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Three Days on Reglan, A Lifetime of Pain

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Osceola Mills, PAPatients who have suffered from Reglan side effects know how serious those complications can be. Now that a link has been found between Reglan and Tardive Dyskinesia, a black box warning has been ordered for the drug. However, that warning comes much too late for Tracy S., who says she was only on the drug for a couple of days but has suffered through years of side effects. She believes the Reglan medication is too dangerous a drug to stay on the market.

Reglan Victim"The first day I took Reglan, I couldn't sit still," Tracy says. "I had to walk continuously. The second day was the same. It was just like I was pacing constantly. By the third day, Wednesday, I started shaking. I had little tremors. I didn't know what was going on. By Friday, I was so bad with tremors that I couldn't function. I called my regular doctor [not the one who prescribed Tracy the Reglan] and told her what I was on. She told me that no matter what I had to stop taking the Reglan.

"I was shaking so bad on Saturday that my dad took me to the ER. They gave me 2 shots of Benadryl and told me to go home. I walked 8 feet and collapsed in the ER. I was kept in the hospital for 5 days and for a few days, I wasn't even allowed out of the hospital bed. On the third day, someone from physical therapy came up and walked me—I couldn't walk on my own because my legs would just give out. On the fifth day, I could walk on my own, so I went home.

"A week later, the tremors started, bad, all over again. For 7 months I lay on the couch. I didn't know my kids or my husband and I was seeing things. They had me on other medications, they had me on Effexor and Klonapam and Benztropine. It was just horrible. I'm lucky I'm alive.

"This was in 1999—about 10 years ago. I still have tremors. Sometimes my whole body just shakes. I went to the Cleveland Clinic and the specialist said that Reglan burnt my nerves. I'll never be 100 percent. I'll be lucky if I get back to 98 percent. And that was from a specialist. They had me on the Benztropine, which causes 'rabbit face' [tremors resulting in a rabbit-like movement of the face] and I still have that. I also have a white halo around my eyes. I've been to doctors about that but they say they can't help me.

"There are times when I want to say stuff but I can't get it out—I slur my words. I probably experience the tremors just about every day, but I try to ignore it.

"Both the specialist and that doctor said that Reglan started this. My doctor said that I'm a textbook case of allergic reaction to Reglan. They can't really do anything. It's just something that I deal with everyday. It's like my body wants to shake and my insides want to shake. I could be walking in my house and I would collapse. I was in the hospital with anxiety and I've never had anxiety before. I went into a mental institution but they said they couldn't keep me because I'm not mentally ill. I just have Parkinson's-like symptoms.

"This has affected my daily life. I could go to doctors and they could give me medications and I don't know if that will start the tremors all over again. I don't know what will set them off. I was never allergic to medications before that Reglan. When I got the drug, I didn't know about it. I didn't have a paper on the side effects.

"It will affect me the rest of my life—it actually burnt my nerves. I was hallucinating out of my mind and we went through bankruptcy because of this.

"I want people to know how bad of a drug Reglan is. I don't know if I can pursue a settlement because of this. I think if they're going to sue the company that I am entitled to a lump sum for what it did to me. That drug should be taken off the market. It is dangerous. I was a walking zombie.

"It's been 10 years since this started and I've got a lot to say about what I went through. It's taken 10 years for this information about Reglan to come out. This could have been prevented in other people. I got this over constipation—that's why I took Reglan in the first place. It's not worth it."

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READER COMMENTS

Posted by

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I wish these stories were all ancient history. Unfortunately, metoclopramide is still a fairly popular medication.The Conte Foundation is launching a public awareness campaign about the side effects of Reglan/metoclopramide in spring of 2017. The campaign is being funded by victims who received settlements. Please share your stories on our web site. contefoundationdotus. Please consider donating to help make sure the public learns about the potentially devastating side effects of this drug. This medication is still even being prescribed for pregnant woman and small children. And many people are taking it for longer than 12 weeks.

Posted by

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Grand father just came off chemo. Lost a lot of weight but is winning the fight and had stage 4. Was not able to keep food down went back to hospital. so they put a tube in and sent him home ; no big deal. Well the least of his worries anyway.
They sent him home with Metoclopramide(reglan) . He kept vomiting and kept choking on flem or mucus. This continued for a couple days. (He kept complaining of a metal taste. ) also he said he was very lethargic. He attempted to go use the restroom as normal . Became dizzy, collapsed , urinated ,eyes rolled back and had an irratic breathing episode. It appeared as a stroke or seizure. He was taken to the er. Put on a I.V and vitals began to stabilize. They started giving him reglan . He stopped vomiting. Two days went by after many of test And nothing was found to be wrong. By now it's Wednesday and he was going to be set for release. When he had awoken . He did not know who he was or where he was at . Was unable to recognize anybody. The staff were all confused by his very progressive deterioration over night. All vital had showed to be excellent. By noon his speech had gone and he started to become unresponsive. Many more test were ran and showed perfect results. Even the neurologist was stumped. By Thursday he was still in a semi conscious state still unresponsive. They had stopped the reglan at this point. By 3:00pm I was able to get him to respond in knods. He was still unaware of who I was but was making progress. Later they did Ann MRI and a eeg I believe that is what it is called. Anyway they were checking for brain infections or tumors. Pretty much anything of alien origins. All test came back clear. "Heathy as an ox on paper" by Friday he was able to become vocal again and starting to remember everything. Still confused as to how he got there. Last he remembered was throwing up at home. The drs are still unaware of what could have happened. But from what all I have read about the drug and stories here. Without a doubt all fingers point back to this drug and the symptoms have been identical . The more I have studied just proves this theory so much I would bet my life on it . But the doctors will not make any comments about it. He is now looking to be moved out of ICU . And released soon if he continues to progress like he has been which has been rapidly. This is a very nasty drug please note any symptoms and do your reach before it is too late. At this time he is not showing that he will sustain any long term effects. God bless you all

Posted by

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Received Reglan at the ER when dx with TIA....had allergic reaction and within 30 minutes was given more Benadryl to counteract...gradually the effects subsided but now I experience these periods where the weakness and tremoring goes over me in waves....not as bad as the initial reaction but very disconcerting. I also have times when it feels like it takes a lot of effort to inhale...was wondering if there are other meds I may react to that are similar to this so I can avoid them in the future...anyone know?

Posted by

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I can totally relate to what has been said. I am over 10 years since reaction to maxolon (reglan) and cogentin. I would like to know who informed that the nerves are burnt. My life is hell it never stops and medically no one wants to know you. All i know is i was fine before this reaction and have never recovered fully.

Posted by

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IVP 10mg of Reglan as well, and I immediately had a reaction- tasted metal in the back of my throat, felt throat closing up, unable to breathe. Even when I started dazedly but frantically scratching at my throat to try to alert the nurse that I was having a reaction, she did nothing. Flashes, nausea, tremors. Bedbound for nearly 6 months. It may actually destroy my efforts to get my PhD because recovery has sucked up so much time and energy. The worst part is when I would go to bed every night thinking I was going to die, and no one would believe or help me. Get this crap off the market.

Posted by

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I have gastroparesis. My dr put me on reglan i took it 3x a day for 16 months. Until reading this article i would have never thought my neurological symptoms could be caused by reglan. I appreciate this article if i wrote about my experience with reglan it would be identical to yours

Posted by

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My son developed testicular cancer, but was making good response, even noted it was cureable. He had no neurology symptoms on arriving for treatment, but was issued Metocloprtamide, shortly after he started to jerk 24/7, large involuntary movements, the started to shuffle, parkinson walk. he then became bedbound, had difficulty talking, doubly incontinent, would hallucinate, fluctating conscious level from drowisiness to coma, difficulty opening mouth and tongue,jaw involvement, increased muscle tone Recovered from coma after 1 daythey suctioned him, because this drug causes consolidation, fluid in lungs and people get into respitatory problems, which happened invariable. He developed severe neurological symptom documented in his notes, saying don't know how much is reversible, he had developed a severe dystonia. They sent him to neurology and documented he had developed Neurolpetic Malignant Syndrome tracked to Metoclopramide, this is fatal if not treated early. In total he got 6wks and 1 day and in 5 different hospitals and he passed, not of cancer but respiratory failure which is the leading cause of this. He suffered from fever, fluctating level of consciousness, sweats fast heart rate, convulsions his heart rate was 212, he had a heart attack, but revived him, but his heart rate was always in the high region, high blood pressure, could not control, he suffered terribly,the trembling never stopped, they had also damaged his cranial nerves the ones responsible for swallow and speech, he suffered global atrophy, degeneration and shrinkage and connection of brain. This has been known since the 1980, just not telling people. It is a dangerous drug, my son is not here today, he was a lovely, funny son and brought joy to our lifes, now he is gone. There are other people out ther who also have suffered side efeccts, the group is known as Reglan/Primperan/Metoclopramide, this drug is unpredicable and fast acting, I have started a petiotion to get hopefully banned. You can find it by going on google and typing jane buchanan dangerous drug want it banned if you want others to know of the high risks this drug and do something positive

Posted by

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Hi,
I Know how you must have felt, because i went through the same thing last month. They gave me Reglan IVP 10mg and as soon as they injected it i had a sever reaction. I could taste the med in my throat and within seconds i couldn't move my body and couldn't speak, i was basically paralyzed. It was the worse reaction ever. I couldn't hear people talking around me but i wasn't able to respond back. I really think this med should be taken off the market, it has very dangerous side effects.

Posted by

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Heidi,
It has been years since you stopped taking the drug. There is a child that was severely overdosed on reglan and has had tremors. The tremors have ceased, but we are terrified of the future and what this might have permanently done to his nervous system as well as his brain.

Are you experiencing any further symptoms throughout the years following the discontinuation of the drug. anything that could be associated. From irritability, to ADD, ADHD, slight tremors or flinching in any part of your body, memory loss?

Your article was enlightening and we are trying to contact anyone else that might have had severe side effects that they might not even know or realize they have. Sometimes it takes someone in the family or a doctor to recognize. The specialist are so few and far between that really are current as well as trained in the small detailed symptoms that may be present.

Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you are completely healed. If not only emotionally. Take care and I look forward to your response.
D Sheldon

Posted by

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Sister in law bad from reglan, anyone have gasping of breath reflex? She stopped drug two weeks ago, she had tremors,tongue flicking and like a zombie,I went online and looked up tremors from drugs,sure enough ,she took reglan 3months. Hope this stuff reverses for her,never was told these effects, tremor day,went to ER,they admitted her and treated shortness of breath reflex and would not listen regarding the drug effect, sent her home after 3days. Family doctor recommended ,go on oxygen. Need help here,let us know similar reaction by anyone

Posted by

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I am so sorry for your experience with this drug and you are very lucky to be alive, I also want to thank you for taking the time to inform others of your experience it may save lives. My husband of seventeen years was put on this drug 4X a day for over five months. He called the doctors several times with reactions he did not realize he was having from this medication. After the last call about severe anxiety, jitteriness, having trouble swallowing, chest felt tight etc., they never even went back to the fact that it was this medication. A few weeks later he committed suicide. No history of depression and a wonderful father and husband. You see even the doctors themselves were not given the proper findings from the clinical studies that the pharmaceutical company knew all along. So now all I want to do is reach out to others so they don't have to go through the horrific experience that myself and my kids have. Keep up the fight and good luck.

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