Metoclopramide 5 mg, 10 mg

Metoclopramide is prescribed to treat stomach conditions like nausea, vomiting, heartburn, ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).¹ 

Metoclopramide belongs to a class of medications called prokinetic agents and works by speeding up the movement of food through the digestive system. Moving food quicker through the stomach and intestines can help ulcers and GERD damage to heal better. Slower gastric emptying from the stomach, a common symptom of diabetes, can cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Metoclopramide helps ease those symptoms.²

Metoclopramide comes as a tablet, an orally dissolving tablet, and a liquid solution to take by mouth. It is usually taken four times a day on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before each meal and at bedtime. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Take metoclopramide exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it, or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.³

A common dosage and frequency of metoclopramide is 10 mg to 15 mg, four times per day. It is taken long term from two to 12 weeks, depending on the condition.⁴ 

Following an oral dose, metoclopramide starts working approximately 30 to 60 minutes after ingestion. Effects can last up to two hours.⁵ 

It can take up to three weeks to feel the full effects of metoclopramide. Nausea and vomiting can improve early on in taking metoclopramide, but other symptoms can take longer to resolve.⁶ 

The elimination half-life of metoclopramide is five to six hours. The effects last from one to two hours.⁷

Do not stop taking metoclopramide without talking to your doctor. You may experience withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness, nervousness, and headaches when you stop taking metoclopramide.⁸

With RedBox Rx, a prescription for metoclopramide starts at $25 per month. No insurance required.

You can get metoclopramide online with a prescription from RedBox Rx. Start an online assessment and one of our licensed providers will determine if metoclopramide is right for you.

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to metoclopramide, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in metoclopramide tablets or solution. Ask your doctor or pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients.

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplementssupplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: acetaminophen (Tylenol, others); antihistamines; aspirin; atropine (in Lonox, in Lomotil); cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune); barbiturates such as pentobarbital (Nembutal), phenobarbital (Luminal), and secobarbital (Seconal); digoxin (Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin); haloperidol (Haldol);insulin; ipratropium (Atrovent); lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); levodopa (in Sinemet, in Stalevo); medications for anxiety, blood pressure, irritable bowel disease, motion sickness, nausea, Parkinson's disease, ulcers, or urinary problems; monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate); narcotic medications for pain; sedatives; sleeping pills; tetracycline (Bristacycline, Sumycin); or tranquilizers. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you more carefully for side effects.

• Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had blockage, bleeding, or a tear in your stomach or intestines; pheochromocytoma (tumor on a small gland near the kidneys); or seizures. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take metoclopramide.

• Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had Parkinson's disease (PD; a disorder of the nervous system that causes difficulties with movement, muscle control, and balance); high blood pressure; depression; breast cancer; asthma;glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD) deficiency (an inherited blood disorder); NADH cytochrome B5 reductase deficiency (an inherited blood disorder); or heart, liver, or kidney disease.

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking metoclopramide, call your doctor.

• Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking metoclopramide if you are 65 years of age or older. Older adults should not usually take metoclopramide, unless it is used to treat slow stomach emptying, because it is not as safe or effective as other medications that can be used to treat those conditions.

• If you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking metoclopramide.

• You should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.

• Ask your doctor about the safe use of alcohol while you are taking this medication. Alcohol can make the side effects of metoclopramide worse.⁹

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.¹⁰

Common side effects of metoclopramide include:¹¹ 

• Drowsiness.

• Excessive tiredness.

• Weakness.

• Headache.

• Dizziness.

• Diarrhea.

• Nausea.

• Vomiting.

• Breast enlargement or discharge.

• Missed menstrual period.

• Decreased sexual ability.

• Frequent urination.

• Inability to control urination.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature, and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.¹²

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.¹³

Keep all appointments with your medical provider.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.¹⁴

Brand names for metoclopramide include:

• Reglan®

• Clopra®

• Maxolon®

• Metozolv® ODT

RedBox Rx offers the following additional medication treatment options for nausea and vomiting:

• Ondansetron tablet (generic Zofran®)

• Ondansetron ODT (generic Zofran®)

• Meclizine (generic Antivert®)

• Scopolamine patch (generic Transderm Scop®)

Taking metoclopramide may cause you to develop a muscle problem called tardive dyskinesia. If you develop tardive dyskinesia, you will move your muscles, especially the muscles in your face in unusual ways. You will not be able to control or stop these movements. Tardive dyskinesia may not go away even after you stop taking metoclopramide. The longer you take metoclopramide, the greater the risk that you will develop tardive dyskinesia. Therefore, your doctor will probably tell you not to take metoclopramide for longer than 12 weeks. The risk that you will develop tardive dyskinesia is also greater if you are taking medications for mental illness, if you have diabetes, or if you are elderly, especially if you are a woman. Call your doctor immediately if you develop any uncontrollable body movements, especially lip smacking, mouth puckering, chewing, frowning, scowling, sticking out your tongue, blinking, eye movements, or shaking arms or legs.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with metoclopramide and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website(http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer's website to obtain the Medication Guide.

Talk to your provider about the risks of taking metoclopramide.¹⁵

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4. Mayo Clinic

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7. Daily Med

8. National Library of Medicine

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