Reglan Side Effects

[Guest guest]

Hi,

in response to your post regarding Reglan, I did a search and came

up with this shocker. I was put on this for a few months and I do

suffer from symptoms similar to restless leg syndrome, but in my

arms and back..makes me wonder now if it is because of the reglan. I

thought it was from Phenergan and pain medicine...will ask my doctor

next time I see her. Apparently there is a lawsuit against the

Manufacturers of Reglan I found out whilst searching the product.

www.reglan-lawsuit.com/

....Reglan (metoclopramide) is most commonly prescribed to patients

suffering from gastroesophageal reflux. The FDA has approved the

pharmaceutical for short-term use (4 to 12 weeks) and only when

conservative treatment fails.

Metoclopramide (met-oh-kloe-PRA-mide) is a medicine that increases

the movements or contractions of the stomach and intestines. When

given by injection, it is used to help diagnose certain problems of

the stomach and/or intestines. It is also used by injection to

prevent the nausea and vomiting that may occur after treatment with

anticancer medicines. Another medicine may be used with

metoclopramide to prevent side effects that may occur when

metoclopramide is used with anticancer medicines.

Reglan Side Effects

In spite of the fact that the FDA has approved Reglan only for short-

term use, approximately one-third of patients are being prescribed

the medication for 12 months or longer. Long-term use can cause

serious side effects, including tardive dyskinesia, a neurological

disorder which causes involuntary movements of the tongue, mouth,

face, lips and sometimes arms, trunk or legs.

Although the labeling for Reglan and generic metoclopramide mentions

tardive dyskinesia, the labeling suggests that it rarely occurs.

Notwithstanding this statement by these drug companies, two studies

have determined the prevalence of tardive dyskinesia is between 27

percent and 29 percent in long-term users.

If you have taken this pharmaceutical for an extended period of

time, you may be at a greater risk of developing tardive dyskinesia.

Acute Dystonic Reactions

An Acute Dystonic Reaction consists of sustained, often painful

Muscule Spasms, producing twisting abnormal postures. Half of Acute

Dystonic Reactions occur within 48 hours of initiation of the

neuroleptic drug or related drugs like Reglan (Metoclopramide) or

Propulsid (Cisapride) - drugs that are in fact Neuroleptics. 90%

occur within 5 days. These Dystonic Reactions are more common with

injected than oral medications. They are more common in the younger

patients, and more common in young males than young females.

Neuroleptics are Antipsychotic Drugs used to treat Schizophrenia,

but have also been used in treat Gastrointestinal Disorders such as

Gerd (Gastrointestinal Reflux Disorder; Acid Reflux; Heartburn) or

to treat Nausea (Antiemetic); or to increase Breast Milk production

in Breast Feeding.

Approximately 3 to 10% of patients exposed to neuroleptics will

experience an Acute Dystonic Reaction. Haldol (Haloperidol) and the

long acting, injected fluphenazines have the highest incidence of

these reactions. The risk is higher in patients with a prior

history of a similar reaction or a family history of Dystonia.

For a family member or patient to experience an Acute Dystonic

Reaction can be extremely frightening if there is no prior

experience with it. The order of the most frequent types include

Neck Dystonia 30%, Tongue Dystonia 17%, Jaw Dystonia 15%,

Oculorgyric Crisis (Eyes Rolling Back, and Neck Arching) 6%, and

Opisthotonus (Body Arching) 3.5%. The movements then may fluctuate

over hours and temporarily abate in response to reassurance. This

can cause an inappropriate diagnosis of Hysteria. They typically

last minutes to hours without treatment. Occasionally the movements

are more Choreiform. They are more typically generalized in young

patients and more focal in the older patients.

During an Acute Dystonic Reaction, the major goal is to prevent

major physical injury and to calm the patient, explaining that the

reaction will subside.

Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS)

Neuroleptics typically block dopamine receptors so it is not

surprising that some of their side effects mimic that of Parkinson

disease, which is caused by dopamine deficiency. These symptoms

include rigidity of posture and gait, " pill rolling " movements of

the fingers, tremor, and difficulty in initiating movements.

These symptoms are generally reversible, requiring only that the

medication causing them are discontinued.

Aside from the strict sense of the term Extrapyramidal Symptoms as

described here, there is a host of movement disorders caused by

pathologies of the extrapyramidal motor system.

The extrapyramidal motor system is so named because it exerts

control over muscles independent of the descending cortical motor

systems, whose descending tracts were originally termed

the " pyramids " because of the shape of these white matter tracts.

The extrapyramidal system includes the basal ganglia (the striatum

(caudate and putamen), globus pallidus, substantia nigra, red

nucleus, parafascicular nucleus and centre median of the thalamus),

and others. It is a more primitive motor system than the cortical

motor system, and is responsible for more automatic movements.