Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

In 1992, a woman wrote to the People’s Pharmacy, a syndicated column in her local newspaper by King Features, asking if her father’s heartburn medication Reglan (metoclopramide) may have led to his suicide.

“Looking back, mother started noticing gradual changes in his behavior after his doctor prescribed Reglan for heartburn associated with a hiatal hernia,” she wrote. “We have done some research and found that this drug can indeed cause depression, confusion and even suicide. We were unaware of this side effect when Daddy was taking Reglan.

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Thousands of people who suffer from gastrointestinal problems such as severe heartburn, acid reflux and gastroparesis, are treated with the prescription drug Reglan, known by the generic metoclopramide. These drugs were originally prescribed for daily use for as long as two years in some patients. What patients may not realize is that long-term use of the drug is no longer recommended – and, in fact, falls under an FDA black box warning – as it can cause a serious and sometimes permanent neurological disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia.

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You can’t turn on the TV these days without hearing that the heartburn medication Reglan, also known by the generic name metoclopramide, has been linked to the serious involuntary movement disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia. But the drug also carries another serious warning – it can cause depression and suicidal thoughts.

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Tranzyme Pharama says its new treatment for diabetic gastroparesis, a disabling disorder in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents, has shown positive results in phase II clinical trials among diabetic patients with the digestive disorder. The pharmaceutical company was granted “fast-track status” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for TZP-102, a designation that is typically reserved for drugs that treat serious and unmet medical needs. The designation is designed to speed up the review and approval process.

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When 57-year-old August Macaluso, a former nuclear-plant maintenance worker in Charlotte, N.C., began shaking violently, blinking incessantly and slurring his speech, he and his wife Sharon were both puzzled. Desperate for answers, Sharon Googled his symptoms and learned that the drug her husband had been taking for just three months was linked to the involuntary movement disorder Tardive Dyskinesia with frighteningly similar symptoms. He stopped taking the drug and after a battery of medical tests, doctors confirmed the Macalusoes’ worst fears. August had suffered permanent damage.

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The new health care reform bill gives senior citizens a rebate to purchase prescription medications; however, increasing availability of drugs for seniors may cause safety concerns, especially when it comes to generic versions of medication, according to a Huffington Post blog by Edward F. Blizzard.

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