Domperidone is a remedy for the treatment of acute and chronic pain of the stomach and the associated symptoms of vomiting and nausea. It is especially used primarily for travel sick people and pregnant women.
What is domperidone?
Domperidone is a remedy used to treat acute and chronic pain of the stomach and the associated symptoms of vomiting as well as nausea. Domperidone is the name given to a medical product used to prevent various symptoms that may arise from the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and all types of abdominal pain are included. Likewise, however, the feeling of fullness can be treated with the remedy. In addition to acute use for such ailments, therapy of protracted forms of the disease is also conceivable. Domperidone is therefore an antiemetic – a preparation that is intended to inhibit nausea and vomiting. Domperidone is used, for example, when traveling, where the movements of the vehicle trigger such symptoms. But also in connection with a pregnancy, medical measures or in the context of an operation, it can come again and again to the mentioned clinical pictures, which are suppressed by the domperidone.
Pharmacologic action
In general, domperidone is thought to act as an antagonist of dopamine. This is a neurotransmitter and thus a messenger substance that is considered to trigger irritable states in nerve cells. The decisive factor here is that this messenger can connect to the so-called dopamine receptor in the nervous system and thus trigger nausea and vomiting in the first place. This, in turn, is where domperidone comes in, blocking the aforementioned pathway of dopamine and not allowing its access to the receptor. However, this does not necessarily eliminate the symptoms. The drug stimulates precisely the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, which may initially lead to an increased perception of dizziness and other accompanying circumstances. In this respect, domperidone is already being replaced by alternative antiemetics in cases of severe illness. However, where rapid emptying of the stomach is desired, the drug can be applied for treatment. Conceivable would be the emergencies of poisoning or incompatible food. It also proves disadvantageous that the mode of action of domperidone still could not be clearly clarified and just the evocation of the increased gastric activity is still fraught with mystery.
Medical application and use
Domperidone is consequently used whenever acute discomfort of the intestines as well as the stomach becomes apparent. For example, when traveling in an airplane or on a ship, where the turbulence of the trip as well as the nervousness of the moment cause a little nausea. Similarly, in the aftermath of a surgical procedure, there may be discomfort involving vomiting and significant dizziness. Here, too, it is necessary to use domperidone for acute relief of symptoms. On the other hand, long-lasting and even chronic clinical pictures can also be remedied. These can be triggered by pregnancy, for example. Morning sickness is known to many affected women and is reduced to a tolerable level by domperidone. If the manifestations cannot be cured, the remedy is usually replaced by stronger preparations. Thus, in such cases, it must be assumed that a switch to alternative products or even medical intervention is necessary to get to the bottom of the actual suffering. In some patients, there are even organic reasons why domperidone cannot gain access to the dopamine receptor and exert its blocking effect there.
Risks and side effects
Despite its propensity to preclude gastrointestinal pathologies, domperidone will, in a few cases, exacerbate them as it begins to be taken. In most cases, however, this is a temporary side effect. However, the drug should be used only for a limited period of time, it comes in some patients especially with the permanent use of domperidone yet to disturbances in fertility, which can lead to impotence.Especially in pregnant women, an increase in the prolactin level can often be detected, which is often accompanied by changes in the milk flow of the breast. A negative effect of domperidone on the heart has also been scientifically confirmed. In particular, higher doses of the drug can cause cardiac arrhythmias and even cardiac death. Domperidone should therefore be used only under medical observation.
