Motilium Drug Description

Motilium is the brand name for the medicine with the active ingredient domperidone, a product that increases muscle contractions in the stomach and intestines, increasing the speed with which food moves from the stomach into the intestines and along the length of the intestines. You should consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information about domperidone.

Pharmacologic Actions

• Domperidone blocks dopamine-receptors on various cells in the body. Dopamine, a chemical made by the body so that nerve cells can communicate with each other, has many functions in the body, one being the regulation of the muscle contractions in the stomach and the intestines. Domperidone blocks this particular action of dopamine.

Uses

• According to the product's prescribing information, last revised in 1990, doctors prescribe domperidone to speed up the emptying of the stomach in people with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (heartburn) and/or indigestion, reduce nausea and vomiting, particularly in patients receiving cancer treatments and facilitate taking x-rays and other images of the stomach and upper intestines.

Side Effects

• Some patients have reported allergic reactions, abdominal cramps, and/or dystonic reactions (unusual muscle contractions and movements). Domperidone can increase levels of prolactin, a hormone that regulates breast milk production in women, which can affect the breast tissue in both women and men. Extreme high blood pressure may occur in patients with certain kinds of tumors of the adrenal glands.

Precautions

• People allergic to domperidone should not take it, nor should those for whom its actions would be detrimental, such as those with gastro-intestinal bleeding, obstruction, or perforation. Pregnant or nursing women should discuss taking domperidone with their doctors. Because the liver metabolizes domperidone, people with liver conditions or those taking other drugs metabolized in the liver should speak with their doctor or pharmacist about the possibility of interactions. The action of domperidone in the stomach and intestines may affect the absorption of other medicines.

Clinical Studies

• A study published in the Journal of Association of Physicians of India in 2004 compared domperidone to a newer agent, itopride. This study showed that both drugs treated people with indigestion effectively and safely. Eighty-one percent of people taking itopride had good symptom relieve, while 70 percent of those taking domperidone did. This difference was not statistically significant.

  A study published in 2001 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology analyzed data from multiple studies to compare domperidone with cisapride in people with dyspepsia. In this study, cisapride appears superior to domperidone in many measures of efficacy, although both were found safe and effective. The methods of this study make it difficult to draw reliable conclusions in the comparison of the two drugs.