Reglan: New Warnings from the FDA

When I took Reglan, I would fall asleep anywhere and had difficulty concentrating.  I spoke with a co-worker about having GERD and discovered that we were both on the same medicines.  We started comparing symptons after taking Reglan and decided to stop the medication on our own.  I had been taking Reglan (4 pills a day) for about 6 months.

I've taken Reglan for Gastroparesis starting in July 2007 until this year. It has worked wonders for me and has kept me out of the emergency room. I take 5mg 4 times a day. I havent had any adverse side effects at all. I stopped taking it at the begining of this year as a test. The doc wants me to come in for re-evaluation to renew my latest script, I dont want to pay the "specialist" copay so I decided to see how I do without it. I stopped "cold turkey" without "weening" myself off and was fine, no issues. I've been eating tons of greens and fiber foods to compensate for the pills, staying away from fatty greasy foods. I still eat 3 times a day, not 6. I have taken maybe 4 pills this whole year due to the fact I wasnt eating a good meal that day and didnt want to have an episode of vomitting. After reading this warning though, which is scary to me - to have unwanted movements and it may never be fixed - I dont think I will be taking anymore even though it hasnt caused me any problems in the past.

My young daughter was given a dose of Reglan for nausea in the recovery room at Johns Hopkins after surgery about 7 or 8 years ago. She quickly began moving her limbs involuntarily and could not stop them. At the time the doctors had no idea what was going on and tried all types of drugs to counteract the movements with no success.  The involuntary movements lasted about 18 hours and then luckily stopped.  The doctors told us not to allow her to be given Reglan again, but at the time didn't understand why this had occurred. They thought it might have been a reaction with one of her other meds, but they had not seen this before. This was a scary incident when some of the top doctors in the world had no answers. It's interesting that now, many years later, there is more evidence of Reglan causing this same response in other people.

My daughter at the age of 6mths was given Reglan for her reflux and was on it for several months. It helped a little but she did develop a very scary seizure like disorder and I could not even hold her. She would have to be fed in her swing while screaming and postering her arms and stiffening her body. We had an EEG done thinking possible siezures but it was normal we were instead told by the Neurologist that she may have had some sort of Benign something, don't remember the word, that would go away on its own in time. Not one time did anyone say anything about the Reglan being an issue. I feel like I missed out on so much with her, not ever being able to hold her to feed her and am very angry to find out that it may have been caused by the Reglan. Glad to say that she is happy and healthy now showing no signs of any long lasting effects thank god!!