The mass tort taking place in San Francisco has added another complaint to its ranks over a common Reglan side effect of the drug, tardive dyskinesia.
Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological disorder that is characterized by lip smacking, tongue protrusion, excessive blinking and involuntary movements of the extremities. This newest complaint was filed in the Superior Court in San Francisco County on August 8, 2012. In it, the plaintiff, Tina Reynolds, says that she used Reglan from 2004 to 2008, which is a great deal longer than the 12 weeks the drug is recommended for use.
Reynolds filed her Reglan lawsuit against the makers of both brand name and generic versions of the pills. The defendants are listed as Pliva, Teva and Actavis (generic) and Wyeth (brand name). Since last year’s Supreme Court decision that plaintiffs can’t hold generic drug makers liable in failure to warn lawsuits, many new plaintiffs have begun suing brand name and generic drug makers simultaneously.
Reglan is an acid reflux drug that has been on the market since 1986. Even though Reglan approved for short-term use, the drug was often prescribed to patients for months and even years longer than the recommended 12 weeks. This chronic use of Reglan is why so many people have suffered from serious side effects like TD. There is currently no cure for TD. However, some patients’ TD symptoms will disappear once they stop taking Reglan. For those people whose symptoms do not stop after discontinuing Reglan, lawsuits are often filed.
To date, thousands of Reglan lawsuits have been filed against both brand name and generic drug makers alike by former users just like Reynolds. While TD is the most common side effect listed with Reglan use, many others exist as well. With patients taking the acid reflux drug for extended periods of time, the chances of them suffering side effects like TD increase dramatically.
