Metoclopramide

FDA, New Black Box For Reglan

Upset stomach, heartburn and stomach acid might be the least of you concerns.

The FDA announced this month that it is putting a black box warning on all drugs containing the pharmaceutical ingredient, metoclopramide (Reglan).

Now first you should know what and where the “Black Box” is.
Wikipedia states: In the United Staes, a black box warning (also sometimes called a black label warning or boxed warning) is a type of warning that appears on the package insert for prescription drugs that may cause serious adverse effects. It is so named for the black border that usually surrounds the text of the warning.
A black box warning means that medical studies indicate that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or even life-threatening adverse effects…

Reglan is a prescription medication that is used to treat common and everyday reflux. It does this by increasing the contractions in your upper digestive system which in turn speeds up how fast your stomach empties.

The FDA reports that approximately 2 million people take drugs containing metoclopramide and it may be causing more harm that good. What they consider long term (more than 3 months) makes your risks even higher.

But what was the big, bad side effect the pushed the FDA to post the newest Black Box?
Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) seems to be the monster and it is characterized by symptoms of involuntary or repetitive movements of the extremities. This would also include; lip smacking, grimacing, tongue protrusion, rapid eye movements, puckering of the lips and impaired movements of the fingers. But what’s even worse, these symptoms don’t seem to go away after the medication is stopped.

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