The use of banthine in the treatment of digestive disturbances.

Banthine(R) was used in the treatment of patients with various diseases, organic and functional, of the gastrointestinal tract. Good response was obtained in a high proportion of cases of duodenal, stomal and gastric ulcer, and of hypertrophic gastritis. In some instances, patients who did not have good response at first were relieved later when the size of doses and the dosage schedule were adjusted to fit their particular needs.Some patients "felt so well" during Banthine therapy that they departed from prescribed diet and violated injunctions against use of alcohol and tobacco, and symptoms recurred. Nine patients with history of recurrent bouts of pain from ulcer for several years took small doses of Banthine constantly, or occasionally at times of stress, as a prophylactic measure after the symptoms were relieved by therapeutic doses. None of them had recurrence while following the prophylactic regimen. In most of the cases of peptic ulcer in which the response was recorded as "poor," it was because distressing side-effects dictated discontinuance of the drug. Several elderly male patients had severe urinary retention. Paralytic ileus developed postoperatively in one patient who was receiving Banthine. Less severe side reactions-dry mouth, blurring of vision, urinary slowing - were for the most part transient. Few patients with functional indigestion, chronic non-specific colitis or regional enteritis were relieved. Most of the patients with functional indigestion reported exacerbation of symptoms when Banthine was given. This was believed to be based on emotional reaction to the hypomotility induced by the drug.