Final answer:
Anticholinergic medications like trihexyphenidyl may cause bradycardia as an adverse effect. They block acetylcholine and can decrease bodily secretions like saliva, leading to side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, and in severe cases, effects on motor coordination, breathing, and heart function.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adverse effect of anticholinergic medications like trihexyphenidyl (Artane) is option 1: Bradycardia. Anticholinergic drugs act by blocking the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and the peripheral nervous system. These drugs typically cause a decrease in secretions, such as saliva, and therefore can lead to dry mouth, not excessive salivation. Other side effects can include blurred vision, constipation, urinary retention, confusion, and in more severe cases, they may impact motor coordination, breathing, and heart function.
Side effects like hypertension or diarrhea are not commonly associated with anticholinergic medications. Increased heart rate is not a usual side effect; instead, these medications can sometimes cause bradycardia due to their effect on the vagus nerve which otherwise mediates lowering of the heart rate.
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