Bethanechol User Reviews & Ratings

• Sas...
• September 29, 2020

For Urinary Retention "I've been dealing with neurogenic bladder for 3.5 months. Doctors put me on Flomax, which didn't really help. I was catheterized 3 times in the clinic at appointments so they could test my urine. I haven't been able to go 'under pressure' because of this bladder issue. My urologist, neurologist, and General Practitioner refused to give me Bethanechol and suggested self-cathing. No thanks. I was able to go but with lots of hesitation or not being able to fully empty. Plus, it took FOREVER to finally go and many in and out trips to the bathtub trying to get the urge to go. (So annoying) Finally, I have another doctor who understands treatments and was very kind to put me on Bethanechol. It's been a week and I'm already noticing good changes. Been a godsend!!! I don't understand why some doctors are against Bethanechol, other than it actually works. I highly suggest giving Bethanechol a try. I apologize for the long story, hope it helps others with similar experiences at least."

• bri...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 9, 2013

For Urinary Retention "I have multiple sclerosis and have a problem with my bladder fully emptying. Any amount of urine that is left in my bladder makes it seem like I haven't even gone to the bathroom. Bethanechol makes it so my bladder fully empties, and I don't have those feelings."

• Skm...
• May 17, 2021

For Urinary Retention "Urecholine works very well for me the past 30 years. 60-90 minutes after the 25 mg tablet, I can begin urination and empty my bladder. Without Urecholine, I must self-cath several times a day to empty my bladder and prevent a distended bladder, bladder infection, or kidney infection. The yellow pill works for me. The white one does not work as well, and I get an infection. The yellow pill only becomes powdery or soft after it is exposed to air or is outdated, only under these circumstances does the medication not work. This has given me a much better quality of life that allows me to only self-catheterize under extreme poor health circumstances."

• No ...
• March 8, 2017

For Urinary Retention "This helped my neurogenic bladder and neurogenic bowel condition. After 2 years, though, it started giving me nausea and vomiting. I see you are supposed to take it 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal or it can cause nausea and vomiting. I hadn't ever paid attention to that and I was fine, now I can't tolerate it and am sad because it really helped both conditions."

• RJD...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2021

For Urinary Retention "I have been diagnosed with a stricture that causes incomplete emptying of my bladder with high post-void residuals. Bethanechol helped in combination with Flomax to better empty my bladder without catheterizing. The only side effect is very low blood pressure."

• Pro...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 15, 2020

For Urinary Retention "I have been taking this pill 3 times per day for over 10 years. It gives S-O-M-E relief, but my stream is very weak, and I sometimes need to try upwards of 1/2 hour to get it started. My major complaint about Bethanechol, at least the Upland Smith formulation, is that the pills have become intolerably crumbly. Like many of my fellow elders, I take enough medications to mandate my putting the pills in a pillminder box-- 4 slots per day, 7 days per week. It has become a pleasant rarity to take my pills without them being covered in the yellow dust cloud of a disintegrated Bethanechol pill. Next time I see my doctor, I will be taking an emptied pillminder so he can see how bad it is. Hopefully, he will prescribe a new pill to replace the yellow dust."

• Ano...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 5, 2022

For GERD "Been off and on bethanechol for over ten years. Usually stay on it for about three years, then get off until I need it again. It is amazing, nothing has stopped my reflux like bethanechol. Without it, I have really bad, constant reflux issues. The only other med that compared was Reglan, but got off of that when all of the long-term side effects were discovered."

• Pok...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2021

Bethanechol for Abdominal Distension "Severe abdominal cramps due to Crohn’s inflammation, probably kidneys infected as well. With all that misery going on, you’d think I had bigger concerns than an urgent need to urinate. Nope. I had to go, and I was going to hose down the ER if I didn’t. Urecholine had me going like a champion racehorse within 20 minutes. No adverse reactions (how would I know?), if only the surgery the next day had been as simple. Oh, well. It was long ago, and life is never easy."

• Old...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2020

For Urinary Retention "I've only been on this for a couple of weeks, but so far it's helping empty my bladder. I have a much stronger stream. The pills do seem hard to swallow. Perhaps if they were oblong instead of round, they might go down better."

• ale...
• September 3, 2019

For Abdominal Distension "It may well have saved my life when I became unable to pee for days. Thank goodness one doctor had recently read an article about another woman with the same problem, whose neurogenic bladder problem was controlled using Bethanechol. Fortunately, it has worked for me as well. The name brand Duvoid was later substituted (Canada) with a generic version, which also works, but for some reason, the pills are three times as large and hard to swallow for someone with choking tendencies. Also, the pills dissolve, triggering choking until the clump of it can be managed to cough up. It is concerning enough to wonder if there is an alternative. I noticed one other person had this problem also, are there more? Just why is there so much filler in the generic pill vs. name brand?"

• jus...
• October 25, 2016

For Urinary Retention "Has anyone else choked on taking this medicine because it starts dissolving as you take it? It lodged in my throat this morning, and I couldn't breathe. My hands were going numb, but I managed to stay somewhat calm until it dissolved enough to throw it up. Usually, it comes back up before it gets stuck."

• Thl...
• January 31, 2018

For Abdominal Distension "I have pain in my stomach and swelling problems. I have a leaking bladder, so that pill was making me go all the time. Sometimes I would have days that I would go through so many Poise pads. It didn't help me."

• mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2022

For GERD "I was prescribed this med for really bad indigestion, but when I took it, I thought I was going to choke to death. So really the med didn’t do anything for me. I had to go off the med so I could eat again, it made me feel sick all the time. I am really afraid to go back to him because nothing has worked."

• Fra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2022

For Urinary Retention "I've been on bethanechol for about 6 months, and I'm able to empty my bladder, the only thing it does is lower the blood pressure."

• Wen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2013

Bethanechol for Abdominal Distension "I was in severe pain and had nausea when I was prescribed this medication. I still have the pain and nausea, but they are more tolerable now."

• ter...
• March 31, 2008

"I take this for side effects of intrathecal baclofen therapy. It works pretty well for me."