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

It might surprise some to learn that the prescription heartburn drug Reglan (metoclopramide) has an off-label use of helping new mothers increase their milk supply. An appropriate level of the hormone prolactin permits lactation to proceed normally, but when a mother has low prolactin levels, milk supply may suffer. Drugs used to stimulate lactation work by blocking dopamine, which results in increased prolactin levels and, in many cases, an increase in milk supply.

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Dawn Harris says she was never made aware that long-term use of the acid reflux drug Reglan (metoclopramide) could cause her young child to suffer a serious, permanent and disabling neurological injury that results in involuntary movements of the face, arms and torso. The Louisiana mother has filed suit against the makers of the drug, claiming the medication caused her child to develop Tardive Dyskinesia.

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Researchers in Sacramento, Calif., are looking for people who still experience troublesome symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) even while taking heartburn medication, to participate in a study to evaluate an investigational heartburn treatment.

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A new medication may soon be available for patients who suffer from advanced gastroparesis, or delayed emptying of the stomach contents. Tranzyme Pharma is presenting data on its experimental drug ulimorelin later this month at the 2010 Joint International Meeting in Neurogastroenterology and Motility in Boston, Mass.

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All babies spit up on occasion. It usually occurs because the sphincter at the top of the stomach is often loose, causing babies to spit milk out of their mouths or noses. In otherwise healthy babies who are growing well, the contents of this spit up is mostly milk and parents shouldn’t worry. But for some babies, the spit up contains stomach acid, which can make the lining of the baby’s esophagus tender, red and swollen. This reflux of acid can also be inhaled into the lungs, irritating the sensitive linings. These babies may respond to the bottle or breast by arching their backs in pain. They may not gain weight or might cry from the discomfort. Some can develop a chronic cough, wheeze, have a hoarse voice, or even develop pneumonia. Some may stop breathing, a condition known as apnea, to protect their lungs from inhaled acid.

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Salix Pharmaceuticals stock rose 5 percent last week despite news that the company received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the company to clarify information about its new orally dissolving heartburn treatment, Metozolv ODT, according to Local Tech Wire. The FDA said that some of the drug’s marketing materials are “false or misleading because they omit and minimize risk information, broaden the indication of Metozolv ODT, and contain unsubstantiated comparative and other claims.”

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In the February 1996 issue of the drug newsletter Worst Pills, Best Pills News, a story was published by the Health Research Group of Public Citizen warning that a drug commonly prescribed for heartburn and slow emptying of the stomach contents, a condition known as gastroparesis, could cause a serious movement disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia. The condition could cause permanent disability in users, according to the report.

However, it took more than a decade for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to place a black box warning on the medication, Reglan. A black box warning is the strongest warning issued by the FDA and is placed on drugs that have potentially harmful or deadly side effects. Meanwhile, the drug was dispensed 6.5 million times in 2008 to an estimated 2 million Americans.

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Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occur when the lower esophageal sphincter opens spontaneously or does not close properly, allowing stomach contents to rise up into the esophagus. GER is also called acid reflux or acid regurgitation, and when it occurs, food or fluid can be tasted in the back of the mouth and may cause a burning sensation in the chest or throat.

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