What is Reglan (Metoclopramide)
What is Reglan (Metoclopramide)?
Reglan or the generic known as metoclopramide is a prescription drug often prescribed to treat gastrointestinal problems in children and adults. Reglan is most often used to control gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or to reduce nausea and vomiting. Over the years thousands of physicians will often use Reglan for both children and adults suffering from reflux, gastroparesis, and other conditions related to the stomach such as heartburn, decreased appetite, and prolonged fullness after eating. Even infants are sometimes given Reglan for reflux.
Medical science and studies have proven that Reglan can cause Tardive Dyskinesia, a serious and often irreversible movement disorder. Infants who are given Reglan appear to be at an even greater risk for this serious drug side effect.
Reglan works by affecting the lower esophageal sphincter pressure, which then helps to improve gastrointestinal emptying. The FDA has only approved Reglan for short-term treatment (between 4 and 12 weeks) of these conditions, and only after conservative methods of treatment have failed. Unfortunately, prescription trends prove that many patients are prescribed Reglan for longer than 12 weeks (often for years), which is against FDA recommendations. The manufacturers of Reglan are well aware of these extended prescription trends.
What is Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)?
Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological syndrome that can be caused by the long-term use of neuroleptic drugs, including Reglan. Different classes of neuroleptic drugs are prescribed for psychiatric disorders, but Reglan also has neuroleptic characteristics.
Tardive dyskinesia is most often characterized by repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements. Patients suffering from TD may exhibit involuntary facial gestures, such as grimacing, tongue protrusion, lip smacking, puckering and pursing, and rapid eye blinking. They may also suffer rapid and involuntary movements of the fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, legs, and trunk. TD can even adversely affect the ability to breathe, swallow, walk, and talk.
Tardive dyskinesia is a serious and potentially irreversible disorder. It can be caused by Reglan and metoclopramide.
What is the connection between Reglan and Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)?
The FDA and the pharmaceutical manufacturers have long recognized that Reglan increases the risk of tardive dyskinesia. The physicians and the patients using the drug are rarely made aware of the true nature of the risk, and the label for the drug does a poor job of explaining the dangers. Many physicians are unaware that the drug is intended for short term use only, and continue to prescribe Reglan month after month.
Scientific and medical studies have suggested that as many as 1 in 4 patients who take Reglan for more than a year may develop symptoms of TD. The conditions can occur in much shorter time periods as well. Both the amount and the duration of the prescription appear to increase the risk of developing TD.
Likewise, studies have shown that the risk of developing TD is greater for children (especially infants) than for adults taking Reglan. While TD can afflict anyone taking Reglan, children are apparently much more susceptible to the effects of Reglan.
Often the diagnosis of TD is a difficult one to make. Reglan actually conceals the very symptoms it is causing, which makes it a difficult diagnosis to make. For this reason, symptoms of TD will often surface only after the drug is discontinued. As a result, the true extent of the injury is often greater than anticipated, because Reglan is continuing to cause a greater injury, while hiding the symptoms.
How is Tardive Dyskinesia treated?
Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia. In some cases, the syndrome may resolve or the symptoms may be reduced weeks or even months after a patient stops taking Reglan. For some patients, however, the damage is irreversible.
What can you do?
If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered injury from taking Reglan or metoclopramide, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we may be able to help.
TRADEMARK NOTICE: Reglan is a trademark of Schwarz Pharma.
The Carabin & Shaw Law Firm, its' lawyers and this website is in no way affiliated with Schwarz Pharma. The use of this mark is solely for informational and product identification purposes.
Reglan or the generic known as metoclopramide is a prescription drug often prescribed to treat gastrointestinal problems in children and adults. Reglan is most often used to control gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or to reduce nausea and vomiting. Over the years thousands of physicians will often use Reglan for both children and adults suffering from reflux, gastroparesis, and other conditions related to the stomach such as heartburn, decreased appetite, and prolonged fullness after eating. Even infants are sometimes given Reglan for reflux.
Medical science and studies have proven that Reglan can cause Tardive Dyskinesia, a serious and often irreversible movement disorder. Infants who are given Reglan appear to be at an even greater risk for this serious drug side effect.
Reglan works by affecting the lower esophageal sphincter pressure, which then helps to improve gastrointestinal emptying. The FDA has only approved Reglan for short-term treatment (between 4 and 12 weeks) of these conditions, and only after conservative methods of treatment have failed. Unfortunately, prescription trends prove that many patients are prescribed Reglan for longer than 12 weeks (often for years), which is against FDA recommendations. The manufacturers of Reglan are well aware of these extended prescription trends.
What is Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)?
Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological syndrome that can be caused by the long-term use of neuroleptic drugs, including Reglan. Different classes of neuroleptic drugs are prescribed for psychiatric disorders, but Reglan also has neuroleptic characteristics.
Tardive dyskinesia is most often characterized by repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements. Patients suffering from TD may exhibit involuntary facial gestures, such as grimacing, tongue protrusion, lip smacking, puckering and pursing, and rapid eye blinking. They may also suffer rapid and involuntary movements of the fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, legs, and trunk. TD can even adversely affect the ability to breathe, swallow, walk, and talk.
Tardive dyskinesia is a serious and potentially irreversible disorder. It can be caused by Reglan and metoclopramide.
What is the connection between Reglan and Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)?
The FDA and the pharmaceutical manufacturers have long recognized that Reglan increases the risk of tardive dyskinesia. The physicians and the patients using the drug are rarely made aware of the true nature of the risk, and the label for the drug does a poor job of explaining the dangers. Many physicians are unaware that the drug is intended for short term use only, and continue to prescribe Reglan month after month.
Scientific and medical studies have suggested that as many as 1 in 4 patients who take Reglan for more than a year may develop symptoms of TD. The conditions can occur in much shorter time periods as well. Both the amount and the duration of the prescription appear to increase the risk of developing TD.
Likewise, studies have shown that the risk of developing TD is greater for children (especially infants) than for adults taking Reglan. While TD can afflict anyone taking Reglan, children are apparently much more susceptible to the effects of Reglan.
Often the diagnosis of TD is a difficult one to make. Reglan actually conceals the very symptoms it is causing, which makes it a difficult diagnosis to make. For this reason, symptoms of TD will often surface only after the drug is discontinued. As a result, the true extent of the injury is often greater than anticipated, because Reglan is continuing to cause a greater injury, while hiding the symptoms.
How is Tardive Dyskinesia treated?
Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia. In some cases, the syndrome may resolve or the symptoms may be reduced weeks or even months after a patient stops taking Reglan. For some patients, however, the damage is irreversible.
What can you do?
If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered injury from taking Reglan or metoclopramide, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we may be able to help.
TRADEMARK NOTICE: Reglan is a trademark of Schwarz Pharma.
The Carabin & Shaw Law Firm, its' lawyers and this website is in no way affiliated with Schwarz Pharma. The use of this mark is solely for informational and product identification purposes.
