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

Wendy from Oklahoma sought advice from fellow gastroparesis sufferers on Inspire.com’s group forum after her doctor recommended she take Reglan (metoclopramide) to treat symptoms of her condition. Gastropareses causes pain and nausea from slow emptying of the stomach contents. Wendy was concerned, she said, because “I read (Reglan) was the leading prescription cause for tardive dyskinesia,” a debilitating involuntary movement disorder similar to Parkinson’s.

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Two more lawsuits have been filed in federal court in New Orleans against the manufacturers of an acid reflux medication that allegedly causes a debilitating involuntary movement disorder known as tardive dyskinesia. Ellen Austin filed a suit against Actavis, Actavis Elizabeth and Watson Pharmaceuticals. Leslie Keeper filed suit against Qualitest Pharmaceuticals. Both lawsuits claim the drug Reglan, also known as the generic metoclopramide, caused them to develop the movement disorder.

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Severe acid reflux or heartburn can be painful and bothersome with symptoms that range from chest pain or a burning esophagus to hoarseness and sore throat. There are several methods to treat the condition such as manipulating the stomach acid secretion by neutralizing the acid, blocking the Histamine2 to stop acid production, or blocking the gastric proton pump. While the host of over-the-counter and prescription drugs to treat acid reflux can bring temporary relief, long-term use of acid reflux drugs can lead to some alarming adverse reactions.

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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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Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, affects as many as 40 percent of the population. The nagging symptoms of frequent heartburn, upset stomach and an acid taste in the back of the throat can help identify the condition. But some less common symptoms can make the diagnosis more difficult to pinpoint.

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Wyeth, Inc. and Schwarz Pharma Inc. have been dismissed from a lawsuit filed in Texas involving the drug company’s Reglan (metoclopramide), a medicine used to treat gastrointestinal conditions. The lawsuit alleged that the drug caused the plaintiff to develop a severe movement disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia. However, the case will proceed against Activis-Elizabeth, L.L.C., makers of a generic version of metoclopramide that the plaintiff was taking.

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A new study has found that quality improvement intervention initiatives such as ongoing education and automated feedback reports of medication usage among low birth weight babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) can significantly reduce use of medications, some of which carry serious adverse effects.

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For nine years, Valerie (not her real name) was prescribed and took Reglan (metoclopramide) to control her acid reflux. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the 1980s to treat various digestive tract conditions such as severe heartburn and gastroparesis, or the delayed emptying of the stomach contents. As the drug became more widely prescribed, the FDA began receiving reports that the drug may cause a neurological disorder. Despite the warning signs, it took the FDA almost 30 years to investigate and act.

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A New Jersey judge is calling for a statewide consolidation of all lawsuits filed against the makers of the heartburn medication Reglan that involve claims that the drug caused a serious and debilitating movement disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia. Judge Eugene J. Codey, Jr., of the Essex County Superior Court, filed the request arguing that the New Jersey court system could better handle the mounting number of lawsuits if they were all centralized in one court. The primary defendant in the lawsuits, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, is headquartered in New Jersey.

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Melissa Kotlen Nagin is not a fan of the prescription drug Reglan, especially to stimulate milk production in breast feeding mothers. Nagan, a mother of three, is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Registered Lactation Consultant who maintains an active private practice, teaches prenatal breastfeeding classes in New York City, and lectures on lactation topics at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She has assisted hundreds of women on breastfeeding issues in the past eight years. Lately, she has fielded numerous questions from her clients about how to increase milk supply. She says, “For the majority, aside from increasing stimulation, we talk about going the herbal route; for a smattering, we chat about Domperidone. For NONE do I discuss Reglan.”

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