Courts in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are determining how to manage lawsuits filed by individuals who, through a Reglan lawyer, are seeking compensation for injuries incurred as a result of using the drug or its generic variants.

Though Reglan has been on the market since 1986, very little has been communicated to consumers about the drug’s side effects. Reglan manufacturers have said that Reglan tardive dyskinesia only occurs in approximately .02 percent of patients. However, some researchers cited by the FDA have said this estimate is grossly underrated and that the risk of developing Reglan tardive dyskinesia is more than 100 times greater in patients using large doses for long periods of time.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved short-term use of Reglan, about 30 percent of physicians prescribed Reglan for more than 12 months based on manufacturer reports of minimal side effects. Because physicians prescribed long-term Reglan use based on insufficient information provided by manufacturers, those who have used Reglan for more than 12 weeks often argue through a Reglan lawyer that the company intentionally failed its duty to warn the public about the drug’s side effects.

A mass tort has been filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia County as well as the San Francisco Superior Court. The New Jersey Superior Court has created a centralized management to handle more than 1,000 plaintiffs who, with the aid of a Reglan lawyer, have filed a lawsuit.

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Metoclopramide, marketed under the trade name Reglan, is a drug used to treat nausea and gastric reflux disease. Reglan is often given to chemotherapy and radiation patients to help them manage the pain of treatment. Because Reglan was believed to be harmless to pregnant mothers and newborns, it was also used in the treatment of pain from labor. Primarily, Reglan has been used in recent years to manage the nausea and vomiting experienced by cancer patients undergoing treatment, and for the treatment of GERD, or reflux disease. Reglan has been highly effective in treatment of the symptoms and problems related to slow gastric processes.

However, recent studies show that there may be a link between the occurrence of severe complications in patients and the use of Reglan, leading to a call by some professionals for a Reglan recall by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the FDA has declined to issue a general recall at this point.

Reglan has shown some common side effects of restlessness, dizziness, and fatigue. However, less common but more severe side effects have also been observed. These may include high or low blood pressure, spontaneous lactation in females, depression, and constipation.

The most dangerous side effects that led to the demand for a recall of Reglan have to do with movement disorders. The most common of these is called tardive dyskinesia, and consists of repetitive, uncontrollable movements such as protrusion of the tongue, tics, and muscle spasms of the arms and legs, as well as problems with swallowing. Tardive dyskinesia is most prevalent in Reglan users who take the drug for longer than three months, so physicians are cautioned to allow patients to use Reglan only for short-term pain and nausea treatment. Tardive dyskinesia linked to Reglan use may be irreversible.

The link to tardive dyskinesia prompted the FDA to issue a “black box” warning to be included in all Reglan packaging. Since the FDA’s 2009 ruling, however, many patients are still being prescribed Reglan on a regular basis with little understanding of the possible long-term effects of using this drug.

New studies also indicate that there may be a link between the use of Reglan and birth defects. In a 2009 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 65 percent of all babies born with birth defects in a large sample were born to mothers who used Reglan beyond the first trimester of pregnancy, especially those who used the drug longer than 12 weeks.

If you have suffered from side effects related to Reglan use, it is important to seek professional medical help immediately. Be sure to inform your doctor that you are using Reglan and the amount of time you have taken the drug. You should also be sure to talk to an expert personal injury attorney about the medical problems you have experienced related to Reglan use. You may be entitled to payment of monetary damages from your medical problems, including your extra medical bills, pain and suffering, and other problems experienced from use of the drug.