Bethanechol Chloride 5 mg Tablet, 100-count
🆔 Identity & classification
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🏷️ RxNorm drug class
This medicine belongs to the Cholinergic Muscarinic Agonist class.
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🏭 Manufacturer & labeler
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🩺 Clinical
Bethanechol is used to relieve difficulties in urinating caused by surgery, drugs, or other factors. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Read the full MedlinePlus article ↗- Bethanechol helps your bladder muscle contract so you can urinate when it's not doing that on its own. This can happen after surgery, after giving birth, or when nerve problems wea...
- What exactly is bethanechol supposed to do for me?
- Yes — it really matters. Try to take bethanechol when your stomach is empty. If you take it shortly after eating, you're much more likely to feel nauseated or even vomit. An empty...
- Does it matter if I take it with food or on an empty stomach?
Patient education
Supplement & herbal interactions
Some supplements/herbs that may interact with Bethanechol Chloride — tap one for details:
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💊 What it looks like
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🧪 Inactive Ingredients / Excipients
Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.
💡 Tap an ingredient (hover on desktop) to see what it is and why it’s used.
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Anhydrous lactose is a milk sugar with no water content. It acts as a filler and binder in tablets and capsules, adding bulk and helping ingredients stick together.
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Microcrystalline cellulose is a purified form of cellulose, a natural fiber from plant sources. It acts as a binder and filler in tablets and capsules, helping hold ingredients together and give the medicine its shape and size.
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Magnesium stearate is a salt made from magnesium and stearic acid, a fatty substance. It's used in tablets and capsules as a lubricant and glidant to help ingredients flow smoothly during manufacturing and prevent sticking.
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Silicon dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral used as a glidant and anti-caking agent. It helps powder ingredients flow smoothly and prevents clumping during manufacturing and storage.
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A starch-based powder made from potatoes and processed with sodium. It acts as a disintegrant, helping the tablet or capsule break apart quickly in the stomach so the medicine can be absorbed.
5 inactive ingredients listed in the exact product block matched to this NDC.
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ingredient classCode="IACT" elements from the exact product block matched by this NDC. Label-section narrative from DailyMed / the openFDA label index is shown separately when available.Inactive ingredient FAQ
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💲 Pricing
A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.
| Price system | Per ea | Per package |
|---|---|---|
| Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly | $0.125 | $12.49 / 100 tablets |
| Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo | $0.2428 | $24.28 / 100 tablets |
| Medicare drug plans payPart D · Q2 2026 | $0.1993 | $19.93 / 100 tablets |
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🔁 Therapeutic equivalents
| Product | Labeler | Pack | NADAC/unit | TE | Status | Price vs. this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethanechol Chloride 5 mg 00832-0510-00 | Upsher-Smith | 100 tablets | $0.125 | AA | Availability likely | — |
| Bethanechol Chloride 5 mg 23155-0934-01 | Heritage | 100 tablets | $0.125 | AA | Availability likely | — |
| Bethanechol Chloride 5 mgthis 53746-0571-01 | Amneal | 100 tablets | $0.125 | AA | Availability likely | — |
| Bethanechol Chloride 5 mg 62135-0755-90 | Chartwell | 90 tablets | $0.125 | AA | Availability likely | — |
| Bethanechol Chloride 5 mg 65162-0571-10 | Amneal | 100 tablets | $0.125 | AA | Availability likely | — |
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⏳ Availability & generic status
This product is an FDA-approved generic. Other versions of the same drug are listed under Therapeutic equivalents, least expensive first.
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🗺️ Medicaid utilization & spend
📊 Medicare Part D spend CMS · PART D · 2026 (Q1)
📦 Packaging — all sizes for this product
| Package NDC | Description | Marketing start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53746-0571-01 You're viewing this | 100 TABLET in 1 BOTTLE (53746-571-01) | 2022-04-15 | Active |
📄 Full prescribing information FDA SPL
🎯 Indications and Usage ▾
INDICATIONS AND USAGE Bethanechol chloride tablets are indicated for the treatment of acute postoperative and postpartum nonobstructive (functional) urinary retention and for neurogenic atony of the urinary bladder with retention.
⏱️ Dosage and Administration ▾
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Dosage must be individualized, depending on the type and severity of the condition to be treated. Preferably give the drug when the stomach is empty. If taken soon after eating, nausea and vomiting may occur.
The usual adult oral dose ranges from 10 mg to 50 mg three or four times a day. The minimum effective dose is determined by giving 5 mg to 10 mg initially, and repeating the same amount at hourly intervals until satisfactory response occurs, or until a maximum of 50 mg has been given. The effects of the drug sometimes appear within 30 minutes, and are usually maximal within 60 to 90 minutes.
The drug effects persist for about one hour. If necessary, the effects of the drug can be abolished promptly by atropine (see OVERDOSAGE ).
⛔ Contraindications ▾
CONTRAINDICATIONS Hypersensitivity to bethanechol chloride, hyperthyroidism, peptic ulcer, latent or active bronchial asthma, pronounced bradycardia or hypotension, vasomotor instability, coronary artery disease, epilepsy and parkinsonism. Bethanechol chloride should not be employed when the strength or integrity of the gastrointestinal or bladder wall is in question, or in the presence of mechanical obstruction; when increased muscular activity of the gastrointestinal tract or urinary bladder might prove harmful, as following recent urinary bladder surgery, gastrointestinal resection and anastomosis, or when there is possible gastrointestinal obstruction; in bladder neck obstruction, spastic gastrointestinal disturbances, acute inflammatory lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, or peritonitis; or in marked vagotonia.
🤒 Adverse Reactions ▾
ADVERSE REACTIONS Adverse reactions are rare following oral administration of bethanechol chloride, but are more common following subcutaneous injection. Adverse reactions are more likely to occur when dosage is increased. The following adverse reactions have been observed: Body as a Whole: malaise Digestive: abdominal cramps or discomfort, colicky pain, nausea and belching, diarrhea, borborygmi, salivation Renal: urinary urgency Nervous System: headache Cardiovascular: a fall in blood pressure with reflex tachycardia, vasomotor response Skin: flushing producing a feeling of warmth, sensation of heat about the face, sweating Respiratory: bronchial constriction, asthmatic attacks Special Senses : lacrimation, miosis Causal Relationship Unknown: The following adverse reactions have been reported, and a causal relationship to therapy with bethanechol chloride has not been established: Body as a Whole: malaise Nervous System: seizures To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Amneal Pharmaceuticals at 1-877-835-5472 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
🆘 Overdosage ▾
OVERDOSAGE Early signs of overdosage are abdominal discomfort, salivation, flushing of the skin (“hot feeling”), sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Atropine Sulfate is a specific antidote. The recommended dose for adults is 0.6 mg.
Repeat doses can be given every two hours, according to clinical response. The recommended dosage in infants and children up to 12 years of age is 0.01 mg/kg (to a maximum single dose of 0.4 mg) repeated every two hours as needed until the desired effect is obtained or adverse effects of atropine preclude further usage. Subcutaneous injection of atropine is preferred except in emergencies when the intravenous route may be employed.
The oral LD 50 of bethanechol chloride is 1,510 mg/kg in the mouse.
🧬 Clinical Pharmacology ▾
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY Bethanechol chloride acts principally by producing the effects of stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. It increases the tone of the detrusor urinae muscle, usually producing a contraction sufficiently strong to initiate micturition and empty the bladder. It stimulates gastric motility, increases gastric tone and often restores impaired rhythmic peristalsis.
Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system releases acetylcholine at the nerve endings. When spontaneous stimulation is reduced and therapeutic intervention is required, acetylcholine can be given, but it is rapidly hydrolyzed by cholinesterase and its effects are transient. Bethanechol chloride is not destroyed by cholinesterase and its effects are more prolonged than those of acetylcholine.
Effects on the GI and urinary tracts sometimes appear within 30 minutes after oral administration of bethanechol chloride, but more often 60 to 90 minutes are required to reach maximum effectiveness. Following oral administration, the usual duration of action of bethanechol chloride is one hour, although large doses (300 mg to 400 mg) have been reported to produce effects for up to six hours. Subcutaneous injection produces a more intense action on bladder muscle than does oral administration of the drug.
Because of the selective action of bethanechol chloride, nicotinic symptoms of cholinergic stimulation are usually absent or minimal when orally or subcutaneously administered in therapeutic doses, while muscarinic effects are prominent. Muscarinic effects usually occur within 5 to 15 minutes after subcutaneous injection, reach a maximum in 15 to 30 minutes, and disappear within two hours. Doses that stimulate micturition and defecation and increase peristalsis do not ordinarily stimulate ganglia or voluntary muscles.
Therapeutic test doses in normal human subjects have little effect on heart rate, blood pressure or peripheral circulation. Bethanechol chloride does not cross the blood-brain barrier because of its charged quaternary amine moiety. The metabolic rate and mode of excretion of the drug have not been elucidated.
A clinical study (Diokno, A.C.; Lapides, J.; Urol 10: 23 to 24, July 1977) was conducted on the relative effectiveness of oral and subcutaneous doses of bethanechol chloride on the stretch response of bladder muscle in patients with urinary retention. Results showed that 5 mg of the drug given subcutaneously stimulated a response that was more rapid in onset and of larger magnitude than an oral dose of 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg. All the oral doses, however, had a longer duration of effect than the subcutaneous dose.
Although the 50 mg oral dose caused little change in intravesical pressure in this study, this dose has been found in other studies to be clinically effective in the rehabilitation of patients with decompensated bladders.
📦 How Supplied / Storage and Handling ▾
HOW SUPPLIED Bethanechol Chloride Tablets, USP, 5 mg are supplied as white, round, flat faced, bevelled tablets debossed with ‘AN’ above bisect and ‘571’ below bisect on one side and plain on the other side. They are available as follows: Bottles of 100: NDC 53746-571-01 Bethanechol Chloride Tablets, USP, 10 mg are supplied as white, round, flat faced, bevelled tablets debossed with ‘AN’ above bisect and ‘572’ below bisect on one side and plain on the other side. They are available as follows: Bottles of 100: NDC 53746-572-01 Bethanechol Chloride Tablets, USP, 25 mg are supplied as yellow, round, flat faced, bevelled tablets debossed with ‘AN’ above bisect and ‘573’ below bisect on one side and plain on the other side.
They are available as follows: Bottles of 100: NDC 53746-573-01 Bethanechol Chloride Tablets, USP, 50 mg are supplied as yellow, round, flat faced, bevelled tablets debossed with ‘AN’ above bisect and ‘574’ below bisect on one side and plain on the other side. They are available as follows: Bottles of 100: NDC 53746-574-01 Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature]. This container is not intended for household use.
Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container as defined in the USP, with a child-resistant closure (as required). KEEP THIS AND ALL MEDICATIONS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. Manufactured by: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Pvt.
Ltd. Oral Solid Dosage Unit Ahmedabad 382213, INDIA Distributed by: Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Rev.09-2021-00
📋 Description ▾
DESCRIPTION Bethanechol chloride, a cholinergic agent, is a synthetic ester which is structurally and pharmacologically related to acetylcholine. It is designated chemically as 2-[(aminocarbonyl) oxy]- N, N, N -trimethyl-1-propanaminium chloride. Its molecular formula is C 7 H 17 CIN 2 O 2 and its structural formula is: Bethanechol chloride, USP is a white, hygroscopic crystalline powder having a slight amine-like odor, freely soluble in water, and has a molecular weight of 196.68.
Each tablet for oral administration contains 5 mg, 10 mg, 25 mg or 50 mg bethanechol chloride, USP. Bethanechol chloride Tablets, USP also contain the following inactive ingredients: anhydrous lactose, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and sodium starch glycolate, Type A. The 25 mg and 50 mg tablets also contain D&C Yellow No.10 Aluminum Lake and FD&C Yellow No.
6 Aluminum Lake. 1