What Is Reglan?
Reglan (metoclopramide) is a dopamine antagonist that is used as an antiemetic (anti-vomiting) agent used to treat nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn and early satiety (feeling of fullness). Reglan is available in generic form.
What Are Side Effects of Reglan?
Common side effects of Reglan are:
- decreased energy,
- tiredness,
- diarrhea,
- dizziness,
- drowsiness,
- headache,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- restlessness,
- malaise,
- trouble sleeping (insomnia),
- breast tenderness or swelling,
- changes in your menstrual periods, or
- urinating more than usual.
Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Reglan including:
- tardive dyskinesia (unusual muscle movements),
- muscle stiffness,
- depression,
- agitation, and
- difficulty breathing.
Dosage for Reglan
Reglan can be administered both orally and by IV or IM. IM doses range from 10-20 mg, while IV doses are usually only 10 mg. IV and IM doses are usually only given in hospitals or health care facilities. Oral doses can vary from 10 to 15 mg, and are taken four times per day to prevent vomiting and other symptoms.
What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Reglan?
Reglan may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety), acetaminophen,m cyclosporine, digoxin, glycopyrrolate, insulin, levodopa, mepenzolate, tetracycline, atropine, benztropine, dimenhydrinate, methscopolamine, scopolamine, bladder or urinary medications, blood pressure medications, bronchodilators, irritable bowel medications, MAO inhibitors, or medicines to treat psychiatric disorders. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.
Reglan During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Pregnant females should consult with their OB-GYN physicians before taking this medicine. Caution should be exercised when Reglan is administered to a nursing mother. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
Additional Information
Our Reglan Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
SLIDESHOW
Digestive Disorders: Common Misconceptions See SlideshowGet emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop taking metoclopramide and call your doctor at once if you have any of these SIGNS OF A SERIOUS MOVEMENT DISORDER, which may occur within the first 2 days of treatment:
- tremors or shaking in your arms or legs;
- uncontrolled muscle movements in your face (chewing, lip smacking, frowning, tongue movement, blinking or eye movement); or
- any new or unusual muscle movements you cannot control.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- confusion, depression, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
- slow or jerky muscle movements, problems with balance or walking;
- mask-like appearance in your face;
- a seizure;
- anxiety, agitation, jittery feeling, trouble staying still, trouble sleeping;
- swelling, feeling short of breath, rapid weight gain; or
- severe nervous system reaction--very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling like you might pass out.
Common side effects may include:
- feeling restless;
- feeling drowsy or tired;
- lack of energy;
- nausea, vomiting;
- headache, confusion; or
- sleep problems (insomnia).
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
SIDE EFFECTS
In general, the incidence of adverse reactions correlates with the dose and duration of metoclopramide administration. The following reactions have been reported, although in most instances, data do not permit an estimate of frequency:
CNS Effects
Restlessness, drowsiness, fatigue, and lassitude occur in approximately 10% of patients receiving the most commonly prescribed dosage of 10 mg q.i.d. (see PRECAUTIONS). Insomnia, headache, confusion, dizziness, or mental depression with suicidal ideation (see WARNINGS) occur less frequently. The incidence of drowsiness is greater at higher doses. There are isolated reports of convulsive seizures without clear-cut relationship to metoclopramide. Rarely, hallucinations have been reported.
Extrapyramidal Reactions (EPS)
Acute dystonic reactions, the most common type of EPS associated with metoclopramide, occur in approximately 0.2% of patients (1 in 500) treated with 30 to 40 mg of metoclopramide per day. Symptoms include involuntary movements of limbs, facial grimacing, torticollis, oculogyric crisis, rhythmic protrusion of tongue, bulbar type of speech, trismus, opisthotonus (tetanus-like reactions), and, rarely, stridor and dyspnea possibly due to laryngospasm; ordinarily these symptoms are readily reversed by diphenhydramine (see WARNINGS).
Parkinsonian-like symptoms may include bradykinesia, tremor, cogwheel rigidity, mask-like facies (see WARNINGS).
Tardive dyskinesia most frequently is characterized by involuntary movements of the tongue, face, mouth, or jaw, and sometimes by involuntary movements of the trunk and/or extremities; movements may be choreoathetotic in appearance (see WARNINGS).
Motor restlessness (akathisia) may consist of feelings of anxiety, agitation, jitteriness, and insomnia, as well as inability to sit still, pacing, foot tapping. These symptoms may disappear spontaneously or respond to a reduction in dosage.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
Rare occurrences of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) have been reported. This potentially fatal syndrome is comprised of the symptom complex of hyperthermia, altered consciousness, muscular rigidity, and autonomic dysfunction (see WARNINGS).
Endocrine Disturbances
Galactorrhea, amenorrhea, gynecomastia, impotence secondary to hyperprolactinemia (see PRECAUTIONS). Fluid retention secondary to transient elevation of aldosterone (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY).
Cardiovascular
Hypotension, hypertension, supraventricular tachycardia, bradycardia, fluid retention, acute congestive heart failure and possible AV block (see CONTRAINDICATIONS and PRECAUTIONS).
Gastrointestinal
Nausea and bowel disturbances, primarily diarrhea.
Hepatic
Rarely, cases of hepatotoxicity, characterized by such findings as jaundice and altered liver function tests, when metoclopramide was administered with other drugs with known hepatotoxic potential.
Renal
Urinary frequency and incontinence.
Hematologic
A few cases of neutropenia, leukopenia, or agranulocytosis, generally without clear-cut relationship to metoclopramide. Methemoglobinemia, in adults and especially with overdosage in neonates (see OVERDOSE). Sulfhemoglobinemia in adults.
Allergic Reactions
A few cases of rash, urticaria, or bronchospasm, especially in patients with a history of asthma. Rarely, angioneurotic edema, including glossal or laryngeal edema.
Miscellaneous
Visual disturbances. Porphyria.
Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Reglan (Metoclopramide)
© Reglan Patient Information is supplied by Cerner Multum, Inc. and Reglan Consumer information is supplied by First Databank, Inc., used under license and subject to their respective copyrights.
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