Can Breastfeeding Babies Develop Tardive Dyskinesia, Too?
While it is well known that the acid reflux drug Reglan can cause tardive dyskinesia (TD) if it is taken for a period that exceeds 12 weeks, the drug has also been given to aid women in breastfeeding their children.
Reglan has been used to help increase lactation in women who were having problems producing enough milk for their babies. It is an off-label use of the drug. So far, there is no official dose that has been established for this use of the drug in this manner, but mothers have generally been given 30 mgs a day, which is about the same as the 30-40 mgs that are given to heartburn patients. This is where the questions start.
Since the chances of a person developing TD is the same for nursing mothers as it is for everyone else taking the 30-40 mgs of Reglan, it seems that the only variable that is different is the purpose for taking the drug in the first place. The reason for this is because the purpose for taking the drug will likely affect the length of time that the drug is prescribed. Since the FDA stipulated that the drug shouldn’t be used for more than 12 weeks at a time, this likely places nursing women at a higher risk of developing TD. But what about their babies?
Many studies will likely have to be conducted before any real data are available on whether a baby can develop TD or other conditions associated with Reglan use when its mother takes the drug while nursing. It is best that parents of breastfeeding babies that develop conditions such as TD, Parkinson’s Disease, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, blepharaospasm and ocular deviation contact a doctor and then a lawyer, as these conditions may be caused by Reglan.
