Reglan Lawsuits Over Tardive Dyskinesia

Lawsuit filed against Reglan by Reglan lawyer. There are more than 2 million American patients still using the controversial gastrointestinal drug Reglan, which contains a chemical discovered in the 1960s but was shelved in a backseat position after a competing drug was discovered in the 1990s. After that drug, Cisapride, was discontinued because it was linked to cardiac arrhythmia, Reglan was pushed to the forefront once again. Now the drug is in the media for another time, because of Reglan side effects in children —namely, tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that affects the muscles in the face and limbs.

Reglan neurological problems: Patients with tardive dyskinesia often will not be able to find a treatment because there is no confirmed treatment or cure for the condition.

It is a serious condition that will have an impact on patients for the rest of their lives, and symptoms can manifest in a number of embarrassing and grotesque ways. Uncontrollable and repetitive movements are the hallmark of tardive dyskinesia, including rapid eye movements and blinking, protrusion of the tongue, facial tics such as grimacing, and restless leg syndrome. These can be disastrous to a patient’s life, involving them in embarrassing situations and even preventing them from carrying on with their job depending on what they are employed as.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a “black box” warning in 2009 regarding the risks associated with Reglan. The “black box” warning is the strictest that the Food and Drug Administration is able to place on medication packaging, and this is put in place in order to warn consumers and doctors of the serious risk of tardive dyskinesia that is associated with the potentially dangerous medication. To many patients this is an acknowledgement that drugmakers overlooked the potential for risks early on while testing and marketing the medication, and a number of patients see this as grounds for a lawsuit.

Patients who have filed a Reglan lawsuit are looking for damages that could cover any past and future medical bills associated with the condition, as well as damages associated with loss of quality of life and other serious issues associated with the medication and its side effects.