Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Jan 2012)
A Case of Hyoscine N-Butyl Bromide (NBB) Dependence
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Most of the anticholinergic agents abuse are among the medications used for the treatment of neuroleptics induced parkinsonism. These drugs are abused orally or parenterally in psychiatric patients dominantly in psychotic patients. We reported a case of anticholinergic drug dependence in a patient who received it for reduction of withdrawal symptoms but abused it by smoking later.CASE: A 25 year old opioid dependent man previously treated with methadone referred to psychiatry clinic for detoxification of opioids. But he abused prescribed Hyoscine-NBB tablets by smoking willfully in order to reduce nausea and abdominal pain. He continued to abuse because of its euphorogenic effects and withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, insomnia and loss of appetite appeared when he discontinued. During 16 days of admission maintenance methadone therapy began to treat the opioid dependence and hyoscine was tapered concurrently. Despite significant improvement he did not follow the treatment when discharged.CONCLUSION: Anticholinergic medications may be potentially abused when prescribing for relief of withdrawal symptoms in substance detoxification.
