Did You Take Reglan for Longer than Three Months? You May Have a Claim

Columbus, OHPatients who took Reglan for more than three months and suffered from serious Reglan side effects may be able to file a lawsuit against the maker of the medication. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent out a warning alerting physicians and patients to the link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia, but there may still be patients who suffered Reglan drug side effects without realizing it.

Lawsuits have been filed against the maker of Reglan—known as metoclopramide in generic form—alleging that patients were not adequately warned about the risk of tardive dyskinesia, a serious and potentially permanent condition characterized by repetitive involuntary movement. These movements include lip smacking and puckering, grimacing, tongue protrusions and movements of the arms and legs.

Although Reglan was approved for short-term use for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, acid reflux disease and heartburn, some patients were prescribed Reglan for a year or longer. Furthermore, Reglan is sometimes prescribed off-label to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease in infants. The effect of Reglan on infants has not been fully studied, however, and its potential side effects are not fully known or understood.

What is known is that the longer a patient takes Reglan, the higher the chances that he or she will develop tardive dyskinesia. A warning label notes that patients should not take the medication for longer than 12 weeks.

The warning was requested by the FDA in February 2009—approximately a year and a half ago. For many patients who developed tardive dyskinesia, the time to speak to an attorney is fast approaching. In many states, the statute of limitations on such lawsuits runs out after two years.

Once a patient has spoken with attorney, the attorney still must gather facts and evidence in the case, including the patient's medical records, which can take time to obtain.

Patients who took Reglan for longer than three months and were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or Parkinson-like symptoms may also be eligible to file a lawsuit, as tardive dyskinesia can be misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease.