Metoclopramide and Reglan Lead to Most Common Drug-Induced Movement Disorders

Although Reglan is marketed for treatment of conditions that are often chronic and long-term problems, the medication is only approved for use of less than 12 weeks, however many patients experience long term side effects of Reglan.  Since there is little benefit in treating a long term condition with a short-term treatment, many doctors continue their patients on the medications for more than three months.  In fact, about 30% of all prescribed metoclopramide drugs are taken for more than 12 months. Long-term or high dose use of Reglan, as well as other drugs containing dopamine antagonists like metoclopramide, substantially increase the risk of Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia.

The term "Tardive Dyskinesia" was first introduced in 1964, referring to repetitive, involuntary and purposeless movements.  The condition

is caused as a side effect of several drugs, and in many cases the inability to stop moving continues even after the drug is stopped.  There is no known effective treatment and it is rarely reversible. Tardive dyskinesia effects can be socially disabling, causing those who suffer from the problems to isolate themselves and feel like an outcast as a result of the societal stigma. Although there are no exact estimates about the number of people diagnosed with Tardive Dyskinesia and no large-scale studies have ever been done, the incidence is higher among older individuals, and Reglan side effects have been reported as the most common cause of the drug-induced movement disorder.

Reglan (metoclopramide) is designed for short-term treatment of gastrointestinal disorders like diabetic gastro paresis, gastroesphageal reflux (GERD) and delayed gastric emptying. However, it is often prescribed for longer periods of time due to the often chronic persistence of those ailments, which has left many users with the movement disorder. In the United States, more than 1,000 Reglan lawsuits have been filed in courts throughout the United States against manufacturers of metoclopramide, alleging that drug makers failed to adequately warn about the risk of tardive dyskinesia and other movement disorders from Reglan. However, a Supreme Court decision issued earlier this month may result in the dismissal of many of those cases, as most have been filed against the manufacturers of generic Reglan. Cases against the non-generic manufacturers have been more effective, though both are still being brought to court.