# Domperidone vs. Reglan



## Juniper19 (Mar 12, 2006)

Right now I am taking Reglan to help boost my supply. I have heard and read about Domperidone but I am not clear about the advantages. Does it have lower incidence of side effects? I assume the meds work the same way (decreasing domapine therefore allowing the body to produce more prolactin) but is anyone familiar enough with the meds to understand why there would be fewer side effects?

Also, are you all comfortable with getting the meds from the non-prescription overseas online pharmacies? I don't believe any MDs would write the prescription so it seems like the only option, but I am not 100% comfortable with that going that route. I would love to hear people's experiences.

Thanks!


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## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

Lemme see if I can address all your concerns and questions. . .

*Domperidone vs. Reglan*

As you know, they are both stomach medications that have a side effect of decreasing dopamine levels in your body, which causes prolactin levels to increase. Reglan works by decreasing dopamine levels throughout all the tissues of your body, including your brain. This is why depression, which is brought on by low dopamine levels in your brain, is a major side effect of Reglan. So much so, in fact, that my OB would not allow me to take it longer than 10 days. If I remember correctly, in clinical studies, something like 50% of people who took Reglan for 6 weeks or longer developed depression.

Domperidone, on the other hand, does not decrease dopamine levels in your brain because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Because of this, depression is fairly uncommon with Domperidone and why it's much safer to take it continuously. Eventhough I've recovered from PPD, I'm still taking Domperidone with no effect.

I am not terribly familiar with the other possible side effects of either Reglan or Domperidone, but when people talk about "side effects" of these two drugs, they are mainly referring to depression. I have not suffered any other problems with either Reglan or Domperidone, though I believe some people experience stomach upset or digestive disturbance. In these cases, I'm not sure if Reglan varies considerably from Domperidone or not.

*Purchasing Domperidone*

I have been purchasing my domperidone from www.globaldrug.tv and have had nothing but success. Their customer service is wonderful, they ship out quickly, and my drugs have arrived in blisterpacks from the original manufacturer. Everything occured as expected. In the occasional instance that customs seizes the drug, they will send out another shipment free of charge. My experience has been nothing but positive.

Remember, domperidone is used widely throughout the world. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many European countries use domperidone extensively and it's been proven to be fairly safe, much safer than Reglan. Both Dr. Hale and Dr. Newmann have both said that they prefer domperidone over Relgan.

In the US, the FDA has banned the sale of domperidone but my doctor and I personall believe this is due to political reasons. However, they have NOT banned MDs from writing prescriptions for the drug. That means that a doctor may write a prescription for domperidone, but it's up to you to find someone to fill it for you.

If you want to purchase domperidone in the US, then your only option is to find a local compounding pharmacy. These pharmacies "create" drugs and can easily make domperidone for you. However, because of the FDA ban, many are hush-hush about it to avoid getting in trouble. But visiting them in person and speaking with the pharmacist, you might be able to find one in your area who is willing to make it for you. They will need a script from your doctor in order to do so.

Another option is to purchase it from Canada. One such place is www.canadadrugs.com. Their prices aren't as good as globaldrug.tv, but may be a bit more "legit" to you, especially because they also require a script. My doctor recommend I go this route, but that was mainly because she didn't know about globaldrug.tv.









But, if you can't get your doctor or midwife to write a script, then your only option is to get it online from a site like globaldrug.tv which does not require a script. But assuredly, it's the same stuff for sale in New Zealand (the little island in which their located is right off the coast of NZ).

Hope this helps!


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## Juniper19 (Mar 12, 2006)

Thanks, Leila!

Do you know if the Domperidone is more effective at boosting supply?

The side effects that concern me are depression, since I have a history of depression, and a neurological disorder whose name escapes me but has been reported in diabetics who have taken Reglan for more than 1 month.

I have been taking the Reglan for 3 weeks and when I stopped briefly my supply went really low - I couldn't even nurse first thing in the AM which had never been a problem. I would like to continue to BF for at least another couple of months (db is 7 months) but it seems like that won't be an option unless I take medication to help keep my supply up. I am obviously concerned about Reglan's side effects, but I want to be as sure as possible about the safety of Domperidone before I try it out. I know it is approved in other countries, which is very reassuring, but I am looking to educate myself about this new medication before I decide to make the switch.

Thanks again for your help thus far.

Robin


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## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

My personal experience was that Reglan boosted my supply more than domperidone, but not tons more. I have had low supply from the beginning and need to take meds in order to keep nursing, but I found that domperidone still worked pretty well. In other words, Reglan didn't work _so much_ better that it was worth risking it's side effects. In reading lots of threads on the matter, there are quite a few people who felt the same way but there were also women who found the opposite true and some that noticed no difference. I don't really have any more information than that, though. I don't think there's been any studies published on this topic, as far as I know.

I, too, have a history of depression, plus horrid PPD, so depression as a side effect was also a great concern for me. So the Reglan boosted my supply, but after I stopped it at 10 days, my supply plummetted again. It was pretty obvious that I'd need to take something continuously. So that's why I turned to domperidone and the truth is, I really feel that it's saved our nursing relationship. It may not work quite as well as Reglan, but it works well enough. And really that's all that matters!

Given your neurological condition and your risk for depression, I really think you should consider switching to domperidone. If you don't find it effective enough, you could always do another "round" of Reglan. In other words, just take domperidone for a few weeks in between to give your body a break before starting the Reglan. I remember reading a thread on here about someone who was switching back and forth between these two drugs for this very reason. It's likely domperidone _will_ help, so it'll still be better than stopping Reglan and not taking anything in its place.

My DD is 10 months now and my plan is to nurse for at least 2 years. Before the domperidone, I was was thinking I'd be lucky to BF for 6 mos but after starting it and not having any side effects, I realized that I could just take it continuously. As long as things continue as they are, I should be set until DD weans herself.

Hopefully domperidone will work well for you! That way, you could just keep taking it until weaning, which is something Dr. Hale says is perfectly safe!


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## EastonsMom (Oct 24, 2005)

When DS was 6 wks he was diagnosed with reflux and put on Reglan. After upping the dose more times and higher than I was comfortable with







: they switched him to Prevacid. I later heard that Reglan was really bad about giving infants heart problems, I think. I know it has some bad side affect. I never heard about the depression though. Is it possiable that it can impact infants that way too? We have been dealing with sleep issues and he is going to a specialist for it, but not anytime soon. Could the reglan have messed him up upstairs?! Sorry for changing the thread a little, just a little concerned.


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## Juniper19 (Mar 12, 2006)

Easton's mom:

Reglan was originally an anti-psychotic med, so it is a psychiatric medication. But the depression side effect is only while you are taking the med. So your baby is not in danger of developing it in the future because he took it in the past. No worries!

Robin


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