On this page
Therapeutic action
- Antiemetic (dopamine antagonist)
Indications
- Prevention or symptomatic treatment of nausea and vomiting in adults
Forms and strengths, route of administration
- 10 mg in 2 ml ampoule (5 mg/ml) for IM or slow IV injection (3 to 5 minutes)
Dosage
- Adult: 10 mg every 8 hours if necessary
Duration
- According to clinical evolution, as short as possible
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to children < 18 years and to patients with gastrointestinal haemorrhage, obstruction or perforation.
- Reduce the dose by half in patients with severe renal impairment.
- Administer with caution and monitor use in patients > 60 years and patients with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.
- May cause: drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, extrapyramidal symptoms, seizures (especially in epileptics), allergic reactions, cardiac disorders (hypotension, bradycardia, cardiac arrest); neuroleptic malignant syndrome (unexplained hyperthermia with neuromuscular disorders), rare but requiring immediate treatment discontinuation.
- Do not combine with levodopa (antagonism).
- Avoid combination with CNS depressants (opioid analgesics, antipsychotics, sedatives, antidepressants, antihistamines, etc.) and antihypertensive drugs (increased risk of hypotension).
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication
Remarks
- For postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults, efficacy of metoclopramide is limited: ondansetron is preferred.
- Metoclopramide is also used as a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in patients receiving enteral feeding by a nasogastric tube in intensive care units.
Storage
– Below 25 °C