Reglan Side Effects Frustrating for Patients

November 18, 2009, 8:00AM. By Heidi Turner

Miami, FLThe Reglan side effects may start so slowly that a patient does not even pay attention to them at first: some excessive blinking, facial twitches and maybe a sudden leg jerk every once in a while. But after a while, the movements become impossible to ignore. By that time, the patient has developed tardive dyskinesia—an untreatable condition that has been linked to excessive use of Reglan.

Reglan is used to treat heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other gastrointestinal problems. It works by speeding up the muscle contractions in the patient's digestive tract, which increases the rate at which the contents of the stomach empty into the intestines.

Unfortunately, the drug has serious side effects, most notably the increased risk of tardive dyskinesia.

"I have had various attacks of eye twitching and uncontrolled movements in my arms and legs," says Steven P. (real name withheld). "I have also had uncontrolled reflux in my throat and chest."

Reglan now carries a black box warning about the risk of tardive dyskinesia, especially for patients who use the medication on a long-term basis. Reglan is meant to be used for no more than 12 weeks.

In fact, according to webmd.com, there is currently no treatment for tardive dyskinesia or its symptoms, which are rarely reversible. Even patients who stop using Reglan after developing symptoms may suffer from the condition for the rest of their lives.

Not only is the condition incredibly frustrating, but it can affect a person's livelihood. Construction workers, typists, caretakers, hairdressers—anyone whose job requires steady hands or steady legs would be seriously debilitated by the tremors and sudden jerking motions that are symptomatic of tardive dyskinesia.

Additionally, patients tend to experience difficulty sleeping and an inability to carry out day-to-day functions, due to repetitive twitching of the facial muscles and a lack of control over their arms and legs. The tragedy is that patients might have escaped the disease had they not been prescribed Reglan for long-term use.