Reglan Side Effects
Have you or a loved one experienced serious Reglan side effects? Has your newborn suffered defects as a result of Reglan use? An experienced Reglan attorney can help. Contact our Reglan lawyers.
Reglan – or metoclopramide – is a prescription drug, manufactured by the Baxter Healthcare Corporation, used to treat various gastrointestinal problems. Post-operative patients and those undergoing cancer treatments may be given Reglan to reduce nausea and vomiting.
While all medications have certain, anticipated side effects, drug manufacturers have a legally responsibility to ensure their products are safe, and must inform the public and medical community of any known health risks. Since its release, Reglan has been linked to Tardive Dyskinesia, a serious and often irreversible movement disorder. Infants who are given Reglan appear to be at an even greater risk for this serious side effect.
If you or a loved one has experienced any serious Reglan side effects, contact the dangerous drug lawsuit attorneys at RxRecall.com today. An experienced Reglan attorney will evaluate your case and explain your legal options.
What is Reglan?
Reglan (metoclopramide) is a prescription drug often prescribed to treat gastrointestinal problems in children and adults. Reglan is most often used to control gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or to reduce nausea and vomiting. Physicians will often use Reglan for both children and adults suffering from reflux, gastroparesis, and other conditions related to the stomach such as heartburn, decreased appetite, and prolonged fullness after eating. Even infants are sometimes given Reglan for reflux.
Reglan works by affecting the lower esophageal sphincter pressure, which then helps to improve gastrointestinal emptying. The FDA has only approved Reglan for short-term treatment (between 4 and 12 weeks) of these conditions, and only after conservative methods of treatment have failed. Unfortunately, prescription trends prove that many patients are prescribed Reglan for longer than 12 weeks (often for years), which is against FDA recommendations. The manufacturers of Reglan are well aware of these extended prescription trends.
Medical science and studies have proven that Reglan can cause Tardive Dyskinesia, a serious and often irreversible movement disorder. Infants who are given Reglan appear to be at an even greater risk for this serious drug side effect.
What is Tardive Dyskinesia?
The FDA and Baxter Healthcare recognize that Reglan increases the risk of Tardive Dyskinesia. However, they have failed to adequately convey the seriousness of Reglan side effects.
Tardive Dyskinesia is a serious and potentially irreversible movement disorder caused by certain prescription medications. While antipsychotic medications are the common culprit in cases of Tardive Dyskinesia, Reglan and other gastrointestinal medications can also cause this severe drug side effect. Patients with tardive dyskinesia suffer abnormal muscle movements, which can affect the muscles of the face, mouth, jaw, tongue, eyes, neck, shoulders, torso, larynx, diaphragm, arms, legs, feet, and hands.
Impairments in movement caused by Tardive Dyskinesia can be:
- Rhythmic
- Athetoid (slow, continual, and sinuous)
- Choreiform (rapid, non-repetitive, jerky, and purposeless)
When these involuntary movements affect the muscles of the face and mouth, it can cause tongue licking, smacking, and sucking; lip pursing or puckering; facial grimacing; chewing movements, cheek puffing, abnormal blinking, and more. When this movement disorder afflicts the muscles of the arms and legs, it can cause hand clenching, toe curling or jerking, foot tapping, ankle flexing, and other abnormal movements. When Tardive Dyskinesia affects the muscles of the trunk, it can cause twisting, rocking, thrusting, swaying, and head tilting to the side or the back. Tardive Dyskinesia can adversely affect the ability to breathe, swallow, walk, and talk.
Contact Our Reglan Lawyers
At RxRecall.com, a Reglan attorney can help you file a lawsuit to get the compensation to which you are entitled. Our Reglan lawyers have extensive experience with dangerous drug claims.
Our legal team will represent you intelligently and aggressively. To speak with a courtroom seasoned Reglan attorney – one familiar with its side effects and capable of helping you obtain fair compensation – contact our Reglan lawyers today and schedule a free consultation. We will protect your rights and make sure you are not being taken advantage of.
