Metoclopramide

Metoclopramide is a medication used to treat nausea, vomiting, gastroparesis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is also used to treat migraine headaches. Common side effects include feeling tired, diarrhea, and akathisia. More serious side effects include neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, and depression. It is thus rarely recommended that people take the medication for longer than twelve weeks. No evidence of harm has been found after being taken by many pregnant women. It belongs to the group of medications known as dopamine receptor antagonists and works as a prokinetic. In 2012, metoclopramide was one of the top 100 most prescribed medications in the United States. It is available as a generic medication. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In 2023, it was the 256th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.