What is the drug Motilium?
Motilium® is a medicine which belongs to the family of antiemetics. This digestive motor stimulant is used in adults and children to fight against nausea and vomiting.
Motilium: how does it work? The active substance in Motilium® is domperidone: this neuroleptic molecule called "dopamine antagonist" acts on the contraction of the muscles of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum to slow down the feeling of nausea and prevent vomiting. . It is said to have antiemetic properties.
In pharmacies, Motilium® is only available on medical prescription: this medication is not sold over the counter. It comes in two main forms:
- Motilium 10 mg®: box of 20 white tablets,
- Motilium 1 mg / mL®: 200 mL bottle with 10 mL measuring cap.
To know. The drug Motilium® has been marketed since the 1980s by the Janssen-Cilag laboratory (which belongs to the Johnson & Johnson group). It is not reimbursed by Social Security.
Indications: when to take Motilium?
It has been said that the drug Motilium® is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of nausea and vomiting in adults and children.
Warning ! As the High Authority for Health (HAS) recalls, " domperidone is no longer indicated in the following situations: sensations of epigastric distension (understand: bloating)discomfort in the upper abdomen (stomach aches) and gastric regurgitation (gastroesophageal reflux) ". Furthermore, Motilium® should not be used to stimulate lactation in lactating women, recalls the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).
Motilium: instructions for use. Of course, it is essential to respect the dosage indicated by the doctor. As an indication, the reference dosages are:
- For Motilium 10 mg® in adults and adolescents from 12 years and 35 kg: 1 tablet up to 3 times a day before meals for 7 days maximum.
- For Motilium 1 mg / mL® in adults and adolescents from 12 years and 35 kg: 10 mL up to 3 times a day before meals for a maximum of 7 days.
Motilium: precautions for use
Warning ! Since July 2019, the drug Motilium® has been banned in children under the age of 12 and / or weighing less than 35 kg. " This decision takes into account the safety profile of domperidone and in particular the risk of serious cardiac adverse effects, but also the results of a pediatric efficacy study which did not show any difference between domperidone and placebo "explained the ANSM.
In addition, it is strictly forbidden to take domperidone (Motilium®) in the following cases:
- If you are allergic to this molecule,
- If you have stomach bleeding, have severe abdominal pain and / or persistent black stools on a regular basis,
- If you suffer from a moderate or severe liver disease: cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver cancer …,
- If you have heart failure,
- If your potassium and / or magnesium levels in your blood are abnormal,
- If you are currently being treated for a fungal or bacterial infection (with a drug treatment based on itraconazole, fluconazole, erythromycin or clarithromycin),
- If you are currently being treated for depression (such as citalopram), hepatitis C, cancer, HIV infection, allergy, gastrointestinal complaints, heart problems or high blood pressure.
Can Motilium be taken during pregnancy? During pregnancy, other better tolerated anti-emetic drugs will be favored: doxylamine, metoclopramide or ondansetron (not before the 10th week of amenorrhea or 8th week of pregnancy).
While breastfeeding, " Motilium® should only be used if your doctor considers it absolutely necessary ", specifies the instructions for the drug. Indeed," small amounts of domperidone have been detected in breast milk. Motilium® can cause side effects on the heart of a breastfed infant ".
What are the side effects of Motilium?
Warning ! From an article in the professional journal Prescribe in April 2015, domperidone (Motilium®) would have caused between 43 and 189 deaths in France in 2012. Prescrire comments: " the lethal danger of domperidone is unjustified by its efficacy, symptomatic and uncertain beyond a placebo effect ".
Worse: another study, published this time in 2015 in the scientific journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, estimates that domperidone caused 200 deaths by sudden cardiac death during 2012 in France …
Indeed: domperidone can be responsible for serious cardiac adverse effects – sudden cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmia … – in particular in patients aged 60 years and over. It is therefore essential to stop treatment and immediately make an appointment with your doctor or go to the emergency room if the following symptoms appear with Motilium®:
- Irregular or abnormally fast heartbeats,
- Involuntary movements of the face, arms and / or legs,
- Excessive tremors,
- Abnormal muscle stiffness and / or muscle spasms,
- Convulsions,
- An allergic reaction: hives, itching, redness, fainting, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face …
The following side effects may also occur in 1% to 10% of patients:
- A feeling of "dry mouth",
- Anxiety, restlessness and / or nervousness,
- Headaches,
- Drowsiness; a general feeling of weakness,
- Painful or tender breasts,
- A flow of milk from the nipple,
- Dizziness…
Sources:
High Authority for Health (HAS)
Vidal Encyclopedia
Public drug database
National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM)
Reference Center for Teratogens (CRAT)
Read also :
⋙ Medicines for nausea and vomiting are not harmless: in which cases they should not be used
⋙ Nausea: 6 solutions to relieve them
⋙ Breathing exercises to calm nausea during pregnancy