Metoclopramide Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 30, 2024.

Applies to metoclopramide: solution.

Other dosage forms:

• oral solution, oral tablet, oral tablet disintegrating
• nasal spray

Important warnings This medicine can cause some serious health issues

Injection route (solution)

Metoclopramide treatment can cause tardive dyskinesia, a serious movement disorder that is often irreversible.

Risk is increased with duration of treatment and total cumulative dose.

Discontinue metoclopramide therapy in patients who develop signs or symptoms of tardive dyskinesia.

There is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia, although symptoms may lessen or resolve after metoclopramide discontinuation.

Prolonged treatment with metoclopramide (greater than 12 weeks) should be avoided in all but rare cases where therapeutic benefit outweighs the risks.

Serious side effects of metoclopramide

Along with its needed effects, metoclopramide may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking metoclopramide:

Rare side effects

• convulsions
• difficulty in breathing
• fast heartbeat
• high fever
• high or low blood pressure
• inability to move the eyes
• increased blinking or spasms of the eyelid
• increased sweating
• loss of bladder control
• seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• severe muscle stiffness
• sticking out of the tongue
• tiredness
• trouble in breathing, speaking, or swallowing
• uncontrolled twisting movements of the neck, trunk, arms, or legs
• unusual facial expressions
• unusually pale skin

Incidence not known

• abdominal or stomach pain or tenderness
• black, tarry stools
• bluish-colored lips, fingernails, or palms
• blurred vision
• chest pain or discomfort
• chills
• clay colored stools
• confusion
• cough or hoarseness
• dark urine
• decrease in the amount of urine
• decreased appetite
• decreased urine output
• difficulty in swallowing
• dilated neck veins
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
• extreme fatigue
• fainting
• fast, slow, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
• fatigue
• feeling of warmth
• fever with or without chills
• fluid-filled skin blisters
• general feeling of tiredness or weakness
• headache
• inability to sit still
• increased need to urinate
• incremental or ratchet-like movement of the muscle
• itching of the skin
• large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
• light-colored stools
• loss of appetite
• loss of balance control
• lower back or side pain
• mask-like face
• mental depression
• mood or mental changes
• muscle discomfort
• nausea and vomiting
• need to keep moving
• nervousness
• noisy, rattling breathing
• painful or difficult urination
• pale skin
• palpitations
• passing urine more often
• pounding in the ears
• pounding, slow heartbeat
• rapid heart rate
• redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest
• restlessness of the arms legs, hands, or feet
• rigid or stiff muscles
• sensitivity to the sun
• shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
• shortness of breath
• shuffling walk
• skin rash
• skin thinness
• slow movement
• slow or irregular breathing
• slow reflexes
• slowed movements
• slurred speech
• sore throat and fever
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
• stiffness of the arms and legs
• sweating
• swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
• thoughts of killing oneself changes in behavior
• tic-like (jerky) movements of the head, face, mouth, and neck
• tightness in the chest
• trembling and shaking of the fingers and hands
• troubled breathing at rest
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• weight gain
• wheezing
• yellow eyes or skin

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking metoclopramide:

Symptoms of overdose

• confusion about identity, place, and time
• drowsiness

Other side effects of metoclopramide

Some side effects of metoclopramide may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Incidence not known

• absent, missed, or irregular menstrual periods
• blurred or loss of vision
• cough
• decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• diarrhea
• disturbed color perception
• double vision
• halos around lights
• hives or welts
• inability to have or keep an erection
• itching
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• loss of strength or energy
• muscle pain or weakness
• night blindness
• noisy breathing
• overbright appearance of lights
• redness of the skin
• sleeplessness
• stopping of menstrual bleeding
• swelling of the breasts or unusual milk production
• swelling of the breasts or breast soreness in both females and males
• trouble sleeping
• tunnel vision
• unable to sleep
• unexpected or excess milk flow from the breasts
• unusual weak feeling

For healthcare professionals

Applies to metoclopramide: compounding powder, injectable solution, nasal spray, oral concentrate, oral syrup, oral tablet, oral tablet disintegrating.

General adverse events

The incidence of side effects correlates with dose and duration of metoclopramide therapy.^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Drowsiness (up to 70%), acute dystonic reaction (up to 25%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Akathisia, dizziness, extrapyramidal disorders, headache, parkinsonism, somnolence
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Depressed level of consciousness, dyskinesia, dystonia
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Bradykinesia, convulsion, dystonic reaction, tremor
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• Frequency not reported: Acute dyskinesia, acute dystonia/acute dystonic reaction, altered consciousness, autonomic instability, bulbar type of speech, choreoathetotic movements, cogwheel rigidity, convulsive seizures, extrapyramidal symptoms, facial grimacing, facial muscle spasm, fatal dystonic reaction, foot tapping, inability to sit still, involuntary movements of the extremities/face/jaw/mouth/tongue/trunk, mask-like facies, motor restlessness, opisthotonos, pacing, parkinsonian syndrome, rhythmic tongue protrusion, serotonin syndrome, syncope, tardive dyskinesia, tetanus-like reaction, unnatural position of head and shoulders^[Ref]

Drowsiness, decreased level of consciousness, confusion, and hallucinations have higher incidences with higher doses.

Convulsive seizures have been reported, especially in patients with epilepsy; however, there is no obvious association with use of this drug.

Dystonic reactions typically presented as upper airway obstruction with stridor and dyspnea.

Parkinsonian symptoms may be related to usual/excessive doses and/or decreased renal function and includes tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and akinesia.^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Common (1% to 10%): Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Bowel disturbances
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Supraglottic dystonia
• Frequency not reported: Glossal edema^[Ref]

Other

• Common (1% to 10%): Asthenia, fatigue, lassitude
• Frequency not reported: Effects on the ability to drive/operate machinery, hyperpyrexia, hyperthemia, jitteriness^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Common (1% to 10%): Depression, restlessness
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hallucination, insomnia
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Acute depression, confusional state
• Frequency not reported: Agitation, anxiety, confusion, delirium, mania, mental depression with suicidal ideation, nervousness, obsessive rumination, severe dysphoria, suicidal ideation, suicide^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Hypotension
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Bradycardia
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Cardiac conduction abnormalities, heart block
• Frequency not reported: Acute congestive heart failure, acute hypertension, atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular (AV) block, cardiac arrest, edema, electrocardiogram QT prolonged, fatal cardiorespiratory arrest, hypertension, palpitation, possible AV block, shock, sinus arrest, supraventricular tachycardia, tachycardia, Torsade de Pointes, transient facial/upper body flushing, transient increase in blood pressure, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia^[Ref]

Hypotension, bradycardia, shock, and other abnormalities or cardiac conduction occurred most frequently with IV formulations.

Cardiac arrest occurred shortly after IV administration, and may have been subsequent to bradycardia.

Sinus arrest and transient facial/upper body flushing occurred, particularly with IV administration. Flushing typically occurred without alterations in vital signs following high dose IVs.

Edema/fluid retention may be secondary to a transient increase in aldosterone levels.

Acute hypertension has occurred in patients with pheochromocytoma.

Hypertension has occurred in patients with/without pheochromocytoma.^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Amenorrhea
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Galactorrhea
• Frequency not reported: Breast enlargement, impotence, priapism, sexual dysfunction, urinary frequency, urinary incontinence^[Ref]

Impotence may be secondary to hyperprolactinemia.^[Ref]

Endocrine

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hyperprolactinemia
• Frequency not reported: Endocrine disorders, gynecomastia, transient aldosterone elevation^[Ref]

Amenorrhea, galactorrhea, and gynecomastia occurred secondary to hyperprolactinemia during prolonged treatment.^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hypersensitivity
• Frequency not reported: Anaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic shock, angioedema^[Ref]

Anaphylactic reaction/shock typically occurred with the IV formulation.^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Dyspnea, laryngospasm, stridor, upper airway obstruction
• Frequency not reported: Acute asthmatic symptoms, bronchospasm, laryngeal edema, respiratory failure, wheezing^[Ref]

Bronchospasm, wheezing, and dyspnea typically occurred in patients with a history of asthma.

Respiratory failure occurred secondary to dystonic reactions.^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Altered liver function tests, hepatotoxicity, jaundice^[Ref]

Hepatotoxicity occurred with concurrent use of other potentially hepatotoxic drugs and was characterized by findings such as jaundice and altered liver function tests.^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Rigidity
• Frequency not reported: Fluid retention, generalized muscle tone increase, increased creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), muscle rigidity, muscle spasms, torticollis, trismus^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Frequency not reported: Agranulocytosis, blood disorders, leukopenia, methemoglobinemia, neutropenia, sulfhemoglobinemia^[Ref]

Leukopenia, neutropenia, and agranulocytosis typically did not have a clear-cut relationship with this drug.

Methemoglobinemia and sulfhemoglobinemia occurred with high doses of this drug. Methemoglobinemia may be related to NADH cytochrome b5 reductase deficiency or overdose, particularly in neonates. Sulfhemoglobinemia usually occurred in adults with concomitant use of high doses of sulfur-releasing products.^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Frequency not reported: Angioneurotic edema, maculopapular rash, rash, urticaria^[Ref]

Rash and urticaria typically occurred in patients with a history of asthma.^[Ref]

Ocular

• Frequency not reported: Extraocular muscle spasm, oculogyric crisis, visual disturbances^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Frequency not reported: Fluid retention, porphyria^[Ref]

Further information

Metoclopramide side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Some side effects may not be reported. You may report them to the FDA.

Medical Disclaimer