Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Law Firm

FDA Issues Box Warning For Reglan

Reglan is a drug that suppresses production of the hormone dopamine. Dopamine is created in the hypothalamus and adrenal glands and controls many functions in the body. Some of these are voluntary muscle control, memory, attention, problem solving and sexual arousal. Pleasurable activities like eating, sex and focusing attention on something that one enjoys will release dopamine into the blood stream. Dopamine is a pre-cursor to adrenaline, which is the hormone usually associated with fear or excitement. The proper amount of dopamine in the body attributes to a positive mental outlook.

Too much dopamine can cause one to be hyper social and hypersexual as exhibited in certain manic stages of bipolar disorder. It can also cause gastrointestinal disorders and it can prevent women from being able to produce enough milk for their babies. Too little dopamine in the blood stream results in the inability to control muscle movements and attention span as seen in Parkinson's Disease, Restless Leg Syndrome and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Reglan has primarily been prescribed for people with too high a level of dopamine in their system that is contributing to gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD. Its purpose is to reduce dopamine levels and thereby strengthen the stomach muscles that are supposed to move in normal rhythm keeping the stomach empty of contents. This speeds up the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines thereby alleviating heartburn. It is also used as a treatment for women who are not producing enough breast milk. The production of breast milk naturally occurs when a hormone called prolactin is secreted into the blood stream by the pituitary gland. Too much dopamine prevents the production of prolactin.

Dopamine inhibitors increase the production of prolactin. When Reglan is prescribed to inhibit the production of dopamine, prolactin levels will increase in the body, strengthening the stomach muscles and signaling the production of breast milk in the case of women. A higher level of the hormone prolactin is normally present in men right after sexual activity and is responsible for the refractory period when arousal is difficult if not impossible. A healthy body system has a good balance of dopamine and prolactin. The problem with Reglan arises in the process of suppressing dopamine production.

Because the pituitary gland is now free to produce continual and constant amounts of prolactin, negative things are beginning to happen to the central nervous system. The patient may experience the inability to control their muscle movements as seen in Parkinson's Disease or facial grimacing, twitching and restless shaking or tremors as seen in Tardive Dyskinesia. Another common side effect of Reglan use is depression, extreme anxiety, memory loss, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts and the loss of sexual desire.