Motilium
Motilium works effectively to relieve nausea, vomiting, fullness, bloating and belching often experienced after food or drink.
Dosage:
Adults and children 16 years and older: Swallow one motilium tablet three times a day and one at night as required to clear away symptoms. Do not take more than four tablets in any 24 hour period.
Children: Not reccomended.
| Main use | Active ingredient | Manufacturer |
|---|
Stomach discomfort after meals | Domperidone | McNeil |
How does Motilium work?
Motilium 10 tablets contain the active ingredient domperidone, which is a type of medicine called a dopamine antagonist. It is an antisickness medicine, but is also used to relieve uncomfortable stomach symptoms that sometimes occur after meals in adults, such as stomach bloating, fullness and heartburn.
Domperidone works primarily by blocking dopamine receptors found in the upper end of the digestive system. This causes tightening of the muscles at the entry to the stomach, relaxation of the muscles at the exit of the stomach and increased contraction of the muscles in the stomach itself.
These actions speed up the passage of food through the stomach into the intestine, which reduces uncomfortable feelings of fullness, bloating and sickness. It also prevents food from flowing the wrong way through the stomach and so prevents reflux (regurgitation of the stomach contents back into the foodpipe) and heartburn.
One tablet can be taken up to three times a day and at bedtime.
What is Motlium used for?
- Relieving after-meal symptoms of stomach discomfort, fullness or bloating, feeling sick (nausea), belching and heartburn in adults aged 16 years and over.
- Relieving sickness and vomiting lasting less than 48 hours, associated with over-indulgence, winter vomiting virus, migraine, period pain, food poisoning or stress.
Warning!
- Do not exceed the recommended dose.
- You should not take this medicine continuously for longer than two weeks for relieving stomach discomfort that occurs after meals. If your symptoms persist after this time you should seek medical advice from your doctor.
- You should not take this medicine for longer than 48 hours for treating sickness and vomiting. If sickness or vomiting persists after 48 hours you should seek medical advice from your doctor.
- This medicine is not recommended for treating or preventing travel sickness.
Not to be used in
- Children under 16 years of age.
- Cancer of the pituitary gland resulting in over-production of the hormone prolactin (prolactinoma).
- Conditions in which stimulating movement through the stomach could be harmful, for example if there is bleeding, an abnormal hole (perforation) or a blockage in the stomach or intestines. Don't take this medicine if you have black or tarry stools or you notice blood in your stools, as these could be signs of bleeding in your gut. Ask your doctor for advice.
- Decreased liver function.
- Decreased kidney function.
- Pregnancy (see below).
- Motilium 10 tablets contain lactose and may be unsuitable for people with lactose intolerance, glucose/galactose malabsorption or a genetic disorder leading to accumulation of galactose in the blood (galactosaemia).
- This medicine is not recommended for treating or preventing travel sickness.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- The safety of this medicine for use during pregnancy has not been established. It should not be used in pregnant women unless the potential benefits to the mother outweigh any risks to the developing baby. It should only be used if the medicine is considered essential by your doctor. Seek medical advice from your doctor if you are or think you could be pregnant.
- This medicine passes into breast milk in very small amounts that are not expected to be harmful to a nursing infant. However, the medicine is not recommended for use in women who are breastfeeding unless the potential benefit to the mother outweighs any risks to the nursing infant. Seek medical advice from your doctor before using this medicine if you are breastfeeding.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)
Uncommon (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people)
- Diarrhoea.
- Decreased sex drive.
- Anxiety.
- Sleepiness.
- Headache.
- Rash or itching.
- Feeling weak.
- Breast pain or tenderness.
- Abnormal production of breast milk.
Very rare (affect less than 1 in 10,000 people)
Unknown frequency
- Stomach cramps.
- Itchy nettle-type rash (urticaria).
- Abnormal or uncontrolled movements of the hands, legs, face, eyes, neck or tongue, for example tremor, twitching or stiffness (extrapyramidal effects). Consult a doctor straight away if you notice any symptoms like this.
- Increased level of prolactin (milk producing hormone) in the blood (hyperprolactinaemia). Sometimes this can lead to symptoms such as abnormal enlargement of breasts in men (gynaecomastia), or stopping of menstrual periods in women.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How can motilium affect other medicines?
If you are already taking any other medicines, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, it is important to check with your pharmacist before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while using this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.
Domperidone may increase the speed of absorption of certain medicines from the gut, for example paracetamol. This effect can be useful in migraine.
Domperidone may oppose the prolactin-reducing effect of bromocriptine.
The antifungal medicine ketoconazole may reduce the breakdown of domperidone by the liver. This could increase the amount of domperidone in the bloodstream and hence increase the risk of its side effects. There may also be an increased risk of irregular heartbeats if these medicines are used together. The manufacturer recommends caution if this medicine is used in combination with erythromycin or ritonavir for the same reasons.
The following medicines may oppose the stimulating effect of domperidone on the gut and so could make it less effective:
- antispasmodics medicines, such as atropine, hyoscine, propantheline
- medicines for urinary incontinence, such as oxybutynin, flavoxate, tolterodine, propiverine, trospium
- antimuscarinics medicines for Parkinson's disease, such as procyclidine, trihexyphenidyl, orphenadrine
- strong opioid painkillers, such as morphine, codeine.
