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Anticholinergics and Acetylcholine?

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
Could someone please help me to understand what I'm missing here?

This page says:

Anticholinergics are agents that decrease or block the actions of acetylcholine on its parasympathetic nervous system receptors on smooth muscle cells, glands and the central nervous system.

But then it goes on to say:

The common side effects of anticholinergic agents are largely those of parasympathetic stimulation and include dryness of the mouth and eyes, decreased sweating and hyperthermia, headache, visual blurring, constipation, urinary retention, impotence, tachycardia and palpitations, anxiety, restlessness and in some instances agitation and delusions.

How does an agent that blocks the actions of acetylcholine on the parasympathetic receptors also cause side effects of parasympathetic stimulation?
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
I feel like that's just worded wrong, because what they listed are the opposites of what parasympathetic stimulation does.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
So how do you "fix" this? If you are having side effects or want to rule it out if you have some symtoms.

Please tag me
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
So how do you "fix" this? If you are having side effects or want to rule it out if you have some symtoms.

Please tag me
I would think either by stopping the anticholinergics or maybe (?) by increasing choline. I'm not certain if that works though if the receptors are blocked by the anticholinergic.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
The problem with this approach is you block a wide range of acetylcholine functions. I think we need drugs that target receptor subtypes, such as M3 and M4 in order to really test some of the ideas out there. The different receptor subtypes do different things, but all of that gets blocked with agents like atropine.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
And in still lost. I don't get things and never will and this is one of them. You night as well me speaking Martian to me.
 

sillysocks84

Senior Member
Messages
445
This doesn't answer anything, but I've been using raw eggs in my smoothies for the past two weeks and already my heartrate is a bit calmer. Also started around the same time though was neuroprotek, but from what I've read about choline I think it has to be helping. 90% of people in the US are deficient to some degree for choline.

Wish I could add more scientifically lol.