What Is Cisapride?

Cisapride is a drug prescribed to treat severe and debilitating heartburn in people who have not found relief from other medications. Previously marketed under the brand Propulsid, as of 2000, Cisapride was only made available to a small number of patients because of serious side effects associated with the drug.

GERD

• In heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the sphincter at the back of the throat is weakened and allows stomach acid to move up into the esophagus. Many people with these conditions take medications to reduce stomach acid.

Benefits

• Cisapride tackles the problem differently. This drug increases muscle contractions of the lower esophagus and the lower esophagus sphincter to stop stomach acid from reaching the throat.

Additional Function

• Cisapride also helps to move the stomach contents into the intestines more rapidly, thus decreasing any acid reflux.

Features

• Cisapride is available in tablet and liquid form. It usually is taken four times a day, before each meal and at bedtime.

Warning

• By 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had received over 340 reports of serious irregular heart rhythm problems linked to Cisapride use. The manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceutica, then began making it available only through a limited access program.

More Common Effects

• More common side effects associated with Cisapride include diarrhea or constipation, upset stomach, coughing, headache and nasal congestion.