It’s a very difficult process to diagnose a serious condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IDS) and your doctor would most likely follow the practice of many doctors who start their diagnosis by conducting an account of a patient’s medical history, a physical examination and a variety of tests to rule out the presence of other conditions. After that, the treatment should begin.

What is Domperidone?

Even before we think about starting the treatment, we should familiarize ourselves with the treatment itself, which in this particular case, is the drug medication domperidone.

Simply put, domperidone is an anti-sickness medication which is also known as a dopamine antagonist.  Domperidone is he generic version of the medication with the brand name Motilitium.

It’s readily available in tablet form and also as an oral suspension liquid form and in the UK, all forms of this drug medication are available only on prescription.

Important information to know about domperidone

You should take heed of the following information when you are taking domperidone:

• If you suspect that your dose of domperidone is not addressing the symptoms you are having, you should tell your doctor about it. It’s essential that the amount you take is not more than the prescribed dose.
• When you are taking the medication and you find that you feel faint, your heart starts to beat very fast or beat at an irregular rate, it’s very important that you immediately inform you doctor about it.
• The taking of domperidone should be done with caution when given to children, people over 60 years old and people suffering from kidney disorder.

What’s it used for?

The main use for domperidone is  for the relief of nausea and vomiting which can result from a variety of causes that include the use of general anesthetics, chemotherapy, and migraine.

It can also be taken to for the prevention of nausea and vomiting that may be the result of using medication for Parkinson’s disease such as levodopa, apomorphine, and pramipexole.

How domperidone works

Essentially, this drug medication works by blocking the passage of dopamine receptors which are located at the upper part of the digestive tract. As a result, muscles become tight as substance enter the stomach.

Muscle relaxation subsequently takes place when substance exits the stomach while at the same time, there’s a general tightening of muscles in the stomach itself.

All these activities serve to accelerate the passage of food through the stomach into the intestine, which actually assists in preventing the occurrence of vomiting, reduces sickness feelings, bloating and fullness.

Domperidone also prevents the food in the stomach from flowing the wrong way from the stomach and therefore stops reflux or the regurgitation of stomach contents back up the esophagus.

Dopamine receptors are also found in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) of the brain. When an irritant finds its way into the stomach, the CTZ is activated by nerve signals from the stomach.

Other agents such as chemotherapy medications circulating in the bloodstream also directly activate the CTZ.

When activated CTZ sends messages to a different part of the brain known as the vomiting center which subsequently sends signals to the gut that leads to a vomiting reflex action.

When the dopamine receptors in the CTZ are blocked, nausea signals are prevented from being sent out to the vomiting center which decreases the nausea sensation thereby preventing the vomiting that should follow.

Doses for Domperidone

The following are the doses for domperidone:

• The prescribed dose is dependent on the symptoms that are being treated and they vary from person to person.  You should always follow the instructions your doctor gives you.
• For adults and children over 12 years of age the normal dose is 10 mg to be taken three times a day.
• The maximum dose is 30 mg daily. For children under the age of 12, the dosage should be calculated according to the weight of the user.
• When taken, domperidone tablets should be swallowed with a glass of water. Ideally, the tablets should be taken before meals, because they may take longer to be absorbed into the bloodstream and start working when taken after meals.
• Should you happen to inadvertently miss a dose simply disregard the missed dose and continue with your next dose when due. You should never double up to make up for a missed dose.

Is domperidone suitable for everyone?

Given below is information concerning those who shouldn’t take domperidone:

• People suffering from heart disease that include heart failure, or with a very slow and irregular heartbeat.
• Those with an abnormal heartbeat rhythm seen on a heart monitoring trade (ECG) as a “prolonged QT interval” and also people taking other medications that causes this issue.
• People with pronounced irregularities in electrolytes levels (salts such as potassium and magnesium in their blood.
• Those suffering from cancer of the pituitary gland which has been caused by the over-production of the hormone prolactin (prolactinoma).
• People suffering from conditions where movements through the stomach may prove harmful, such as bleeding, blockage of stomach intestines, the presence of an abnormal hole (perforation).
• Those suffering from moderate to severe liver function disorders.

Possible domperidone side effects

All drug medications can cause side effects and domperidone can cause the following side effects:

Uncommon side effects (affects 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000

• Sleepiness.
• Breast milk production.
• Headache.
• Breast pain or tenderness.
• Anxiety.
• Itching.
• Feeling weak.
• Rash.
• Loss of sex urge.
• Diarrhea.

Side effects of unknown frequency

• Abnormal liver function.
• Nervous disposition.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Erratic movements of hands, legs, face, eyes, neck or tongue, such as tremors, twitching or stiffness (extrapyramidal effects). Contact you doctor promptly if you notice these symptoms.
• Abnormal heartbeat or ‘prolonged QT interval’ on a heart monitoring trace (ECG).
• Rise in prolactin level (milk producing hormone) in the blood (hyperprolactinaemia). This can sometimes lead to symptoms such as enlarged breasts in men (gynaecomastia) or preventing menstrual periods in women
• Problems in urinating.
• Convulsions

Conclusion

Irritable bowel syndrome is a very serious condition that should be given top priority in preventing, managing and treating with the most efficacious medication, one of which is that of taking domperidone. One very important aspect of effective treatment of IBS is to ensure that you know the other medications that can interact with domperidone and interfere with its proper functioning in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.