News for February 9th, 2010

Black box warning on Reglan came too late for some

Metoclopramide, known by the brand name Reglan, is one of the leading medications prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease () and , a condition in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents. What many don’t know is that metoclopramide was first used to treat psychosis in patients, but it was found to show more promise as a drug to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Unfortunately, like many medications used to treat psychosis, metoclopramide also increased one’s risk of developing a severe movement disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia.

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