Effects of physostigmine on pulse, blood pressure, and serum epinephrine levels.

METHOD In this study, the infusion of physostigmine in 14 patients with affective disorder who were pretreated with methscopolamine caused significant and often profound increases in the patients’ epinephrine levels, pulse rates, and blood pressure. Since physostigmine is being used experimentally in the treatment of elderly subjects who have Alzheimer’s disease, these cardiovascular effects may have clinical importance.