PROPANTHELINE (PRO-BANTHINE) BROMIDE IN RELATION TO NORMAL AND GLAUCOMATOUS EYES

Abstract

The increasing use of many autonomie blocking agents in various fields of medicine poses a hazard to the unwary patient with glaucoma or the person who may not realize he has glaucoma. Each new drug of clinical usefulness to the gastroenterologist, internist, and neurologist should receive ophthalmic evaluation in regard to both normal eyes and various types of glaucomatous eyes. Our previous studies with dicyclomine (Bentyl) hydrochloride showed single 10 mg. doses of this agent to have no effect on intraocular tension or pupillary size in a variety of nonglaucomatous patients hospitalized for other ophthalmic problems. In hospitalized glaucomatous patients with tensions reduced to the 19 to 32 mm. Hg (SchiØtz) range, however, such an orally given dose of dicyclomine hydrochloride was generally followed by a rise of 3 to 10 mm. Hg within one hour. This rise would continue to a peak within two to three hours, after which