When your stomach won’t move right and nausea won’t quit, metoclopramide, a medication that speeds up stomach emptying and blocks nausea signals in the brain. Also known as Reglan, it’s one of the few drugs that actually helps your gut work again—not just mask the symptoms. It’s not a painkiller. It’s not a sedative. It’s a motility agent. That means it tells your stomach and intestines to contract more strongly and move food along faster. This makes it a go-to for people with gastroparesis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, or those who feel full too quickly after eating.
Metoclopramide doesn’t just act on the stomach. It crosses into the brain and blocks dopamine receptors in the area that triggers vomiting. That’s why it works for nausea from migraines, surgery, or even morning sickness in some cases. But it’s not for everyone. Long-term use can lead to movement disorders like tardive dyskinesia—uncontrolled muscle movements, especially in the face. That’s why doctors usually limit prescriptions to 12 weeks or less. If you’ve been on it longer, talk to your provider. There are other options, like domperidone or erythromycin, that work differently and may be safer for extended use.
People often mix it up with other anti-nausea drugs like ondansetron or promethazine. But those work differently. Ondansetron blocks serotonin, which is great for chemo nausea but doesn’t help with slow digestion. Metoclopramide does both. If you’ve tried one and it didn’t help, it might not be the right tool for your problem. The posts below cover exactly this: how metoclopramide stacks up against other drugs, what side effects to watch for, and how to use it safely without risking long-term harm. You’ll also find real comparisons with muscle relaxants, antibiotics, and other gut-targeted meds—because your body doesn’t treat drugs in isolation. What you take for nausea might interact with what you take for blood pressure, anxiety, or diabetes. That’s why knowing how metoclopramide fits into the bigger picture matters more than just knowing how to swallow the pill.
