Urecholine
Urinary Retention
25mg
Bethanechol 25mg tablets, used in the management of urinary retention. A muscarinic agonist that mimics acetylcholine to contract the bladder.
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Bethanechol
Bethanechol stimulates bladder-muscle contraction and may be used for selected cases of urinary retention when physical blockage has been excluded. It can worsen obstruction and is not suitable for every difficulty passing urine.
Key points
- The cause of urinary retention must be assessed before bethanechol is considered.
- Asthma, stomach ulcer, slow heart rate, low blood pressure or bowel or urinary obstruction can make it unsafe.
- Inability to pass urine with severe pain, fainting, breathing difficulty or a very slow heartbeat needs urgent care.
Listings are for comparison only. Suitability and supply depend on clinician and pharmacy checks, stock, destination rules and prescription requirements.
What Bethanechol is used for
Bethanechol may be used for selected non-obstructive urinary retention caused by weak bladder contraction, including in some postoperative or neurological settings.
How it works
Bethanechol directly stimulates muscarinic receptors, increasing bladder contraction. The same action can increase gut movement, saliva, airway secretions and sweating and slow the heart.
Important safety checks
Urinary or bowel obstruction, recent bladder or intestinal surgery, asthma, ulcer disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, low blood pressure and heart-rhythm problems require review. New urinary retention should not be self-treated.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent help for inability to urinate with severe lower-abdominal pain, fainting, severe dizziness, wheezing or breathing difficulty, a very slow heartbeat, severe abdominal pain or vomiting.