Scopolamine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Scopolamine is an anticholinergic sold in the U.S. under one brand, for colonic diseases, diverticulitis and dysentery. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesUpdated Jul 24, 2026How we research

Key facts

Drug class: Anticholinergic
Treats: Colonic Diseases, Diverticulitis and Dysentery
Available as: Patch, extended release
Sold as: Transderm Scop
Prescription?: Prescription only
Generic available?: Not in our catalog
What the pharmacy pays: about $134 for a 30-count supply — not your price

How scopolamine is dosed

From the FDA label for Transderm Scop (application NDA017874). Other scopolamine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Application and Removal ( 2.1 ): • Each TRANSDERM SCŌP transdermal system delivers 1 mg of scopolamine over 3 days. • Only wear one transdermal system at a time. • Do not cut the transdermal system. • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after application. • Avoid touching or applying pressure to the transdermal system once applied. • Upon removal, fold used transdermal system in half with sticky side together, discard to prevent accidental contact or ingestion, and wash the hands and application site with soap and water. Recommended Dosage : • Motion Sickness : Apply one transdermal system to the hairless area behind one ear at least 4 hours before antiemetic effect is required for use up to 3 days. If therapy for more than 3 days is required, remove the first transdermal system and apply a new transdermal system behind the other ear. ( 2.2 ) • PONV : For surgeries other than cesarean section, apply one transdermal system behind the ear the evening before surgery and remove 24 hours following surgery. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Important Application and Removal Instructions • Each TRANSDERM SCŌP transdermal system is formulated to deliver in vivo approximately 1 mg of scopolamine over 3 days. • Only wear one transdermal system at any time. • Do not cut the transdermal system. • Apply the transdermal system to the skin in the postauricular area (hairless area behind one ear). • After…

Scopolamine side effects

The following serious adverse reactions are described elsewhere in labeling: • Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Neuropsychiatric Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Eclamptic Seizures in Pregnant Women [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Gastrointestinal and Urinary Disorders [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] • Hyperthermia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Drug Withdrawal/Post-Removal Symptoms [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] • Blurred Vision [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] • MRI Skin Burns [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] Most common adverse reactions are: • Motion Sickness (>15%): dry mouth, drowsiness, blurred vision and dilation of the pupils. ( 6.1 ) • PONV (≥ 3%): dry mouth, dizziness, somnolence, agitation, visual impairment, confusion, mydriasis and pharyngitis. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Baxter Healthcare Corporation at 1-866-888-2472 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Motion Sickness The most common adverse reaction (approximately two…

Who shouldn’t take scopolamine

TRANSDERM SCŌP is contraindicated in patients with: • angle closure glaucoma [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . • hypersensitivity to scopolamine or other belladonna alkaloids or to any ingredient or component in the formulation or delivery system. Reactions have included rash generalized and erythema [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 ), Description ( 11 )] . • Angle closure glaucoma. ( 4 , 6.2 ) • Hypersensitivity to scopolamine or other belladonna alkaloids or to any ingredient or component of the formulation or delivery system. ( 4 , 7 )

Scopolamine drug interactions

Drugs Causing Central Nervous System (CNS) Adverse Reactions : Monitor patients for CNS adverse reactions (drowsiness, dizziness or disorientations). ( 7.1 ) • Anticholinergic Drugs : Consider more frequent monitoring during treatment in patients receiving other anticholinergic drugs. ( 7.2 ) • Oral Drugs Absorbed in the Stomach : Monitor for increased or decreased therapeutic effect of the oral drug. ( 7.3 ) • Interaction with Gastric Secretion Test : Discontinue use of TRANSDERM SCŌP 10 days prior to testing. ( 7.4 ) 7.1 Drugs Causing Central Nervous System (CNS) Adverse Reactions The concurrent use of TRANSDERM SCŌP with other drugs that cause CNS adverse reactions of drowsiness, dizziness or disorientation (e.g., sedatives, hypnotics, opiates, anxiolytics and alcohol) or have anticholinergic properties (e.g., other belladonna alkaloids, sedating antihistamines, meclizine, tricyclic antidepressants, and muscle relaxants) may potentiate the effects of TRANSDERM SCŌP [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] . Either TRANSDERM SCŌP or the interacting drug should be chosen, depending on the importance of the drug to the patient. If the interacting drug cannot be avoided, monitor patients for CNS adverse reactions. 7.2 Anticholinergic Drugs Concomitant use of scopolamine with other drugs having anticholinergic properties may increase the risk of CNS adverse reactions [see Drug Interactions ( 7.1 )], intestinal obstruction and/or urinary retention. Consider more frequent monitoring during treatment with TRANSDERM SCŌP in patients receiving anticholinergic drugs [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 , 5.4 )] . 7.3 Oral Drugs Absorbed in the Stomach TRANSDERM SCŌP, as an anticholinergic, may delay gastric and upper gastrointestinal motility and, therefore, the rate of absorption of other orally administered drugs. Monitor patients for modified therapeutic effect of concomitant orally administered drugs with a narrow therapeutic index. 7.4 Interaction with Gastric Secretion Test Scopolamine will interfere with the gastric secretion test. Discontinue TRANSDERM SCŌP 10 days prior to testing.

Every scopolamine product we track (1)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Only one: Transderm Scop.

Can you crush or split scopolamine?

At least one scopolamineproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.

What each scopolamine label says about crushing, splitting and chewing

Scopolamine and breastfeeding

From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.

No information is available on the use of scopolamine during breastfeeding. Use during labor appears to have a detrimental effect on newborn infants' nursing behavior. Long-term use of scopolamine might reduce milk production or milk letdown, but a single systemic or ophthalmic dose is not likely to interfere with breastfeeding. During long-term use, observe for signs of decreased lactation (e.g., insatiety, poor weight gain). To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.

Full LactMed record for scopolamine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider instead

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised May 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.

What people report to the FDA about scopolamine

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 5,387 reports naming scopolamine, and the FDA flagged 77% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

nausea565 reports
vomiting412 reports
headache372 reports
dizziness285 reports
diarrhoea263 reports
product adhesion issue249 reports
fatigue238 reports
hypersensitivity196 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean scopolamine caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.

Related calculators

How long it stays in your system →

Frequently asked questions

What is scopolamine?

TRANSDERM SCŌP (scopolamine transdermal system) is designed for continuous release of scopolamine following application to an area of intact skin on the head, behind the ear. Each system contains 1.3 mg of scopolamine base. Scopolamine is (9-methyl-3-oxa-9-azatricyclo[3.3.1.0 2,4 ]nonan-7-yl) 3-hydroxy-2-phenylpropanoate.

What kind of drug is scopolamine?

The FDA classifies scopolamine as an anticholinergic. Anticholinergic drugs block acetylcholine, the chemical messenger of the body's "rest and digest" nervous system, by occupying its muscarinic receptors. This eases muscle spasms, dries up secretions, relaxes the bladder and airways, and speeds the heart, depending on the tissue. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Can you take scopolamine with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run scopolamine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What forms does scopolamine come in?

Across the brands we track, scopolamine is currently marketed as patch, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Is there a generic scopolamine?

We do not currently list a generic-labelled scopolamine product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.

Cite this page

APA: pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Scopolamine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/scopolamine
MLA: “Scopolamine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/scopolamine.

We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.

Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.

Read the full FDA label for scopolamine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.