Meaning & use
hyoscyamine
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
A natural chemical from plants of the nightshade family that relaxes muscles and reduces body secretions, used as a medicine for stomach cramps and other conditions.
Grammar: Uncountable like most drug names: a dose of hyoscyamine.
Patterns
- hyoscyamine for something
The doctor prescribed hyoscyamine to ease the patient's stomach cramps.
Hyoscyamine can cause a dry mouth and blurred vision.
Henbane is a source of hyoscyamine.
Common combinations
- take hyoscyamine
- She takes hyoscyamine when her cramps flare up.
- hyoscyamine tablet
- One hyoscyamine tablet is dissolved under the tongue.
- hyoscyamine sulfate
- The pharmacy stocks hyoscyamine sulfate in several strengths.
- hyoscyamine overdose
- A hyoscyamine overdose can cause fever and confusion.
- prescribe hyoscyamine
- Doctors may prescribe hyoscyamine for bowel spasms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anticholinergic
- Anticholinergic names the whole drug class, whereas hyoscyamine is one specific drug within it.
- antispasmodic
- Antispasmodic describes what the medicine does, not its chemical name.
- belladonna alkaloid
- Belladonna alkaloid refers to the plant-derived group of chemicals that includes hyoscyamine.
Word family
- scopolamine noun
- a related plant drug used for motion sickness
- atropine noun
- a closely related drug found in the same plants
- alkaloid noun
- a natural chemical compound from plants
Commonly confused: hyoscyamine or hyoscine?
hyoscyamine vs hyoscine
Hyoscine is another name for scopolamine, a related but different drug, so it should not be swapped with hyoscyamine.
Practice
Which describes hyoscyamine?
Choose one answer.
Hyoscyamine comes from nightshade-family plants and relaxes muscles. The other options are real medical items but unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hyoscyamine”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.