"I was getting bad cramps and vomiting - I was vomiting things I hadn't eaten in two days,´says Interlante, "And I said to my wife, 'you better run me to the hospital, I think I have a problem.'"
Interlante has suffered from Chron's Disease for twenty years, and has had bowel obstructions in the past. He had one now.
"They took me downstairs, did a CAT scan with contrast, and determined I had a partial bowel obstruction. At that point they gave me Reglan IV - turns out they gave me two doses."That was about 4:30 in the morning. Interlante told his wife to go home.
At 9am the next morning Interlante's wife was summoned to the hospital. She arrived to find her husband battling a fever of 108. "I went into total organ failure, I was on a ventilator for 8 days and in ICU for 12."
Today Interlante has a variety of problems, complicated by Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), which he attributes to the Reglan injection. "If you go onto the Reglan website," he says, "you'll find that the number three item on the 'Do Not' list, is do not give to anyone with bowel obstructions.
"I was left with nerve damage in my feet. The balls of my feet feel like they're 'scalded' 24/7 - my toes feels like they're curling under."
This has all contributed to a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Interlante has done a fair bit of research since this happened to him two years ago, and isn't surprised at the effect Reglan had on him at the hospital. "Reglan is used for people who are throwing up all the time," he says. "(Reglan) sends a signal to your brain that tells it to dump the contents of your stomach," into your bowel.
However, Interlante had a partially blocked bowel. It could have led to a perforation, which can be fatal. "If the contents of your bowel get into your bloodstream, you're dead," he says.
Interlante knows it could have been much worse for him.
Still, he blames Reglan for health problems that are worse than they were originally. "I've had blockages before, and since," he says.
"When you have a partial blockage, what they do is put you in a bed, give you plenty of fluids so you don't dehydrate, and you rest," he says. "The only time they put you in a hospital is if you are at risk for a bowel perforation. If that happens, they want you there right away so they can do the necessary surgery."
Reglan should never have been administered for a blockage in the bowel, Interlante says.
And his life with NMS is a direct result of Reglan.
Reglan (Metoclopramide) is used to treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), heartburn and acid reflux disease. Among the side effects is Tardive Dyskinesia, a condition that causes involuntary movement of facial muscles. Other adverse effects include Parkinsonian-like shaking, and NMS - which can be fatal.