Reglan® is known to increase patients’ risks of developing neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS.) Reglan®, or metoclopramide, is an anti-nausea medication prescribed to treat diabetic gastroperesis (condition in which the stomach will not contract), gastroesophageal reflux disorder (regurgitation of stomach contents into the esophagus), and to prevent vomiting associated with postoperative nausea and chemotherapy. It is also administered by injection to help diagnose certain gastrointestinal disorders.
Slowing of stomach and intestinal movements signifies nausea and precedes vomiting, and Reglan® works by increasing stomach and small intestine contractions. Reglan® is prescribed to adults and children, and even pregnant women, to combat morning sickness. However, Reglan® is known to pass through breast milk and its effects on pregnant women and infants have not been fully studied.
Reglan® has been associated with a number of side effects, some of which are very serious. Patients using Reglan® have suffered from a neurological condition called tardive dyskinesia, suffering jerky or involuntary movements of the face, lips, tongue, mouth, and sometimes other parts of the body. Tardive dyskinesia can become debilitating, and is incurable if it is not discovered and treated in the early phases.
Also, in rare cases, Reglan® users have developed Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), a sometimes-fatal side effect that is considered a neurological emergency. Symptoms of NMS include high fever, stupor, sweating, hyperthermia, autonomic instability, and unstable blood pressure. In 2004, Reglan® labeling was updated to reflect the risk of NMS.
While the FDA has only approved Reglan® for short-term use, as many as a third of Reglan® patients are long-term users (12 months or longer.) The label on Reglan® does mention tardive dyskinesia as a potential side effect of the drug, but it presents the patient’s risk of developing the disorder as very slim. In actuality, two studies have indicated the presence of tardive dyskinesia in 27-29% of long-term Reglan® users.
If you or a loved one took Reglan® and developed Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome or tardive dyskinesia, your family has suffered enough. The medical bills can be astronomical, in addition to debilitating physical pain. Let our Philadelphia Reglan® lawyers help you obtain compensation for your distress. Contact our Philadelphia-based Reglan® attorneys at the Law Firm of Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C. today.
