The Clock Is Ticking on Reglan Lawsuits

Billings, MTOne could be forgiven for not knowing the significance of February 2011. However, that date does hold relevance for anyone suffering from Reglan side effects—namely Reglan tardive dyskinesia, an affliction characterized by involuntary movements of the face, jaw, tongue and lips, even neck muscles.

The significance of February 2011 therefore, marks the second anniversary since the urging by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a black box warning for Reglan with regard to the potential for tardive dyskinesia. In many states, according to legal experts, that's when the clock started running on the statute of limitations for filing a Reglan lawsuit.

There will most assuredly be many who would qualify. Reglan is often prescribed for gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). While Reglan was approved in 1995 for short-term use, many adults suffering chronically from the latter conditions have been taking Reglan for longer than the recommended 12 weeks.

And then there are breastfeeding mothers, who are often prescribed Reglan by their doctors to stimulate the production of breast milk. Kimmelin Hull, an author, teacher and founder of Pregnancy to Parenthood based in Montana, noted in her blog last year that nursing mothers would be ill advised to accept the use of Reglan to help facilitate breastfeeding even for a short period. The title of her blog, posted April 23, 2009, says it all—"Breastfeeding Woes? Avoid Use of Reglan for Boosting Milk Supply."

Hull notes the risk of tardive dyskinesia to the mother if Reglan is used longer than three months.

There is also the question of chemicals reaching the baby through the mother's breast milk, posing the potential for Reglan side effects in infants. While the levels of Reglan in breast milk are minimal compared to the levels circulating in the mother's system, the long-term effects to the baby are not known. Reglan prescribed to treat morning sickness in the mother while her fetus is still developing is also a concern.

Many women are not even told about such concerns by their doctors. One young mother responding to Hull's blog noted that her doctor prescribed Reglan to stimulate breast milk production without ever mentioning the potential for the Reglan and tardive dyskinesia combination, together with more grievous adverse reactions such as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, or NMS—which can lead to death in serious cases.

Legal experts note that the clock is running in some states, to February of next year for filing a Reglan lawsuit. Given the fact that Reglan tardive dyskinesia does not necessarily disappear when the medication is stopped, together with the often-horrific impact to life and livelihood generated by the condition, anyone considering the filing of a lawsuit should be aware of the pending deadline.