METOCLOPRAMIDE (Injection route, Intravenous route) - met-

oh-KLOE-pra-mide
Detailed Drug Information for the Consumer 

Black Box Warning

Injection route(Solution)
Metoclopramide treatment can cause tardive dyskinesia, a serious movement disorder that
is often irreversible. Risk is increased with duration of treatment and total cumulative dose.
Discontinue metoclopramide therapy in patients who develop signs or symptoms of tardive
dyskinesia. There is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia, although symptoms may
lessen or resolve after metoclopramide discontinuation. Prolonged treatment with
metoclopramide (greater than 12 weeks) should be avoided in all but rare cases where
therapeutic benefit outweighs the risks .

Brand Names/Available Dosage Forms

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S.A.—
Reglan

† Not commercially available in Canada.

Available Dosage Forms:

Solution

Classes

Therapeutic Class:
Antiemetic
Pharmacologic Class:
Dopamine Antagonist

Uses for This Medicine

Metoclopramide injection is a medicine that increases the movements or contractions of the

stomach and intestines. It is used to help diagnose certain problems in the stomach or
intestines. This medicine is also used to prevent the nausea and vomiting that may occur
after surgery or after treatment with cancer medicines. Another medicine may be used with
metoclopramide injection to prevent side effects that may occur when it is used with cancer
medicines.
Metoclopramide injection is also used to relieve symptoms (such as nausea, vomiting,
heartburn, a feeling of fullness after meals, and loss of appetite) that are caused by a
stomach problem called gastroparesis in patients with diabetes.
 This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before Receiving This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the
good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the
following should be considered:
Allergies—
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any
other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of
allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products,
read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric—
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of
metoclopramide injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been
established.
Geriatric—
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems
that would limit the usefulness of metoclopramide injection in the elderly. However, elderly
patients are more likely to have side effects such as tardive dyskinesia, confusion, or
drowsiness, and age-related kidney problems, which may require an adjustment in the dose
for patients receiving metoclopramide injection.
Lactation—
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this
medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks
before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Interactions with Medicines—
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different
medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your
doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are
receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if
you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been
selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Contraindicated
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor
may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you
take.
Amineptine
Amitriptyline
Amitriptylinoxide
Amoxapine
Aripiprazole
Aripiprazole Lauroxil
Asenapine
Brexpiprazole
Cariprazine
Chlorpromazine
Chlorprothixene
Citalopram
Clomipramine
Clozapine
Desipramine
Desvenlafaxine
Dibenzepin
Doxepin
Duloxetine
Escitalopram
Fluphenazine
Fluvoxamine
Haloperidol
Iloperidone
Imipramine
Levomilnacipran
Loxapine
Lurasidone
Melitracen
Mesoridazine
Methotrimeprazine
Milnacipran
Molindone
Nefazodone
Nortriptyline
Olanzapine
Opipramol
Paliperidone
Periciazine
Perphenazine
Pimavanserin
Pimozide
Prochlorperazine
Promazine
Protriptyline
Quetiapine
Risperidone
Sertindole
 Sertraline
Sibutramine
Sulpiride
Thioridazine
Thiothixene
Tianeptine
Trifluoperazine
Triflupromazine
Trimipramine
Venlafaxine
Vilazodone
Vortioxetine
Ziprasidone
Zuclopenthixol
Major
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but
may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may
change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Acepromazine
Alfentanil
Alprazolam
Amantadine
Amobarbital
Anileridine
Apomorphine
Baclofen
Benperidol
Benzhydrocodone
Benztropine
Biperiden
Bromazepam
Bromocriptine
Buprenorphine
Bupropion
Buspirone
Butabarbital
Butorphanol
Cabergoline
Calcium Oxybate
Carbidopa
Carbinoxamine
Carisoprodol
Carphenazine
Chloral Hydrate
Chlordiazepoxide
Chlorzoxazone
Clobazam
Clonazepam
Clorazepate
Codeine
Cyclobenzaprine
Cyclosporine
Dexmedetomidine
Diacetylmorphine
Diazepam
Dichloralphenazone
Difenoxin
Digoxin
Dihydrocodeine
Diphenhydramine
Diphenoxylate
Doxylamine
Droperidol
Enflurane
Entacapone
Estazolam
Eszopiclone
Ethchlorvynol
Ethopropazine
Ethylmorphine
Fentanyl
Flibanserin
Fluoxetine
Flurazepam
Fluspirilene
Fospropofol
Furazolidone
Halazepam
Halothane
Hexobarbital
Hydrocodone
Hydromorphone
Hydroxyzine
Insulin
Insulin Aspart, Recombinant
Insulin Bovine
Insulin Degludec
Insulin Detemir
Insulin Glargine, Recombinant
Insulin Glulisine
Insulin Lispro, Recombinant
Iproniazid
Isocarboxazid
Isoflurane
Ketamine
Ketazolam
Ketobemidone
Levodopa
Levorphanol
Linezolid
Lorazepam
Magnesium Oxybate
Meclizine
Melperone
Mephobarbital
Meprobamate
Meptazinol
Metaxalone
Methadone
Methdilazine
Methocarbamol
Methohexital
Methylene Blue
Midazolam
Moclobemide
Moricizine
Morphine
Morphine Sulfate Liposome
Nalbuphine
Nialamide
Nicomorphine
Nitrazepam
Nitrous Oxide
Opicapone
Opium
Opium Alkaloids
Orphenadrine
Oxazepam
Oxycodone
Oxymorphone
Papaveretum
Paregoric
Paroxetine
Pentazocine
Pentobarbital
Perampanel
Perazine
Pergolide
Phenelzine
Phenobarbital
Piperacetazine
Pipotiazine
Piritramide
Potassium Oxybate
Pramipexole
Prazepam
Primidone
Procarbazine
Procyclidine
Promethazine
Propofol
Quazepam
Quinidine
Ramelteon
Rasagiline
Remifentanil
Remoxipride
Rivastigmine
Ropinirole
Rotigotine
 Safinamide
Secobarbital
Selegiline
Sirolimus
Sodium Oxybate
Sufentanil
Suvorexant
Tacrolimus
Tapentadol
Temazepam
Terbinafine
Thiethylperazine
Thiopental
Thiopropazate
Tizanidine
Tolonium Chloride
Topiramate
Tramadol
Tranylcypromine
Triazolam
Trifluperidol
Trihexyphenidyl
Trimeprazine
Zaleplon
Zolpidem
Zopiclone
Zotepine
Moderate
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of
certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both
medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use
one or both of the medicines.
Didanosine
Mivacurium
Succinylcholine
Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol—
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain
types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines
may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the
basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Major
 Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be
unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often
you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or
tobacco.
Ethanol
Other Medical Problems—
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you
tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Abdominal or stomach bleeding or
Intestinal blockage or
Pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor) or
Seizures or epilepsy—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.
Asthma or
Cirrhosis (liver disease) or
Congestive heart failure or
Diabetes or
Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
Mental depression, history of or
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, history of or
Parkinson's disease—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (an enzyme problem) or
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) cytochrome reductase deficiency (an enzyme
problem)—May increase the risk for side effects affecting the blood.
Kidney disease—Use with caution. Effects may be increased because of slower removal of
the medicine from the body.

Proper Use of This Medicine

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a hospital. This
medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins or as a shot into one of your
muscles.
Your doctor will give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and
then switch you to an oral medicine that works the same way. If you have any concerns
about this, talk to your doctor.

Precautions While Receiving This Medicine

It is very important that your doctor check your progress while you receive this medicine to
make sure that it is working properly.
Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of the following symptoms after
receiving this medicine: convulsions (seizures); difficulty with breathing; a fast heartbeat; a
high fever; high or low blood pressure; increased sweating; loss of bladder control; severe
muscle stiffness; unusually pale skin; or tiredness. These could be symptoms of a serious
condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).
 Check with your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty with
speaking; drooling; loss of balance control; muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness;
restlessness; shuffling walk; stiffness of the limbs; twisting movements of the body; or
uncontrolled movements of the face, neck, and back.
This medicine may cause tardive dyskinesia (a movement disorder). Check with your doctor
right away if you have any of the following symptoms while using this medicine: lip smacking
or puckering, puffing of the cheeks, rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue,
uncontrolled chewing movements, or uncontrolled movements of the arms and legs.
This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, lightheaded, drowsy, or less alert
than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you
drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not
alert.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that
make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or
medicine for hay fever or colds; sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine; prescription
pain medicine or narcotics; medicine for seizures or barbiturates; muscle relaxants; or
anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics. Check with your doctor before taking any of
the above while you are using this medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This
includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or
vitamin supplements.

Side Effects of This Medicine

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not
all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Convulsions; difficulty in breathing; fast heartbeat; high fever; high or low blood
pressure; inability to move the eyes; increased blinking or spasms of the eyelid;
increased sweating; loss of bladder control; seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are
not there; severe muscle stiffness; sticking out of the tongue; tiredness; trouble in
breathing, speaking, or swallowing; uncontrolled twisting movements of the neck,
trunk, arms, or legs; unusual facial expressions; unusually pale skin

Incidence not known

Abdominal or stomach pain or tenderness; black, tarry stools; bluish-colored lips,
fingernails, or palms; blurred vision; chest pain or discomfort; chills; clay colored
stools; confusion; cough or hoarseness; dark urine; decrease in the amount of urine;
decreased appetite; decreased urine output; difficulty in swallowing; dilated neck
veins; dizziness or lightheadedness; dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when
getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly; extreme fatigue; fainting; fast, slow,
pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse; fatigue; feeling of warmth; fever with or
without chills; fluid-filled skin blisters; general feeling of tiredness or weakness;
headache; inability to sit still; increased need to urinate; incremental or ratchet-like
movement of the muscle; itching of the skin; large, hive-like swelling on the face,
eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs; light-colored stools; loss
of appetite; loss of balance control; lower back or side pain; mask-like face; mental
depression; mood or mental changes; muscle discomfort; nausea and vomiting; need
 to keep moving; nervousness; noisy, rattling breathing; painful or difficult urination;
pale skin; palpitations; passing urine more often; pounding in the ears; pounding, slow
heartbeat; rapid heart rate; redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper
chest; restlessness of the arms legs, hands, or feet; rigid or stiff muscles; sensitivity to
the sun; shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet; shortness of breath; shuffling
walk; skin rash; skin thinness; slow movement; slow or irregular breathing; slow
reflexes; slowed movements; slurred speech; sore throat and fever; sores, ulcers, or
white spots on the lips or in the mouth; stiffness of the arms and legs; sweating;
swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs; thoughts of killing oneself changes in
behavior; tic-like (jerky) movements of the head, face, mouth, and neck; tightness in
the chest; trembling and shaking of the fingers and hands; troubled breathing at rest;
unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual tiredness or weakness; weight gain; wheezing;
yellow eyes or skin
Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:
Symptoms of overdose
Confusion about identity, place, and time; drowsiness

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects
may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care
professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side
effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue
or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Incidence not known
Absent, missed, or irregular menstrual periods; blurred or loss of vision; cough;
decreased interest in sexual intercourse; diarrhea; disturbed color perception; double
vision; halos around lights; hives or welts; inability to have or keep an erection; itching;
loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance; loss of strength or energy; muscle
pain or weakness; night blindness; noisy breathing; overbright appearance of lights;
redness of the skin; sleeplessness; stopping of menstrual bleeding; swelling of the
breasts or unusual milk production; swelling of the breasts or breast soreness in both
females and males; trouble sleeping; tunnel vision; unable to sleep; unexpected or
excess milk flow from the breasts; unusual weak feeling

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects,
check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the
FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Portions of this document were updated on 12/29/21

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The information above is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk
to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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