Stomach Med Raises Risk of Tardive Dyskinesia

The FDA recently announced that it has received numerous reports of patients who had been on metoclopramide (Reglan, Octamide, Maxolon) for more than twelve weeks who then developed Tardive Dyskinesia.

Tardive Dyskinesia ("TD") is a serious neurological disorder, characterized by uncontrollable, involuntary body movements such as lip smacking, tongue thrusting, eye blinking and bulging, head jerking, facial grimacing, puckering and pursing of the lips, and involuntary movements of the fingers, as though the patient were playing an invisible piano. The movements are not controllable, and they are continuous, stopping only when the person sleeps. Tardive Dyskinesia may persist for months, even years after the medication has been discontinued, and is usually not reversible. There is no known treatment for TD. The majority of people who develop TD continue to have symptoms for the rest of their lives.

Metoclopramide, marketed as Reglan, Octamide, and Maxolon, is a drug which increases the stomach's ability to empty digested food and move it on to the small intestine. Slowed stomach-emptying sometimes becomes a problem in diabetes, and many users of metoclopramide (Reglan, Octamide, Maxolon) are diabetics. Other uses include treatment of heartburn in gastroesophageal reflux when first-line drugs have not worked, and management of nausea and vomiting in migraines and in cancer treatment.

Prescribing literature for metoclopramide (Reglan, Octamide, Maxolon) has always recommended that metoclopramide should be used for no more than twelve weeks, because increased use and higher dosages exposes the patient to greater risk of developing TD. In its announcement, the FDA cited a study in which 20% of patients were maintained on metoclopramide for longer than three months.

Patients who are on short term metoclopramide therapy should be aware that there are other anti-nausea drugs and other drugs which can assist with slow stomach emptying. Patients should consult their doctor about alternatives.

If you or a loved one has taken metoclopramide and have developed TD symptoms, you should immediately notify your prescribing physician, and be guided by your physician's advice.

If you or a loved one has taken metoclopramide (Reglan, Octamide, Maxolon) and has developed symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia, you should consult the prescribing physician as soon as possible. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with TD, you should immediately consult an experienced pharmaceutical attorney who handles dangerous drug cases for review of a potential claim against the manufacturer.

Most states have laws called statutes of limitation which specify how long after an event you may file a claim or a lawsuit related to the event. Because of these statutes, it is urgent that if you or a loved one believes you have a claim, you will want to contact an experienced plaintiff's attorney so that your claim can be evaluated before the time limit is reached.

If you or a loved one has suffered from Tardive Dyskinesia (TD), you may wish to contact a pharmaceutical attorney who handles dangerous drug cases for review of a potential claim against the manufacturer. Pharmaceutical litigation attorney Gayle Blatt is currently evaluating claims related to Metoclopramide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gayle_Blatt