What is the Difference Between Dicyclomine and Diclofenac

The key difference between dicyclomine and diclofenac is that dicyclomine is important in treating spasms of the intestines, whereas diclofenac is useful in treating pain and inflammatory diseases, including gout.

Dicyclomine and diclofenac are important drugs in medicine. Dicyclomine is a medication useful in treating spasms of the intestines. Diclofenac is a medication useful in treating pain and inflammatory diseases, including gout.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Dicyclomine
3. What is Diclofenac
4. Dicyclomine vs Diclofenac in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Dicyclomine and Diclofenac 

What is Dicyclomine?

Dicyclomine is a medication useful in treating spasms of the intestines, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome. It is also known as dicycloverine, and its trade name is Bentyl. The route of administration for this medication is oral administration. The protein binding ability of the drug is about 99%. Its elimination half-life is around 5 hours.

Figure 01: The Chemical Structure of Dicyclomine

Dicyclomine can have side effects, including dry mouth, blurry vision, weakness, sleepiness, and lightheadedness. However, there can be some serious side effects as well, such as psychosis, breathing problem in babies, etc. Using this medication during pregnancy can be safe, but during breastfeeding, it is not recommended.

In addition, this drug is not given to people with obstructive GI or urinary conditions, severe ulcerative colitis, reflux, unstable cardiac conditions, glaucoma, people who are acutely bleeding, etc. Moreover, this medication is not recommended for children and infants. Furthermore, it is advised to avoid taking the drug if the patient is regularly driving or operating machinery because this drug can increase the risk of convulsions, difficulty in breathing, restlessness, etc.

What is Diclofenac?

Diclofenac is a medication useful in treating pain and inflammatory diseases, including gout. The drug is sold under the trade name Voltaren. It is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Figure 02: The Chemical Structure of Diclofenac Drug

The routes of administration for this drug include oral administration, rectal administration through suppository, by injection, or by application onto the skin. The improvement of the pain after administration can remain up to 8 hours. Moreover, this drug is available in combination with misoprostol.

There can be some side effects of this drug, such as abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, nausea, dizziness, headache, and swelling. Severe side effects include stroke, heart disease, kidney problems, stomach ulceration, etc. Furthermore, the use of this drug during pregnancy seems to be unsafe. However, it appears to be safe to use during breastfeeding. The drug acts by decreasing the production of prostaglandin.

The protein binding ability of this drug is more than 99%. The metabolism of the medication occurs in the liver, and the onset of action is about 4 hours. The elimination half-life of this drug is about 1 – 1.2 hours. The excretion of diclofenac is about 40% through bile and about 60% through urine.

What is the Difference Between Dicyclomine and Diclofenac?

Dicyclomine and diclofenac are important drugs in medicine. The key difference between dicyclomine and diclofenac is that dicyclomine is important in treating spasms of the intestines, whereas diclofenac is useful in treating pain and inflammatory diseases, including gout. Moreover, dicyclomine is an anticholinergic drug, while diclofenac is an NSAID drug/ nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Below is a summary of the difference between dicyclomine and diclofenac in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Dicyclomine vs Diclofenac

Dicyclomine is a medication useful in treating spasms of the intestines. Diclofenac is a medication useful in treating pain and inflammatory diseases, including gout. The key difference between dicyclomine and diclofenac is that dicyclomine is important in treating spasms of the intestines, whereas diclofenac is useful in treating pain and inflammatory diseases, including gout.

Reference:

1. “Dicyclomine.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Dicyclomine” By Meodipt – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diclofenac” By Harbin – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia

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