Personal Injury Law

Black Box Warning: Reglan Increases Risk of Tardive Dyskinesia

By Alan Ripka

Imagine taking a drug called Reglan to help relieve or cure symptoms of heartburn or other conditions and getting sicker with other dangerous symptoms and illnesses. Alan Ripka, Esquire, says "people should have been warned about the side effects of Reglan so that they can make an educated choice about taking Reglan."

This week, the Food and Drug Administration put a black box warning (the strongest FDA warning) on all drugs containing metoclopramide (Reglan), which is used in the treatment of disorders like heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Reglan is used to treat heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux in people who have used other medications without relief of symptoms. Reglan is also used to treat slow gastric emptying in people with diabetes (diabetic gastroparesis), which can cause nausea, vomiting, heartburn, loss of appetite, and a feeling of fullness after meals. Reglan increases muscle contractions in the upper digestive tract. This speeds up the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines.

Consumers taking this drug are at risk of developing tardive dyskinesia, which causes involuntary repetitive momements (twitches). The risk increases with long-term, high-dose use of metoclopramide. FDA studies show that around 20 percent of patients who developed drug-induced movement disorders after taking Metoclopramide had taken the drug for more than three months.

Tardive dyskinesia is a disorder that involves involuntary movements, especially of the lower face. Tardive means "delayed" and dyskinesia means "abnormal movement." Symptoms include facial grimacing, jaw swinging, repetitive chewing, and tongue thrusting. Tardive dyskinesia can persist long after the patient stops using the drug - these involuntary movements may become permanent and in some cases may become significantly worse.

If you or a loved one has taken Reglan, and have the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia listed above, you may be entitled to compensation. The professional team of lawyers at Napoli Bern Ripka Law Firm can evaluate your situation and determine the next steps to gain justice for you and your family. Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP has fought against large companies in other matters and will fight for you if we believe you have a potential case for medical malpractice, products liability, personal injury, and is prepared to go to court and have a trial if necessary. Please call and ask for Alan Ripka, one of our partners.

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on March 10, 2010 (boomark / email).