Uses of the Medication Reglan

Reglan (metoclopramide) is a medicine used to prevent nausea and vomiting, including nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. It is also used to treat gastroparesis, a digestive problem associated with diabetes.

The injectable form of metoclopramide is used to help diagnose some gastrointestinal problems by:

• Making it easier to access the small intestine via the stomach
• Aiding radiological examination of the stomach and small intestine
  

Before Using This Medicine

You should discuss the risks of taking metoclopramide with your healthcare provider so that you can weigh them against the benefits.

• Allergies: Tell your healthcare provider if you have any history of adverse reactions to metoclopramide, procaine, or procainamide. Also discuss any other allergies you might have.
• Breastfeeding: If you are breastfeeding, metoclopramide can pass into your breast milk and could harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to safely feed your baby.
• Tardive dyskinesia: This side effect can cause involuntary movements of the face, especially the mouth. It may also affect the limbs. There is no way to know who might develop tardive dyskinesia, though it is more common in older adults, especially women. There’s also no way to know whether it will stop with discontinuation of metoclopramide.
• Medication interactions: Metoclopramide can interact with opioids, sedative-hypnotics, and tranquilizers, potentially causing drowsiness. (This is also true of combining it with alcohol.) It can also interact with blood pressure medications, antidepressants (especially monoamine oxidase inhibitors), and insulin.

Other Medical Problems

Tell your healthcare provider about any other medical issues you may have, especially:

• Abdominal or stomach bleeding
• Asthma
• High blood pressure
• Intestinal blockage
• Depression
• Parkinson’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Kidney disease—you may need to start with a lower dose
• Liver disease
• Heart failure
• Diabetes
• Breast cancer