Atropine is a toxic substance from the group of alkaloids. In nature, it is found in nightshade plants such as belladonna or angel’s trumpet. The uncontrolled ingestion of atropine can be fatal, yet the active ingredient finds diverse and important uses in the field of medicine.
What is atropine?
Atropine inhibits these functions of the parasympathetic nervous system, increasing the body’s performance. In addition to its natural occurrence in nightshade plants, atropine used for medicinal purposes is produced synthetically. The pharmacist Philipp Lorenz Geiger is considered the discoverer of the active substance. It belongs to the group of parasympathetic drugs, i.e. substances that act on the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is a part of the human nervous system responsible for regulating metabolism, regenerating the body, and providing rest and recovery in the body. Atropine inhibits these functions of the parasympathetic nervous system, thereby increasing the body’s performance.
Pharmacological action
The active ingredient atropine affects various functions and organs in the body. Due to the blocking effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, the increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system accelerates the heartbeat. For the same reason, the bronchi in the lungs dilate, improving breathing. Atropine use is also manifested by decreased salivation and perspiration. Severe sensitivity to light and decreased vision also occur. Likewise, gastric and intestinal activity decreases. A dilation of the pupils can be observed as a side effect. All these physical reactions are due to the increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. If this is the case, the body switches to “attack”, which means that there is an increased readiness to act, which normally serves its purpose in cases of danger, to fight or flee.
Medical application and use
Medicine has taken advantage of these effects of atropine. As early as the 19th century, people used the active ingredient to treat asthma. The lung disease, which can lead to acute shortness of breath, was remedied by the bronchodilating properties of atropine. However, due to a variety of side effects, medicine today uses other agents to treat the disease. Nowadays, atropine has a permanent place in emergency medicine. If a patient suffers from a too low heart rate (a so-called bradycardia), the drug is used to increase the heart rate. Patients under anesthesia suffer more frequently from bradycardia due to the anesthetic agent, so atropine is also used in anesthesia. Atropine can be helpful for cramps in the gastrointestinal tract, but its use for this purpose is relatively rare. It is also used in ophthalmology. Here it is used to dilate the patient’s pupils, which may be necessary for some examinations and diagnoses. Atropine can also be used as a medication for incontinence, problems emptying the bladder, or irritable bladder. Very rarely is atropine used for painful menstrual bleeding, because there are newer and more effective medications to treat this problem.
Risks and side effects
The risks and side effects of atropine, compared with its relatively limited therapeutic use, are immense. Under no circumstances should the active ingredient be taken without medical advice, because there is an acute risk of poisoning and therefore of death. Especially the uncontrolled ingestion of nightshade plants such as angel’s trumpet or datura as intoxicants makes the risk incalculable due to the difficult-to-calculate dose. In addition to hallucinations, various symptoms of poisoning occur. These are initially manifested by flushing of the skin and palpitations. This may be followed by unconsciousness and respiratory paralysis. From this point on, the patient’s condition is already hopeless in almost all cases, and death is very likely to occur. In deaths caused by atropine abuse, liver fatty degeneration and skin hemorrhages were found to occur in the course of poisoning. Children can tolerate only extremely low doses of atropine. Treatment of overdose is by emptying the gastrointestinal tract and artificial respiration.Patients often complain of dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, and palpitations when taking atropine in a controlled manner (i.e., under medical supervision). Furthermore, skin flushing, extreme restlessness and loss of appetite may occur. All of these side effects result from atropine’s inhibitory effect on the parasympathetic nervous system.
