend
Aprepitant (Emend) is a medicine that helps prevent nausea and vomiting.
Compare with dicyclomine →
bisacodyl
Dulcolax
Bisacodyl is a medicine that helps you have a bowel movement.
Compare with dicyclomine →
bismuth subsalicylate
Pepto-Bismol
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a medicine that can treat diarrhea and upset stomach.
Compare with dicyclomine →
cimetidine
Tagamet
Cimetidine (Tagamet) reduces stomach acid.
Compare with dicyclomine →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for dicyclomine: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 13,367.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 5.91%.
- vortioxetine Δ 0.01 pts · 16,243 reports · Serotonin Modulator 5.90%death share
- ergocalciferol Δ 0.01 pts · 366,491 reports · Vitamin D2 Supplement 5.90%death share
- chlorthalidone Δ 0.03 pts · 11,035 reports · Thiazide-Like Diuretic 5.94%death share
- ezetimibe Δ 0.07 pts · 70,203 reports · Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor 5.84%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for dicyclomine
The FDA label for dicyclomine (sold under brand names such as Bentyl) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Anticholinergic / Antispasmodic class. Dicyclomine treats irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Official labeling lists 7 commonly reported side effects, including Dizziness, Dry mouth, Blurred vision.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 13,367 voluntary reports. The database also lists 3 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.08.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: July 24, 2023
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages