Motilium: Versatile Treatment for All Conditions?

Motilium (domperidone) is a medication used to treat nausea and vomiting. Its active ingredient, domperidone, accelerates the passage of bodily contents to the intestines. Moreover, Motilium delays the activation of the brain’s vomiting center, reducing discomfort and the urge to vomit.

How it works?

Motilium is prescribed to alleviate nausea and vomiting caused by various factors, such as migraine, stomach pain, rheumatism, or medication withdrawal. The tablets offer rapid relief and are appropriate for adults and children aged 12 and older.

Domperidone has antidopaminergic properties with high affinity to the D2 receptor and acts antiemetically in the chemoreceptor trigger zone against nausea and vomiting outside the blood-brain barrier. Dopamine inhibits stomach movements, promotes satiety and induces nausea and stomach pain. By blocking the effects of dopamine, domperidone acts prokinetic, promotes gastric motions, accelerates gastric emptying, increases the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter, and promotes esophageal motility.

Motilium for nausea treatment: is it always suitable?

Take Motilium during pregnancy or lactation only if a doctor prescribes this. Some of Motilium’s side effects (such as dizziness or fatigue) may affect the ability to react. Those who do not feel alert should not get into traffic. Alcohol may aggravate or cause side effects such as dizziness or sleepiness. The person taking Motilium should be careful about the strong drink intake.

The drug has certain contraindications for use. The major part of this is the bleeding that occurs in the stomach and intestines. The reason for this phenomenon can be many. These include ulcerative lesions, such as erosion, polyps and tumors. In the given pathologies, the preparation is not used as it may aggravate the situation. Due to increased motor function, food will move faster along the digestive tract. In this case, damaged walls in the intestines or stomach may try more bleeding.

It is dangerous to take medication for perforation or obstruction of the digestive tract. Rapid passage of food through the stomach may trigger pain, peritonitis and other serious side effects.

This medication is contraindicated in the presence of a pituitary gland, which is caused by hypersecretion of prolactin. The fact that the drug can improve the production of this hormone, which will accelerate the growth of education and aggravate the course of the disease. The same remark applies to other pathologies due to excessive secretion of prolactin. This may be hyperprolactinemia, as well as fibrocystic mastopathy. The use of domperidone will provoke an even greater dilation of the milk channels, which will intensify the swelling and pain in the mammary glands.

How to take Motilium correctly?

The medicine is taken half an hour before a meal without chewing or breaking the tablet. Swallow the tablet out of liquid with little fluid. Always take Motilium before meals, so that medicine works faster. If the symptoms have not resolved after a while, consult a doctor. Do not take Motilium for more than 7 consecutive days without consulting a doctor.

According to the most recent guidelines instructions for the use of domperidone, the maximum daily dose is 80 mg. In the acute phase or severe nausea and vomiting, 20 mg 3 times a day. The last dose is taken just before bedtime. For chronic symptoms take 10 mg three to four times a day. Daily dose adjustment is required for patients with liver and kidney disease. In this case, the tablets do not take more than 2 times a day. If the doctor does not prescribe otherwise, the usual dose for adults and children over 12 years (over 35 kilograms): 1 tablet of 10 mg three times a day. The tablets are not suitable for children under 12 years of age. Never take more than three tablets at the same time. Read the package leaflet in advance.

Possible side effects

Medications can sometimes cause side effects, but it does not mean that everyone who takes the drug will suffer. The side effects that may occur when taking Motilium include:

• Dry mouth;
• Stomach cramps;
• Diarrhea;
• Headache;
• Somnolence.

Anyone who is suffering from side effects (including those not mentioned in the package leaflet) should consult a doctor or pharmacist. Read more on the topic in the package insert. As a dopamine antagonist, domperidone, such as neuroleptics and metoclopramide, has the potential for numerous undesirable effects in the central nervous system. However, these are not observed in practice because domperidone does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It is also partially inactivated in the liver and has a high affinity for the gastrointestinal tract. Domperidone may prolong the QT interval and rarely lead to cardiac arrhythmias. Domperidone rarely increases prolactin levels, leading to enlargement of the mammary gland, chest pain, milk flow, dysfunction and absence of menstruation.

• Other common adverse effects are:
• Depression, anxiety, decreased libido
• Headache, drowsiness, akathisia, fatigue
• Diarrhea, dry mouth
• Rash, itching

When NOT to use Motilium

The drug Motilium is not suitable for everyone. Do not take this medicine if you have:

• Hypersensitivity to domperidone or other excipients;
• Ongoing stomach bleeding or regular stomach pain and black stools;
• Perforated or blocked intestine;
• Hypothyroidism, (moderate) severe liver disease or certain heart problems (see package leaflet);
• Abnormal potassium or magnesium content in the blood.

It may happen that any additional medicines you take may interfere with Motilium. The package insert tells you what medicines are, but doctors also know which medicines can affect.

Domperidone is inactivated by CYP3A4 (intestinal and hepatic first-pass metabolism) leading to a reduction in bioavailability. CYP3A4 inhibitors can increase the plasma concentration. This is problematic because domperidone can prolong the QT interval, causing cardiac arrhythmia. For this reason, concomitant administration with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as azole antifungals or macrolides is contraindicated.

Anticholinergics can reduce the effect of domperidone. Antacids and antisecretory drugs reduce the bioavailability of domperidone when co-administered. Domperidone may affect the absorption of other drugs as it affects the gastric motility.