Otilonium bromide is a drug used to treat abdominal pain caused by

irritable bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may ...

. It is an

antispasmodic An antispasmodic (synonym: spasmolytic) is a pharmaceutical drug or other agent that suppresses muscle spasms. Smooth muscle spasm One type of antispasmodics is used for smooth muscle relaxation, especially in tubular organs of the gastrointestina ...

, which is useful to treat the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by reducing abdominal spasms (

colic Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content ou ...

), bloating, pain, and gut motility. It is an

antimuscarinic A muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, also simply known as a muscarinic antagonist or as an antimuscarinic agent, is a type of anticholinergic drug that blocks the activity of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). The muscarin ...

and

calcium channel blocker Calcium channel blockers (CCB), calcium channel antagonists or calcium antagonists are a group of medications that disrupt the movement of calcium () through calcium channels. Calcium channel blockers are used as antihypertensive drugs, i.e., as ...

used to relieve spasmodic pain of the gut, especially in

. This means it works in the gut themselves, by relaxing the small muscles of the intestines, which results in relieving cramps and therefore reduces pain.

Medical uses

A pooled analysis of three clinical trials suggest that otilonium bromide is more effective than placebo for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Pharmacology

Otilonium bromide binds to both

muscarinic receptor Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are acetylcholine receptors that form G protein-coupled receptor, G protein-coupled receptor complexes in the cell membranes of certain neurons and other Cell (biology), cells. They play several role ...

s and tachykinin NK₂ receptors. It has been shown to inhibit L-type and T-type calcium channels, actions which may contribute to or determine its effects in the gut. When taken orally, very little of the drug is absorbed into the rest of the body, which means that most of its actions remain confined to the gastrointestinal system.

Adverse effects

Otilonium bromide is generally well tolerated and does not have the side-effects observed with similar classes of drugs. A case of cardiovascular toxicity was reported due to an overdose.

References

{{Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor modulators Muscarinic antagonists Quaternary ammonium compounds Phenol ethers Benzanilides 4-Aminobenzoate esters Bromides