Metoclopramide and Restlessness: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• October 28, 2019

Metoclopramide for Gastroparesis "I am a female in my mid-20s. I was given Reglan for issues related to previous abdominal surgery and gastroparesis. I only took it for about 2 days before I stopped. I felt extremely restless and couldn't stop sleeping, but also was never comfortable enough to fully fall asleep. I also felt like I was in a psychotic episode that was never going to end. I was extremely irritated/agitated, very depressed, and having suicidal thoughts. I thought I needed to quit my job and couldn't have a conversation with anyone. I know my doctor had no way of knowing how I would react to Reglan, and some people do well, but I think this is way too risky to be handing out."

• Sam...
• October 27, 2019

Metoclopramide for Migraine "I went to the ER complaining of a migraine. I was put on Toradol, Benadryl, and Reglan. I have gotten Toradol shots for my migraines over the last couple of weeks with absolutely no problem whatsoever. I also have never had an adverse reaction to Benadryl in my life. So I know the Reglan is to blame. Within 5 minutes of this drug polluting my veins, I felt an insanely strong urge to rip my IV out of my arm. I got extremely restless, like I had to keep moving. I felt like I needed to leave the hospital immediately and was in a total panic. I couldn’t sit still, I just felt like something terrible was happening. This drug definitely induced an anxiety or some sort of panic attack. I do not recommend this at all."

• And...
• April 12, 2020

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "I was 2 months pregnant and losing weight. My OB/GYN prescribed Reglan, and since then, my life changed. After two weeks of taking it, I woke up with a panic attack. The first one I ever had. I emailed my doctor, and she said it’s normal, you are hormonal. The symptoms started with that panic attack. Then I was afraid of the dark, I was unable to be alone, lack of sleep, my brain thinking extremely fast, no connection between my body and brain. My appetite started to disappear, and I had one moment of clear thinking and went to the ER. The doctor told me I had Akathisia induced by Reglan. When that happened, my self-confidence, character, independence, and happiness were gone. To make this story short, I saw a psychiatrist, attended therapy, yoga, and what I believe saved me: acupuncture! My parents moved to my house to stay with me. I retrained my brain, and the panic attacks started to disappear."

• Nev...
• November 12, 2009

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "This was given to me as an IV, and I felt restless and anxious. I had hallucinations and unbelievable depression and emotional pain. I thought I went crazy and had suicidal thoughts. I was depressed for a month after that. I couldn't tell you if it worked because I was too busy arguing with myself on whether I was crazy. I am one of those people who never thought suicide was an answer to anything, but this medicine made me believe it was the only answer."

• lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2023

Metoclopramide for Migraine "Caused immediate dystonic reaction, hallucinations, derealization, depersonalization, agoraphobia, monophobia, daily panic attacks, severe depression, akathisia, legs stopped working, muscle tremors, severe fatigue, chills, fainting, diarrhea, nausea, dry heaving, loss of appetite, acid reflux, shortness of breath, red burning skin, numbness in limbs, headache, restlessness, chest pain. Was given this drug via IV one-time dose! It has now been 6 months and I am still completely disabled, feels like I'm living in a dream, scared all of the time, can't eat, no joy, suffering for months on end. I’ve heard it can take a year or more to recover. Please join the Reglan Support Group on Facebook if you are suffering long-term effects from this med and don’t let doctors gaslight you! Keep in mind I have no history of mental illness and now have similar issues to TBI and severe panic disorder."

• lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2023

Metoclopramide for Migraine "Caused immediate dystonic reaction, hallucinations, derealization, depersonalization, agoraphobia, monophobia, daily panic attacks, severe depression, akathisia, legs stopped working, muscle tremors, severe fatigue, chills, fainting, diarrhea, nausea, dry heaving, loss of appetite, acid reflux, shortness of breath, red burning skin, numbness in limbs, headache, restlessness, chest pain. Was given this drug via IV one-time dose! It has now been 6 months and I am still completely disabled, feels like I'm living in a dream, scared all of the time, can't eat, no joy, suffering for months on end. I’ve heard it can take a year or more to recover. Please join the Reglan Support Group on Facebook if you are suffering long-term effects from this med and don’t let doctors gaslight you! Keep in mind I have no history of mental illness and now have similar issues to TBI and severe panic disorder."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2015

Metoclopramide for Gastroparesis "I have what has so far been categorized as gastroparesis, and while it did help with my stomach pains after eating, I acquired a heavy restlessness that basically made it impossible to do anything. I could hardly focus my vision, nonetheless my mind, and my muscles felt tense and restless, occasionally twitching. It was almost an anxiety level of antsy feelings that I sort of had to wait out. At least when in pain I can focus and actually do things (albeit with more effort), but with this I was useless."

• Cha...
• October 27, 2011

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "I was given Reglan intravenously for nausea while in the emergency room. Almost immediately, I began having these overwhelming urges to rip the IV out of my arm and run away as fast as possible, it felt like a shock wave was passing through every muscle in my body. The nurse said it was 'restlessness,' and it wasn't uncommon. Every few seconds, the sensation would return, and all I could do was wiggle around in the bed and cry, I felt so helpless. It took an hour for the feelings to go away."

• typ...
• June 27, 2014

Metoclopramide for Gastroparesis "Went to the hospital for uncontrollable nausea/vomiting and am Type 1 diabetic. By IV, it made me restless, agitated, and my face felt slightly swollen, but it, along with some Zofran in between, stopped the vomiting. They diagnosed me with gastroparesis, so now I take it 30 minutes before I eat and once before bed."

• Bay...
• October 21, 2019

Metoclopramide for Gastroparesis "I'm on Reglan right now for gastroparesis, and it's working great for my stomach. I am shaking a lot more and have restlessness, especially in my legs. Also feeling a little more tense sometimes, but it's really helping with my stomach. Guess you have to weigh the effects vs. what it's helping."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2017

Metoclopramide for Migraine "I went to the ER for extreme neck and head pain. They said they were going to treat me with a headache cocktail. The nurse shot 3 medicines in me quickly. The first was Reglan. Immediately after she put this in my IV, I felt an intense pressure in my chest and I could barely breathe. I began to feel so restless and jittery. I wanted to jump up and rip the IV out and run. I tried to lay there and calm down, but I felt terrible intense anxiety and worried I was going to die. I felt panic like never before. I thought something was wrong with me, I'm so glad I'm not alone. I'll never agree to this medicine again, and my head still hurt when I left!"

• Mis...
• February 16, 2021

Metoclopramide for Migraine "This is a 21-month update about my experience with Reglan IV, a one-time dose given as a 'migraine cocktail' in the ER for a migraine. Yep, in just 3 months, it will be two years since I have gotten this awful medication. I STILL have issues from what Reglan did to me. It is not uncommon for people to have tardive dyskinesia or akathisia from Reglan. I got akathisia. For many, the symptoms of akathisia go away in an hour or a few days. (Tardive dyskinesia, on the other hand, can be permanent. In fact, like I said, I got akathisia, not tardive dyskinesia.) Anyway, in many cases, the akathisia subsides. But, it can hang on for some. I was one of those unfortunate people. There is a support group on Facebook called the Reglan Support Group for people who have had a harder time recovering from the injury of this drug. I had acute symptoms for 4 months. It was as bad as people describe akathisia on here. The next several months, the symptoms were moderate. This drug had destroyed my life."

• Sha...
• May 20, 2017

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "I have sickle cell disease, so in addition to severe pain, I have bouts of nausea and vomiting. I was given Reglan in the ER; within 5 minutes, I felt extreme agitation, restlessness, dripping sweat, and shaking uncontrollably. I begged the nurse to tell the doctor I was having a reaction. She did, but with very little urgency, instead telling me to get back in the stretcher, but I couldn't due to sweating, shaking, and needing to pace. I was sent for a chest X-ray, but the tech sent me back, saying she was uncomfortable handling me in this state. I again pleaded with the nurse to call the doctor. He finally came, and I was given Benadryl to reverse the effects. I felt calmer, but it took a while for the shaking to stop. The nurse and doctor acted like I was crazy, smh."

• Anp...
• March 1, 2016

Metoclopramide for Migraine "I have severe migraines. I would say on a monthly basis, and usually they give me morphine through the IV in the ER room. But one time, the doctor decided to give me this Reglan, which changed my life into the worst! I do not know how this medicine can treat something! I felt a burning sensation first in my stomach, and then I started to think that I'm going to die because I wanted to pull out the IV, and I was restless, shaking, panicking, anxious, and I wanted to pull out the IV line. The nurses looked at me like I was possessed by a demon! After one year, I still feel anxious and weird. I know this med changed my life into the worst!"

• Pre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2015

Metoclopramide for Migraine "I'm so glad I read these postings. I was admitted to the ER after a five-day migraine. I was given this medicine through an IV. It took about 45 hours to feel relief. It took my pain level from a 10 to a 4. However, the first 20 minutes I felt very restless suddenly, and I wanted to be out of the hospital. I was uncomfortable, and I wanted to rip the IV out of my arm. I was paranoid waiting for my boyfriend to come back from the restroom. I couldn't explain the feeling, but after reading the other posts, I see it was a similar experience and side effect to the other posters."

• Jun...
• November 17, 2019

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "I went to the ER because it was about 11 pm, and I wasn’t keeping anything down. Usually, Zofran works for me, I’ve had it many times, but for some reason, it didn’t help this time. So they gave me Reglan. Within about 5-10 minutes, something was wrong. I’m lying down in the ER bed, and I started to feel fidgety. Moving around a little, and within a few minutes after it started, I felt like I was going crazy. Mind you, I was not feeling well. I had a fever and everything. But I couldn’t stop moving. I was pacing. I pushed my body into the walls. I had to keep moving. They gave me Benadryl, but it didn’t help. I was like this for about 14 hours. I’m very used to being sick because I was born with 5 congenital heart defects and 2 congenital lung defects, and I have many more health issues. I’ve had over 20 surgeries, many being open-heart surgeries. I’m used to not-so-great situations when it comes to health. But this was awful. I felt like I was going insane."

• Mig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2015

Metoclopramide for Migraine "So glad I looked up these reviews! I had the same experience as others with the anxiety, wanting to crawl out of my skin feeling. I had the Benadryl as well, but it didn't help. The doctors and nurses were acting like I was crazy and like they had never heard of this reaction. I'm glad to know I'm not alone and that I wasn't imagining these symptoms. I literally could not lie in the bed - I was pacing around the hospital room and actually had to jump up and down because I was so restless. Absolutely awful feeling - I'd almost rather have the migraine (almost, but not quite). They finally had to give me Ativan to help. The Reglan did get rid of my migraine though, that's why 2 stars."

• Jad...
• March 6, 2017

For Migraine "I'm an ER nurse. We use a cocktail of 20 mg metoclopramide with 25 mg diphenhydramine. That's 2 vials of Reglan and 1/2 vial of Benadryl in a 250 mL NS bag. Reglan is the primary medication in this cocktail, Benadryl is given to reduce the side effect known as akathisia. Both Reglan and Benadryl cause drowsiness, hence, only half a dose is given. 250 mL saline bags are used so we can control the rate of flow of the medication (to infuse slow over 20 minutes, we don't use an IV pump with these medications). Ketorolac is optional. If not given correctly, in most cases infused as a bolus/wide open. This is where the problem occurs. I would say it has a success rate of 80%. I've seen akathisia just twice, I give it cautiously every time."

• jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2019

Metoclopramide for Gastroparesis "I was given Reglan one time at the ER via IM injection. I was suffering from severe migraine headaches and nausea. Within 10 minutes, I had become severely irritated, restless, and would have rather had the severe migraine as opposed to the way Reglan made me feel. I told my GP that I'm allergic to Reglan and to please never prescribe Reglan to me ever. I also have had MS when the ER doctor ordered the IM injection. It is most definitely a drug I'm allergic to."

• Mac...
• April 12, 2013

For Migraine "I too received a Reglan (metoclopramide) with Benadryl IV when treated in the ER. I was warned that this medication would make me extremely drowsy, and it did. I also have to say I felt an extreme restlessness almost as instantly as I felt the medication reach my veins. I remember my husband holding my hand and rubbing my back and telling me to settle down because I became antsy. I was thrashing a little and tossing and turning in the bed. I think we experience this because the medication comes on so strongly, and your first instinct is to try to fight how you're feeling, and it gives you extreme fatigue, which I believe gives a false sensation of dizziness and that you're falling, which I believe is what causes the anxiousness and restlessness."

• n2b...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2017

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "OMG! This is the first time I have ever seen anyone else besides myself have an issue like this with Reglan. The first time I got it was while waiting to have surgery, and the longer I sat there, the more panic-stricken I became till I was just sure if I stayed I was going to die in surgery, so I pulled the IV, got dressed, and went home. When it wore off, I felt crazy, so I called the nurse at my surgery, and she said it happens frequently and we should try again using plain saline, not even Ringer's solution. I was fine the second time around. I also get it from Compazine, Phenergan, and Ativan. They call this reaction Akathisia. The ER gave me Cogentin and a couple of Xanax, and it was gone in 15 minutes. Awful, awful feeling!"

• Anonymous
• June 5, 2019

Metoclopramide for Migraine "OMG, worst medicine mixture ever!!! I’ve had this terrible stuff 2 times. The first time, I went to the ER for an awful migraine, and they gave me Compazine, Reglan, and Benadryl, and immediately I started feeling very tired but restless and anxious at the same time. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t because I felt like I just wanted to run out of there and just go home! It’s the worst anxious feeling I’ve ever experienced. So, the next time I had a migraine, they wanted to give me that, and I thought, well, maybe it was just a bad reaction last time or something, but NOPE! I had the same feeling, and they wanted to do an MRI on me because of other neurological symptoms I came in with, but since I was feeling so awful, I just told them, nope, I want to be discharged. I’m definitely going to tell them next time those medications I cannot tolerate, and I refuse them."

• Sop...
• January 8, 2016

For Migraine "I'm 18 and had a lumbar puncture done on 12/29. I've had a severe migraine ever since, so on Tuesday, Children's Hospital told my mom to take me to the ER. Once there, they gave me this, and let me tell you, from someone who suffers from terrible panic attacks, this was genuinely one of the worst ones I've ever had. Ten minutes in, I started feeling restless and started moving and moving because I literally wanted to rip the IV out of my arm and run out. I got up and I started sobbing, and I felt like I was going to die. I really wanted to just rip the IV out, and I was terrified that I was going to. Mom had to call a nurse, and they gave me Benadryl, and that knocked me out. A day later, though, my severe migraine is back. Not worth it, guys. Nope."

• Liz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2017

Metoclopramide for Nausea/Vomiting "Prescribed Reglan at the ER for slow gastric emptying and nausea while pregnant. My third dose is when I had the side effects. Restlessness, agitation, and the feeling of crawling out of my skin. Side effects finally went away after 6 hours. It was awful, and I will never take Reglan again."

• Jos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2021

Metoclopramide for GERD "Side effects experienced with Reglan: Reglan made me suicidal, depressed, almost took my life!!! Was scared to death. I developed akathisia, suicidal thoughts, my brain was talking to me telling me to take me and my dog's life, and this is NOT me! My parents had to watch me every day until I had to be placed on an antidepressant and had to wait 6-7 weeks until it kicked in! I’ll never be the same! 1 year later, I'm still on an antidepressant with so many up and down days, still completely depersonalized! So many times I wanted to give up, but I prayed every night to keep pushing and saying to myself my future will be so bright. Couldn’t eat, sleep, or even bathe myself, my family had to take care of me! With just ONE DOSE! This pill is so strong! To do something like this to me, I’ve never ever!!! Out of all the meds I had to be placed on and tried for my stomach condition, never experienced ANYTHING like this! It may work for some people."