A Serious Side Effect of Using Reglan

Although the natural approach to preventing and treating illness is best, there are some conditions where prescription medications are necessary and can be lifesaving. On the flip side, the side effects of some medications can be so devastating that taking the drug is worse than the condition it’s used to treat. Such is the case with the drug Reglan.

What is Reglan?

Reglan, or metaclopramide, is a prescription medication used to treat some digestive tract disorders. It was once used as a short-term treatment for esophageal gastric reflux disease, but is seldom used for this condition today because of the availability of newer medications with less serious side effects. Metaclopramide is now most commonly prescribed to treat a common condition in diabetics (and some non-diabetics) known as gastroparesis. This is a syndrome where the intestines move food too slowly through the digestive tract leading to uncomfortable bloating, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.

People who suffer from gastroparesis sometimes have symptoms so severe that they’re unable to eat solid food and have to get their nourishment almost exclusively from liquids. For this reason, metaclopramide use is appealing to them since their condition can be so incapacitating.

What’s the Danger?

While the drug raglan can be quite effective at relieving the symptoms of gastroparesis, it has the risk of a serious side effect known as tardive dyskinesia. This is a condition stemming from metaclopramide use that leads to difficulty controlling movements. A person experiencing this disorder experiences repetitive movements that they’re unable to control. These movements can include unusual facial expressions, grimacing, repetitive lip smacking, involuntary flexing of muscles, and other strange mannerisms. As you might imagine, people with tardive dyskinesia may become depressed and withdraw from all social interaction.

Even more disturbing when it comes to metaclopramide use and tardive dyskinesia, the effects of this condition are usually irreversible. Because of the seriousness of this side effects associated with the drug Reglan, the FDA now requires a boxed warning on the package to warn consumers of the potential risks. Still, many doctors prescribe this medication for their patients with gastroparesis.

Are There Other Options?

The good news regarding metaclopramide use is that there is now an alternative prescription medication available to treat gastroparesis that doesn’t carry the risk of tardive dyskinesia. This relatively new medications is called domperidone. Although no one knows exactly what causes tardive dyskinesia, it appears to involve interaction with dopamine receptors in the brain. Because domperidone doesn’t cross the blood brain barrier, there’s no risk of tardive dyskinesia.

The Bottom Line

Domperidone may be a safer alternative to the drug Reglan, but this drug is relatively new and also has a long list of potential side effects. Before taking this or any other drug, always research the risks and side effects thoroughly and don’t blindly use it because your doctor prescribed it. Your long-term health is too important.