HOW COMMONLY DOES METOCLOPRAMIDE CAUSE MOVEMENT DISORDERS?

Metoclopramide is often used to treat diabetic gastroparesis, esophageal reflux, and nausea from chemotherapy. The drug's dopamine antagonist properties may cause extrapyramidal side effects, but these complications are thought to be rare.

This study compared 51 patients (mean age, 64) who had taken metoclopramide for a mean of 2.6 years (average dose, 31 mg/d) with 51 controls matched for age, sex, and presence of diabetes. An examiner blinded to patients' use of metoclopramide evaluated all subjects for abnormal extrapyramidal movements. Tardive dyskinesia was found in 29 percent of metoclopramide users and 18 percent of controls, a difference of borderline significance. Tardive dyskinesia was significantly more severe in metoclopramide us…