Which teaching point should the nurse include when educating a client taking benztropine?

• A. It may take up to several weeks for tremors to improve.
• B. Anticholinergics can cause dry mouth, urinary retention, and constipation.
• C. Increasing fiber and fluid consumption will help with side effects.
• D. Anticholinergics block the effect of acetylcholine.

Answer: (D)

Benztropine acts as an anticholinergic drug, blocking acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors in the brain. In Parkinsonian conditions, there’s an imbalance in the basal ganglia where acetylcholine activity is relatively high compared with dopamine, contributing to tremor and rigidity. By dampening acetylcholine’s effects, benztropine helps restore that balance and reduce motor symptoms. Explaining this mechanism helps the client understand why the medication is prescribed and what it aims to accomplish beyond simply “fixing” tremors.

Because this drug blocks acetylcholine, it often causes anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, and urinary retention. Teaching should include practical ways to manage these effects—like increasing fiber and fluid intake for constipation and using sugar-free gum or hard candies to help dry mouth. It’s also useful to note that while tremor relief can occur, the overall goal is to rebalance neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia, and patients may notice gradual improvement over time.