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From: sdyer@bbncca.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Scopalamine
Message-ID: <680@bbncca.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Apr-84 23:03:38 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.680
Posted: Thu Apr 19 23:03:38 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Apr-84 07:12:48 EST
References: <1725@sdccsu3.UUCP>
Lines: 25

Any anticholinergic drug which can cross the blood-brain barrier, such as
atropine or scopalamine, can cause hallucinations when given in high
dosage, along with lots of unpleasant anticholinergic side-effects like
fever, bone-dry mouth and increased heart rate.  Scopalamine seems to be a
bit more active in this regard than atropine.  These hallucinations are
probably more like true "hallucinations" than the perceputal distortions
which drugs like LSD produce--I have heard that it was used as a "truth
serum during WWII, but it's doubtful that it had much effect in eliciting
"truth".

In lower doses, scopalamine has an unpleasant sedative effect, rather like
the sleepiness produced by antihistamines (which probably act the same
way.)  It had been a part of many over-the-counter nostrums for sleep, such
as SleepEze and Sominex, but the dosage was always a bit low, because an
effective dosage is too close to one producing side-effects.  Scopalamine
is VERY effective in combatting motion sickness (actually the BEST is a
combination of amphetamine and scopalamine--too bad they don't sell it,
eh?) and lately has been sold inbedded in a skin patch to be worn behind
the ear.  This transdermal administration leads to constant blood levels
which are effective in combatting motion sickness, while minimizing side
effects.
-- 
/Steve Dyer
{decvax,linus,ima}!bbncca!sdyer
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA