Reglan Lawsuits Not to be Combined

Although Reglan lawyers have been pushing for consolidated Reglan litigation recently, the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation has shot down the idea, claiming that since Reglan litigation has been going on for about twenty years, many of the discoveries that would usually be left to the multidistrict litigation discovery process have already been made in earlier cases.

Reglan Lawsuit Settlements Depend on History, Other Medications

Many former users of the gastrointestinal drug Reglan are now suffering from one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most damaging and lasting side effects of Reglan – tardive dyskinesia. The neurological movement disorder is brought on by drugs like metoclopramide and manifests with symptoms including uncontrollable movements of muscles in the face and limbs. There is no known treatment or cure for tardive dyskinesia.

Long Term Use of Reglan Leads To Serious Complications

Classified as a dopamine antagonist and developed in the 1950s to treat psychiatric patients, Reglan is now used to help increase the muscle contractions in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Stronger muscle contractions help to increase the speed the stomach empties into the small intestine. Reglan, generically known as metoclopramide, is a drug commonly prescribed to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, persistent heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and a feeling of stomach fullness. Reglan works by increasing pressure at the point where the esophagus connects to the stomach through muscle contractions and helps the stomach deliver food faster into the intestines to complete the digestive process. It is prescribed for both children and adults. Evidence shows that extended use of Reglan can potentially cause the serious neurological syndrome, Reglan induced Tardive Dyskinesia.

Permanent Tardive Dyskinesia Induced By Reglan

Tardive dyskinesia, a permanent neurological disorder characterized by involuntary facial movements caused by the contracting of facial muscles, has been decisively linked to gastrointestinal drug Reglan, causing almost a hundred users to file a Reglan lawsuit against the company responsible in order to hopefully collect a settlement that can pay for the high cost of living with a permanent disorder or one of the other side effects of the drug.
Reglan works to aid digestion by stimulating the muscles in the stomach and intestine to contract in order to move food more quickly through the digestive system. However, its power to make muscles contract seems to have the tendency to spread to areas of the body where it is not necessarily wanted. Side effects that are normal with Reglan and do not indicate a problem include nausea, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and lethargy. 

Reglan Alternatives Don’t Work For Many

Many patients who have either experienced or been warned of the serious and permanent side effects of Reglan are looking for an alternative to the product – however, it is not easy. Many patients tried a number of other products, such as prescription drugs Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium, and over-the-counter treatments such as Pepcid or Zantac. In many cases, these drugs were simply not as effective as Reglan, or metoclopramide.