Homatropine methylbromide

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Homatropine methylbromide, also called methylhomatropine bromide, is an anticholinergic medicine. It is a quaternary ammonium salt derived from methylhomatropine and works by blocking muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the body, mainly outside the brain, so it reduces the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system without affecting the central nervous system.

Because it does not cross the blood–brain barrier, its effects are mostly on peripheral organs like the gut. It is used to relieve intestinal spasms and abdominal cramps and is sometimes combined with papaverine to help bile flow.

In some drug products, a small amount of homatropine methylbromide is added to hydrocodone-containing formulations to discourage intentional overdose.