It is also useful for facilitating small bowel intubation and as an antiemetic. The most common side effects are somnolence, nervousness , and dystonic reactions.

The Food and Drug Administration advises: "Tardive Dyskinesia, a syndrome consisting of potentially irreversible, dyskinetic movements may develop in patients treated with metoclopramide...Both the risk of developing the syndrome and the likelihood that it will become irreversible are believed to increase with the duration of treatment and the total cumulative dose." As with any medication, you should discuss all potential benefits, potential risks, and potential side effects with your physician.

It is available under trade names such as Apo-Metoclop (Apotex), Maxeran (Hoechst Marion Roussel), Nu-Metoclopramide (Nu-Pharm), Maxolon (DermaTech), and Reglan (Weyth-Ayerst).

Sources

• Brenner, G. M. (2000). Pharmacology. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company. ISBN 0-7216-7757-6
• Canadian Pharmacists Association (2000). Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (25th ed.). Toronto, ON: Webcom. ISBN 0-919115-76-4