What is REGLAN (Metoclopramide)?
REGLAN is a prescription medicine used in adults:
- For 4 to 12 weeks to relieve heartburn symptoms with gastroesophageal reflux when certain other treatments do not work.
- To relieve the symptoms of slow stomach emptying in people with diabetes.
Reglan is not recommended for use in children.
What is the most important information I should know about REGLAN?
REGLAN can cause serious side effects. These serious side effects include:
- Tardive dyskinesia (abnormal muscle movements). These movements happen mostly in the face muscles. You cannot control these movements. They may not go away even after stopping REGLAN. There is no treatment for tardive dyskinesia, but symptoms may decrease or go away over time after you stop taking REGLAN. Your chances for getting tardive dyskinesia increase:
- The longer you take REGLAN and the more REGLAN you take. You should not take REGLAN for more than 12 weeks.
- If you are older, especially if you are an older woman.
- If you have diabetes.
- It is not possible for your healthcare provider to know if you will get tardive dyskinesia if you take REGLAN. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get movements you cannot stop or control, such as:
- Lip smacking, chewing, or puckering up your mouth
- Sticking out your tongue
- Shaking of your arms and legs
- Frowning or scowling
- Blinking and moving your eyes
- Uncontrolled spasms of your face and neck muscles, or muscles of your body, arms, and legs (dystonia). These muscle spasms can cause abnormal movements and body positions, and speech problems. These spasms usually start within the first 2 days of treatment. Rarely, these muscle spasms may cause trouble breathing. These spasms happen more often in adults less than 30 years of age.
- Parkinsonism. Symptoms include slight shaking, body stiffness, trouble moving or keeping your balance. If you already have Parkinson's Disease, your symptoms may become worse while you are taking REGLAN.
- Being unable to sit still or feeling you need to move your hands, feet, or body (akathisia). Symptoms can include feeling jittery, anxious, irritated or unable to sleep (insomnia), feeling the need to walk around (pacing) and tapping your feet.
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS). NMS is a very rare but very serious condition that can happen with REGLAN. NMS can cause death and must be treated in a hospital. Symptoms of NMS include: high fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, very fast or uneven heartbeat, and increased sweating.
- Depression, thoughts about suicide, and suicide. Some people who take REGLAN become depressed, even if they have no history of depression. You may have thoughts about hurting or killing yourself. Some people who have taken REGLAN have ended their own lives (suicide).
- High blood pressure. REGLAN can cause your blood pressure to increase.
- Too much body water. People who have certain liver problems or heart failure and take REGLAN may hold too much water in their body (fluid retention). Tell your doctor right away if you have sudden weight gain, or swelling of your hands, legs, or feet.
- Increased prolactin. Tell your doctor if your menstrual periods stop, your breasts get larger and make milk, or you cannot have sex (impotence). These symptoms go away when you stop taking REGLAN.
- Call your healthcare provider and get medical help right away if you:
- Feel depressed or have thoughts about hurting or killing yourself
- Have high fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, very fast or uneven heartbeat, and increased sweating
- Have muscle movements you cannot stop or control
- Have muscle movements that are new or unusual
- The most common side effects of REGLAN include:
- Restlessness
- Drowsiness
- Tiredness
- Lack of energy
How should I take REGLAN?
- Take REGLAN exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. Do not change your dose unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
- REGLAN comes as a tablet you take by mouth.
- You should not take REGLAN for more than 12 weeks.
- Take REGLAN at least 30 minutes before each meal and at bedtime.
- If you take too much REGLAN, go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Important Safety Information
- Do not drink alcohol while taking REGLAN. Alcohol may make some side effects of REGLAN worse, such as feeling sleepy.
- Do not drive, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how REGLAN affects you. REGLAN may cause sleepiness or dizziness
- EGLAN may harm your unborn baby if taken during the end of pregnancy. Talk to your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking REGLAN.
- REGLAN can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby.
- Do not take REGLAN if you:
- Have a history of tardive dyskinesia or have a problem controlling your muscles and movements after taking REGLAN or a medicine that works like REGLAN.
- Have stomach or intestine problems that could get worse with REGLAN, such as bleeding, blockage or a tear in the stomach or bowel wall.
- Have a type of tumor that can cause high blood pressure such as pheochromocytoma.
- Have epilepsy (seizures). REGLAN can increase your chance for seizures and make them worse.
- Are allergic to metoclopramide. REGLAN can cause serious allergic reactions. Stop taking REGLAN right away and get emergency help if you have any of these symptoms: Swelling of your tongue, throat, lips, eyes or face, Trouble swallowing or breathing, Skin rash, hives, sores in your mouth, or skin blisters.
Ask your healthcare provider if you do not know.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking REGLAN?
Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- Have diabetes. Your dose of insulin may need to be changed.
- Had problems controlling your muscle movements after taking any medicine.
- Have Parkinson’s disease.
- have a type of tumor that can cause high blood pressure (pheochromoctyoma).
- Have kidney or liver disease.
- Have or had depression or mental illness.
- Have high blood pressure.
- Have heart failure or heart rhythm problems.
- Have breast cancer.
- Drink alcohol.
- Have seizures
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. REGLAN may harm your unborn baby if taken during the end of pregnancy. Talk to your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking REGLAN.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. REGLAN can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take REGLAN or breastfeed.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements
General information about REGLAN
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use REGLAN for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give REGLAN to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them.
What are the ingredients in REGLAN ?
Active ingredient: Metoclopramide
Inactive ingredient:
REGLAN 5 mg tablets: corn starch, D&C yellow 10 aluminum lake, FD&C blue 1 aluminum lake, lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide, stearic acid
REGLAN 10 mg tablets: magnesium stearate, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid