Marilyn Abicht is the newest former Reglan user to file a lawsuit after she developed tardive dyskinesia in 1998. Abicht filed her lawsuit on May 29, 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, claiming that the acid reflux drug caused her permanent neurological injuries.
Abicht was prescribed Reglan as a treatment for her pancreatitis and esophageal reflux. From 2002 to 2008, Abicht took a generic version of Reglan that was made by Pliva Inc. During a visit to her dentist in September of 2008, her dentist noticed that her speech was different and that she was suffering from involuntary jaw and eye movements. These symptoms are common in patients who have tardive dyskinesia. Abicht went to see a neurologist, who then diagnosed her with TD which she believes was caused by her long-term use of Reglan.
Like many Reglan users, Abicht states that she did not know that the drug was only to be used as a short-term treatment, or that it could cause TD. She states that had she known of the potential side effects beforehand, she never would have used the drug. Reglan is approved only for a period lasting no longer than 12 weeks. Use of the drug for longer periods of time increases the patient’s chance of developing TD, which is a permanent neurological disorder that can cause lip smacking, facial ticks and involuntary twitching of the extremities.
Side effects like tardive dyskinesia have caused many former users to file lawsuits against the manufacturers amid claims that they failed to properly warn consumers and healthcare professionals about the drug. While the FDA did eventually issue an updated warning against Reglan in 2004 that included the 12 week usage warning, the warning came too little, too late for all of the patients who are now suffering from the drug’s side effects.
