In my previous post, I have spoken about litihum side effects.
This medication is used both for adults and children and in many cases an overdose creates reglan side effects. Reglan otherwise known as metaclopromide has the ability to contract the upper digestive tract of the body whereby the stomach empties into the intestines. As a short term medicine it is used for treating stomach problems especially relating to heart burns.
There are also other medicines which the patient could have taken to remove the gastroesophageal reflux and when these are not giving much of relief then reglan is taken upon the advice of the doctor. It is also classified as dopamine antagonist.
The special Reglan effect
This medicine is always preferred by doctors for treatment of short duration of stomach problems and has side effects many of which may be irreversible. This is so in the case with long term usage of this medication. However, the medicine is given in careful dosages both to children and adults.
The medicine has been in use for some time and its effect has been studied in great details in the medical laboratories yet if patients were afflicted due to its unusual physical effects then the treatment must be stopped and the doctor must be made aware of it.
The doses of this medicine vary according to age and those who develop any allergy to it should not continue using it due to the reglan side effects.
It is however extremely beneficial and can act on the part of the body for which it is used that is the stomach and gives immediate short term remedy for the patient.
Reglan increases the milk production in woman
Several clinical studies have established the fact that reglan increases the production of milk in woman. This is remarkable as some woman breasts fail to yield the required quantity of milk for the infant during its early development.
Reglan is given as a stimulant for augmenting the supply of mother’s milk and it has been seen to increase by 66 to 100% which is quite substantial. The dosage of this medicine should be under the strict supervision of the doctor as it is quite reputed to have increasing side effects for the woman and may even be harmful for the child.
This medication can cause condition known as tardine dyskinesia and is used in patients who have used this medicine for longer than three months. It can be an untreatable disease if it goes out of control and is generally seen to irreversible. During such time the patient experiences unusual and uncontrollable movements of face, mouth, tongue and even in arms or legs.
The medicine in such cases is stopped or lessened yet the symptoms may continue for life. This makes several doctors hesitant in recommending the prolonged use for treating gastroesophageal reflux. In children it is said to cause muscle spasms, jerky movements of face and head, a sure case of reglan side effects.
The medication is served in tablet or liquid form and can also be injected into the body system of the patient if the doctor feels so. This is especially so for those cases where the patient is already undergoing treatment or surgery for other diseases. The medication can even depress the mood of the patient if there is an overdose and can also create hallucination affects and increased anxiety.
Like all similar antipsychotic drugs the reglan medicine can cause the Parkinson’s disease by creating a condition where the receptors are made unavailable to the patient’s brain containing its own dopamine. In other words, it has the ability to block dopamine especially in older adults.
Reglan Side Effects
There is a full post dedicated to side effects of reglan. The intake of reglan can cause lessened side effects as well as quite serious ones. Among the serious ones are the Parkinson’s disease and tardine dyskinesia. However, it has been seen that reglan can cause changes in the menstrual period in some woman. Cases like urinating frequently, headaches and sleep problem, nausea and vomiting are also noticed in general.
The risks are seen to be more among woman, older people and diabetic patients. In all such cases the doctor must be consulted at once as some effects are irreversible and may continue for life. Reports of jaundice and convulsions have also been seen among some patients and depressed moods can bring about thoughts of suicide or harming oneself.
A good doctor would treat the patient by varying the doses of reglan and even use other medicines in combination to lessen their negative impact.
Further, research is needed in this area so as to mitigate the irreversible side effects which the patients may experience and which again may be a life long suffering too. At the moment there are no known medicines to tackle this problem and reglan side effects would haunt the patient and the doctor alike for some more time.
In the next post I will talk about morphine side effects
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