Pronunciation:

met-oh-KLOE-pra-mide

Brand Names:

• Reglan

Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Warnings:

Metoclopramide treatment can cause tardive dyskinesia, a serious movement disorder that is often irreversible. Risk is increased with duration of treatment and total cumulative dose. Discontinue metoclopramide therapy in patients who develop signs or symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. There is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia, although symptoms may lessen or resolve after metoclopramide discontinuation. Prolonged treatment with metoclopramide (greater than 12 weeks) should be avoided in all but rare cases where therapeutic benefit outweighs the risks .

Classifications:

Therapeutic—

Antiemetic

Pharmacologic—

Dopamine Antagonist

Uses of This Medicine:

Metoclopramide injection is a medicine that increases the movements or contractions of the stomach and intestines. It is used to help diagnose certain problems in the stomach or intestines. This medicine is also used to prevent the nausea and vomiting that may occur after surgery or after treatment with cancer medicines. Another medicine may be used with metoclopramide injection to prevent side effects that may occur when it is used with cancer medicines.

Metoclopramide injection is also used to relieve symptoms (such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, a feeling of fullness after meals, and loss of appetite) that are caused by a stomach problem called gastroparesis in patients with diabetes.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before Using This Medicine:

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Children—

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of metoclopramide injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Older adults—

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of metoclopramide injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have side effects such as tardive dyskinesia, confusion, or drowsiness, and age-related kidney problems, which may require an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving metoclopramide injection.

Breast-feeding—

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Other medicines—

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Amineptine
• Amitriptyline
• Amitriptylinoxide
• Amoxapine
• Aripiprazole
• Aripiprazole Lauroxil
• Asenapine
• Brexpiprazole
• Cariprazine
• Chlorpromazine
• Chlorprothixene
• Citalopram
• Clomipramine
• Clozapine
• Desipramine
• Desvenlafaxine
• Dibenzepin
• Doxepin
• Duloxetine
• Escitalopram
• Fluphenazine
• Fluvoxamine
• Haloperidol
• Iloperidone
• Imipramine
• Levomilnacipran
• Loxapine
• Lurasidone
• Melitracen
• Mesoridazine
• Methotrimeprazine
• Milnacipran
• Molindone
• Nefazodone
• Nortriptyline
• Olanzapine
• Opipramol
• Paliperidone
• Periciazine
• Perphenazine
• Pimavanserin
• Pimozide
• Prochlorperazine
• Promazine
• Protriptyline
• Quetiapine
• Risperidone
• Sertindole
• Sertraline
• Sibutramine
• Sulpiride
• Thioridazine
• Thiothixene
• Tianeptine
• Trifluoperazine
• Triflupromazine
• Trimipramine
• Venlafaxine
• Vilazodone
• Vortioxetine
• Ziprasidone
• Zuclopenthixol

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Acepromazine
• Alfentanil
• Alprazolam
• Amantadine
• Amobarbital
• Anileridine
• Apomorphine
• Baclofen
• Benperidol
• Benzhydrocodone
• Benztropine
• Biperiden
• Bromazepam
• Bromocriptine
• Buprenorphine
• Bupropion
• Buspirone
• Butabarbital
• Butorphanol
• Cabergoline
• Calcium Oxybate
• Carbidopa
• Carbinoxamine
• Carisoprodol
• Carphenazine
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chlordiazepoxide
• Chlorzoxazone
• Clobazam
• Clonazepam
• Clorazepate
• Codeine
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Cyclosporine
• Dexmedetomidine
• Diacetylmorphine
• Diazepam
• Dichloralphenazone
• Difenoxin
• Digoxin
• Dihydrocodeine
• Diphenhydramine
• Diphenoxylate
• Doxylamine
• Droperidol
• Enflurane
• Entacapone
• Estazolam
• Eszopiclone
• Ethchlorvynol
• Ethopropazine
• Ethylmorphine
• Fentanyl
• Flibanserin
• Fluoxetine
• Flurazepam
• Fluspirilene
• Fospropofol
• Furazolidone
• Halazepam
• Halothane
• Hexobarbital
• Hydrocodone
• Hydromorphone
• Hydroxyzine
• Insulin
• Insulin Aspart, Recombinant
• Insulin Bovine
• Insulin Degludec
• Insulin Detemir
• Insulin Glargine, Recombinant
• Insulin Glulisine
• Insulin Lispro, Recombinant
• Iproniazid
• Isocarboxazid
• Isoflurane
• Ketamine
• Ketazolam
• Ketobemidone
• Levodopa
• Levorphanol
• Linezolid
• Lorazepam
• Magnesium Oxybate
• Meclizine
• Melperone
• Mephobarbital
• Meprobamate
• Meptazinol
• Metaxalone
• Methadone
• Methdilazine
• Methocarbamol
• Methohexital
• Methylene Blue
• Midazolam
• Moclobemide
• Moricizine
• Morphine
• Morphine Sulfate Liposome
• Nalbuphine
• Nialamide
• Nicomorphine
• Nitrazepam
• Nitrous Oxide
• Opicapone
• Opium
• Opium Alkaloids
• Orphenadrine
• Oxazepam
• Oxycodone
• Oxymorphone
• Papaveretum
• Paregoric
• Paroxetine
• Pentazocine
• Pentobarbital
• Perampanel
• Perazine
• Pergolide
• Phenelzine
• Phenobarbital
• Piperacetazine
• Pipotiazine
• Piritramide
• Potassium Oxybate
• Pramipexole
• Prazepam
• Primidone
• Procarbazine
• Procyclidine
• Promethazine
• Propofol
• Quazepam
• Quinidine
• Ramelteon
• Rasagiline
• Remifentanil
• Remoxipride
• Rivastigmine
• Ropinirole
• Rotigotine
• Safinamide
• Secobarbital
• Selegiline
• Sirolimus
• Sodium Oxybate
• Sufentanil
• Suvorexant
• Tacrolimus
• Tapentadol
• Temazepam
• Terbinafine
• Thiethylperazine
• Thiopental
• Thiopropazate
• Tizanidine
• Tolonium Chloride
• Topiramate
• Tramadol
• Tranylcypromine
• Triazolam
• Trifluperidol
• Trihexyphenidyl
• Trimeprazine
• Zaleplon
• Zolpidem
• Zopiclone
• Zotepine

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Didanosine
• Mivacurium
• Succinylcholine

Other interactions—

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

• Ethanol

Other medical problems—

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Abdominal or stomach bleeding or
• Intestinal blockage or
• Pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor) or
• Seizures or epilepsy—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.

• Asthma or
• Cirrhosis (liver disease) or
• Congestive heart failure or
• Diabetes or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Mental depression, history of or
• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, history of or
• Parkinson's disease—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (an enzyme problem) or
• Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) cytochrome reductase deficiency (an enzyme problem)—May increase the risk for side effects affecting the blood.

• Kidney disease—Use with caution. Effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use of This Medicine:

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a hospital. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins or as a shot into one of your muscles.

Your doctor will give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and then switch you to an oral medicine that works the same way. If you have any concerns about this, talk to your doctor.

Precautions While Using This Medicine:

It is very important that your doctor check your progress while you receive this medicine to make sure that it is working properly.

Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of the following symptoms after receiving this medicine: convulsions (seizures); difficulty with breathing; a fast heartbeat; a high fever; high or low blood pressure; increased sweating; loss of bladder control; severe muscle stiffness; unusually pale skin; or tiredness. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

Check with your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty with speaking; drooling; loss of balance control; muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness; restlessness; shuffling walk; stiffness of the limbs; twisting movements of the body; or uncontrolled movements of the face, neck, and back.

This medicine may cause tardive dyskinesia (a movement disorder). Check with your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms while using this medicine: lip smacking or puckering, puffing of the cheeks, rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue, uncontrolled chewing movements, or uncontrolled movements of the arms and legs.

This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, lightheaded, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not alert.

This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for hay fever or colds; sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine; prescription pain medicine or narcotics; medicine for seizures or barbiturates; muscle relaxants; or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics. Check with your doctor before taking any of the above while you are using this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects of This Medicine:

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Rare

Convulsions

difficulty in breathing

fast heartbeat

high fever

high or low blood pressure

inability to move the eyes

increased blinking or spasms of the eyelid

increased sweating

loss of bladder control

seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there

severe muscle stiffness

sticking out of the tongue

tiredness

trouble in breathing, speaking, or swallowing

uncontrolled twisting movements of the neck, trunk, arms, or legs

unusual facial expressions

unusually pale skin

Incidence not known

Abdominal or stomach pain or tenderness

black, tarry stools

bluish-colored lips, fingernails, or palms

blurred vision

chest pain or discomfort

chills

clay colored stools

confusion

cough or hoarseness

dark urine

decrease in the amount of urine

decreased appetite

decreased urine output

difficulty in swallowing

dilated neck veins

dizziness or lightheadedness

dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly

extreme fatigue

fainting

fast, slow, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse

fatigue

feeling of warmth

fever with or without chills

fluid-filled skin blisters

general feeling of tiredness or weakness

headache

inability to sit still

increased need to urinate

incremental or ratchet-like movement of the muscle

itching of the skin

large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs

light-colored stools

loss of appetite

loss of balance control

lower back or side pain

mask-like face

mental depression

mood or mental changes

muscle discomfort

nausea and vomiting

need to keep moving

nervousness

noisy, rattling breathing

painful or difficult urination

pale skin

palpitations

passing urine more often

pounding in the ears

pounding, slow heartbeat

rapid heart rate

redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest

restlessness of the arms legs, hands, or feet

rigid or stiff muscles

sensitivity to the sun

shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet

shortness of breath

shuffling walk

skin rash

skin thinness

slow movement

slow or irregular breathing

slow reflexes

slowed movements

slurred speech

sore throat and fever

sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth

stiffness of the arms and legs

sweating

swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs

thoughts of killing oneself changes in behavior

tic-like (jerky) movements of the head, face, mouth, and neck

tightness in the chest

trembling and shaking of the fingers and hands

troubled breathing at rest

unusual bleeding or bruising

unusual tiredness or weakness

weight gain

wheezing

yellow eyes or skin

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:

Symptoms of overdose

Confusion about identity, place, and time

drowsiness

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Incidence not known

Absent, missed, or irregular menstrual periods

blurred or loss of vision

cough

decreased interest in sexual intercourse

diarrhea

disturbed color perception

double vision

halos around lights

hives or welts

inability to have or keep an erection

itching

loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance

loss of strength or energy

muscle pain or weakness

night blindness

noisy breathing

overbright appearance of lights

redness of the skin

sleeplessness

stopping of menstrual bleeding

swelling of the breasts or unusual milk production

swelling of the breasts or breast soreness in both females and males

trouble sleeping

tunnel vision

unable to sleep

unexpected or excess milk flow from the breasts

unusual weak feeling

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.