hexamethonium

drug

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Hexamethonium is a drug that acts as a ganglionic blocking agent. It was first used in 1949 and was among the first effective treatments for high blood pressure. Hexamethonium works by blocking nicotinic receptors in the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system, which disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses.12

While it was a significant development in treating hypertension, hexamethonium has many side effects due to its broad impact on the autonomic nervous system. These can include blurred vision, constipation, impotence, and difficulty urinating. Because of these drawbacks, it has largely been replaced by more selective medications.2

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cholinergic drug
The latter group includes hexamethonium and trimethaphan. These drugs cause overall paralysis of the autonomic nervous system because they do not distinguish between sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia and therefore are not specific in their action. They were the first effective agents to reduce high blood pressure (antihypertensive drugs), but…
Read More
The latter group includes hexamethonium and trimethaphan. These drugs cause overall paralysis of the autonomic nervous system because they do not distinguish between sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia and therefore are not specific in their action. They were the first effective agents to reduce high blood pressure (antihypertensive drugs), but…
Read More