Procyclidine

You should get a beneficial effect soon after taking the first dose. It may take a few days of taking it regularly to get the maximum benefit from your medicine.

However, getting the right dose may take a little longer. The aim is to get the movement symptoms under control without giving you extra side effects from the procyclidine.

You should stay in touch with your doctor to see how it goes over the first few weeks. They may do some tests to check your symptoms.

Procyclidine itself is unlikely to affect your weight, but it is often taken with antipsychotic medications which may cause weight gain.

A common side effect of procyclidine is a dry mouth. Over a long time, this can increase your risk of developing tooth decay or gum disease. Make sure you brush your teeth well and have regular dental check-ups. Speak to your dentist, doctor or pharmacist about things you can do to help.

You may want to let your family and friends know you are taking procyclidine so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.

It is usually recommended that you avoid taking procyclidine before bedtime, as it may keep you awake.

Alcohol

It may be possible to drink some alcohol in moderation while taking procyclidine but having the two together might make you very sleepy and unsteady on your feet. If you drink a lot of alcohol, these effects will be more serious.

During the first few weeks of treatment, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.

Drinking alcohol every day, or in large amounts, can make your symptoms worse and may mean you won’t get the maximum benefit from your medication.

Street drugs

Cannabis and procyclidine taken together increases your heart rate and may also make any drowsiness worse.

Amfetamine and procyclidine taken together increases your heart rate.

Methadone can make the more common side effects of procyclidine (such as dry mouth, blurred vision and constipation) worse.

If you are taking procyclidine to help treat the side effects of an antipsychotic medication, it is important to look up how your antipsychotic medication interacts with other drugs.

There are many other street drugs, but we don’t know what effect taking them with procyclidine will have, so it’s best to be cautious. There is no regulation of street drugs or ‘legal highs’, so even if there are no known issues with the medication you take, the supply you receive might be mixed with other substances that could be dangerous.

Procyclidine on its own can, in large doses, cause a high and make psychosis symptoms worse. Do not share your procyclidine with anyone else.

Get more advice on our drugs and alcohol guide.

Procyclidine does not mix well with some other medicines, including herbal medicines. It may affect how they work or could cause more side effects.

Always tell your doctor if you are taking other medication before you start taking procyclidine.

Tell your pharmacist you are taking procyclidine if you buy medicines for common illnesses, including things you put on your skin.

Look at the leaflet inside your medicine box for more information about other medicines that can interact with procyclidine. With some medicines your doctor may need to adjust the dose of your medicines if you take them together. Ask a doctor or pharmacist for more information if you have any questions.

The tablets may not be suitable for you if you have problems eating some sugars or dairy foods, as they contain lactose.

The oral solution has a type of sugar called maltitol in it, so if you have trouble digesting some sugars like fructose, please let your doctor or pharmacist know. It should not affect your blood sugars if you are diabetic.

Let your pharmacist know if you have any food allergies or intolerances, and always check with them if you’re concerned about any of the ingredients in your medication.

If you need to avoid animal products, please note that non-active ingredients used in the production of medicines may sometimes be of animal origin. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about the ingredients.

Further information about practical considerations for medicines if you need to avoid animal products can be found on the Vegan Society website.

Taking procyclidine may make you feel tired or dizzy when you start taking it. It will also slow down your reaction time, even if you don’t feel tired. This could affect you if you drive a car, ride a bike, or do anything that needs a lot of focus.

It might be best to stop doing these things for the first few days until you know how it affects you.

Most people drive as normal while taking procyclidine. If you are worried about this or have any concerns you would like to discuss, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Pregnancy

There is little research into the effects on procyclidine while you are pregnant. It is also important to look at the information available for the antipsychotic medication you are taking and understand its impact on your developing baby.

If you become pregnant while you are on procyclidine, you should carry on taking it and make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. They can discuss the benefits and risks of continuing procyclidine and help you to make a decision that is best for you and your baby.

They may refer you to a specialist perinatal mental health team to support you with this decision.

You can find out more information about taking procyclidine during pregnancy at Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy).

Untreated illnesses can also be harmful to you and your developing baby, so decisions about stopping or avoiding medication when you are pregnant need to be discussed carefully with your doctor. If you and your doctor agree that it is best for you to continue taking procyclidine while pregnant, you should tell your midwife. If you are planning to get pregnant, it is recommended that you take folic acid while you are trying for a baby and during pregnancy. It is safe to take this together with procyclidine.

Breastfeeding

There is no specific information about whether procyclidine is passed on to the baby through breastmilk, but since this is the case with most other drugs, it is likely that it is also the case with procyclidine.

It is also important to read the information you have for the antipsychotic medication you are taking.

If your baby was born early, then breastfeeding while you are taking procyclidine may not be recommended. Talk to your midwife and doctor about feeding options.

If you breastfeed while taking procyclidine, seek urgent medical advice if your baby becomes restless, very sleepy or develops feeding problems.

Sex

Procyclidine does not have any side effects which might affect your sex life.

As it is taken to treat the side effects of an antipsychotic medication, you should look at the information available for this medicine and see if there are any side effects which may effect your sex life.
If you do experience any side effects that you think could be caused by your medication, speak to your doctor.

Fertility

There is no evidence to suggest that procyclidine will affect your fertility. Talk to your doctor about your procyclidine or the antipsychotic medication you are taking if you are trying to get pregnant or planning a family.

Procyclidine is not a banned substance in sport.

Most people play sports as normal while taking procyclidine , but if procyclidine affects your concentration, eyesight or co-ordination, then you may want to see if those side effects go away before playing sports that need a lot of focus. If you have any concerns, discuss this with your doctor.

Ideally, it is best not to take procyclidine for the first time just before your exams, as it may affect your concentration.

Procyclidine is usually taken to help with the movement disorders caused by antipsychotics, so speak to your doctor if you have any worries about taking it.

It’s not possible to predict how the medication will make you feel, and if you do get any side effects, these are more likely to occur when you first start taking procyclidine.

You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting procyclidine. You might decide together to delay starting until you have done them.

If they are more than a month away, however, you might find that it is better to start procyclidine to improve your ability to study and wellbeing.

Most people take exams as normal while taking procyclidine, but if you have any concerns, discuss this with your doctor.