How does an antimuscarinic treat motion sickness?
Common motion sickness drugs fall into three classes: anticholinergics, antidopaminergics, and antihistamines; with scopolamine patch the most commonly used treatment. Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints of motion sickness and are mediated by central neurotransmitters. In response to visual and vestibular input, increased levels of dopamine stimulate the medulla oblongata’s chemoreceptor trigger zone, which in turn stimulates the vomiting center within the reticular formation of the brain stem. The vomiting center is also directly stimulated by motion and by high levels of acetylcholine. Scopolamine works by preventing the action of Ach on muscarinic receptors in the vomiting center. Yes it is actually called the vomiting center.
