scopolamine withdrawal

[gina111]

I have a complicated question.  I was given a scopolomine patch for surgery.  I was hospitalized for 4 days.  About 48 hours after I was discharged, I began suffering from significant nausea and vertigo.  My OB\GYN surgeon prescribed more scopolomine patches. I also developed severe sinusitis and bronchitis in the week after my discharge and was put on an antibiotic.  Each time I used the patch, the symptoms were controlled, but about 24-48 hours after removal, the symptoms were back with a vengeance.  I called after the third patch, and my surgeon said I needed to see my PCP because it was no longer surgery related.  I asked whether I was having some sort of "rebound" symptoms from the removal of my patch, and she told me no. I went to my pCP, he believed it was an inner ear problem,  gave me another round of antibiotics, a steroid shot, a medrol dose pack and two more patches in  case the symptoms came beck before the meds worked.  I continue to have the same problems.  With my own research, I am reading that my symptoms may well be withdrawal from my scopolomine patch.  My question is whether this sounds like what may be causing my problem and if so, now what?  What is the best course of action to get through the incapacitating symptoms and get off this patch?

[SallyBRuss]

Mary,
It is good to get a physician's perspective on the use of the patch. Unlike many of the comments on this site, I used the patch for relief of major dizziness and nausea, to the point that I couldn't take my head off the pillow. Just going to the bathroom took a tremendous amount of effort since the "recovery" to get myself past the horrible throbbing head and nausea often took 2 hours. No one seems to have any explanation for my condition. The patch has been a life saver. Unfortunately, like others posting, I can't seem to live without it now. How bad is the medication in the patch. I don't have any signs of anxiety, depression, etc. when I have the patch on. Just feel awful when I take it off. I hope you are still visiting this site and will give me insight!
Thanks, SallyBRuss

[squast]

I have read through so much of this thread and can relate so much!!  But from what I am reading this has all been short term use of the patch. Is there any experience with people who have been on it long term?  I was prescribed this patch back in February of 2013.  It was prescribed to help treat my nausea. Yep it helps, and if only I knew then what just  1 patch could do, I would have never used it. I used it every 3 days for about 5-6 weeks, when I was having surgery to replace a gastric stimulator, which would help ease my nausea enough to make life livable. So we took the patch off right before the surgery. I have never been so sick, If I even moved my eyes within the socket with my eyes shut, I would dry heave and vomit. They put the patch back on, and so much iv Zofran.  Thought it was just from the surgery meds and spinal meds etc. So any time I tried to remove the patch, or forgot to put on after showering etc I would start getting sick within a few hours. By 3-4 hours I can hardly keep my eyes open or hold my head up I am so sick, nauseated, head ache. etc.  I have thought all along it is just my illness nausea.  Wearing the patch does dilate my eyes, blurry vision most of the time. Hard to really focus, especially small print. Last few months the skin behind my ears has been breaking out so bad. The patch adhesive/med just itches horrendously. Skin is broken out, weepy and crusts over. Both ears affected so bad, right now using a steroid cream to to help clear it up. Spoke to my GI who prescribed this med to me nearly a year and a half ago..... We decided it was time to stop the patch. She prescribed IV Zofran, which I could use thru my port. We would do a dose or so of iv Zofran and then remove the patch in the evening. Did that Friday. Just an hour into it my leg began itching horribly, small rash itched bad during night too. Woke a few times during the night, nausea there but not too bad. At 5:25 am my husband gave me 4mg iv Zofran. Helped a bit. by 10 am, I was horrible. Nauseas, couldn't lift my head off the pillow hardly.  Hot and cold, sweating, freezing and head ache. Did another dose iv Zofran at 11:25.  Started vomiting at 11:27. Continued all thru the afternoon. Had to unhook my tpn early, couldn't keep getting up to use the bathroom anymore. Called my infusion company, spoke to my pharmacist about increasing the iv Zofran. She had to call my Dr, or the Dr on call to get an order.  He wouldn't okay it, said that dose should be enough to control it. Advised me to go to the ER. Before starting this, my GI Dr, local pharmacist and infusion company pharmacist have not heard of withdrawal from the scop patch. Nor the arrogant ER DR.  At 6 pm the ER gave me 8 mg IV Zofran. It helped take the vomiting away, but still severe nausea and head ache. Dr comes back in says slap another patch on, that is just a little contact dermatitis.  Wow!  Yes I live in a small town, but wow!  Then asks do I want to be admitted or what.  My husband and I decided to go home and do some more research and yes I slapped another patch on. We were able to increase my iv Zofran to 4 mg every 4 hours.  That helped after 3 hours with the patch on I could lift my head off my pillow for a few minutes.  Still have the patch on, still needing the Zofran.  I am terrified to start over again after having used this patch for so long.  Has anyone used this medication for this long and been successful at coming off?  I totally agree, it should not be FDA approved for anything.... and the first Physician Assistant that prescribed it for me, should not have been able to prescribe it....  Is there any hope for me?

[courtneyarynn]

I just used this patch for a 25 hour flight- I had it on for a total of about 40 hours or so, I took it off last night before I went to bed at my destination. I have severe emetophobia (phobia of nausea and vomiting) and I wish I had researched the side effects after removal better before I decided on taking it. It's been about 12 hours since I removed it and I feel fine, but I am absolutely terrified of developing nausea and/or vomiting in a few hours due to withdrawals. That is something that would absolutely traumatize me. In anyone's experience, are the withdrawal symptoms lessened for people who have only used the patch once as opposed to those of you who have taken it many times in a row? I also have tons of meclizine, when should I begin taking that to try and avoid the nausea altogether?

[gigigirl2015]

wow Im going thru the same thing, I been on the patch 2 months. I have the meclazine and wanna know how to go about it also. I am traumatized behind this patch.

[deejon]

I wore the patch for 7 days and since taking it off, I have had constant diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps.  I was dizzy for the first 3-4 days but that passed and now it's been almost two weeks with the other symptoms and no relief.  Has anyone else had this side effect?  I should mention that while on the patch, I had trouble going to the bathroom.  I don't think this could be a virus since it's lasting so long.  Any thoughts?

[clbrown328]

Put my first patch on last year for a disney cruise..it worked wonders, and after about 26 or so hours of taking it off, I felt slightly off, a little nauseated, like I was coming down with something.  That only lasted for the remainder of that evening.  Fast forward to this past weekend.  Used another patch...took it off Monday morning, felt great until tuesday afternoon.....nausea/dizziness/shortness of breath/fast heartbeat all hit really suddenly.  It was terrible!  Thank God my sister suffers from vertigo and told me to take some bonine because it has meclazine in it.  So i popped two bonine and went to bed (although it took a while for it to kick in).  Today is thursday and I need to keep taking 25mg about every 4 hours, or the dizziness/nausea come right back.  This is terrible!  I will never, ever take this patch again.  I will say out of the five of us who used the patch, I am the only one who got this side effect, go figure!  I am hoping that I will eventually be able to get off the meclazine, as it makes me feel very foggy and slow.  Please, please stay away from the patch!!

[colandricha]

last night I stupidly put on 2 patches 1 behind each ear,   because I felt a little dizzy... I took them off about 2 hours later because the sight of the patch was itching me....I must have touched my eye with the same fingers that took off the patch on my left ear... about 1/2 hour later my vision was blurred in my left eye.  I was worried of course.. I went to the bathroom mirror and looked at my left eye it was totally dilated.... I hope this is temporary.  As a rule I do not use the patches, I use Meclazine, as needed only.