Reglan vs Domperidone

We've decided to go ahead and have this on hand for when my supply drops off. With our oldest 3 I had a great supply the entire time I nursed them...anywhere from 9 months to a year. With our 1st set of twins supply issues kicked in and with the 3 after them it has been a constant struggle and source of stress. I've tried everything to increase it all naturally, as my midwife is very hesitant to use any meds, but this time around I really don't want the stress and frustration of always fighting supply issues...especially x's 2. I've done everything from Blessed Thistle, to Mother's milk tea, red raspberry, fenugreek, brewer's yeast, breast compression while nursing, punping, drinking a gallon of water a day and so on. We've finally narrowed it down to the fact it may have to do with a mild thyroid issue. My sister in law only has 1 little boy but he had huge issues with not getting enough. They tried both domperidone and reglan and she swears by reglan...and her freezer FULL of pumped milk proved it worked. She says she hated the domperidone due to the huge side effects that went with it and she had to quit due to the severity of how it affected her. Reglan, on the other hand, was her lifesaver. But in all of my research I've come up with the opposite. Internet says Reglan is known for more severe side effects such as drowsiness and nausea whereas Domperidone is the preferred one of the 2 for supply issues and lack of side effects. Just wondering what your experiences were here with it all. Between the 2 which would you recommend and which did you prefer? After engorgement dies down at about 2 wks I usually struggle pretty quickly with supply. For whatever reason I get mastitis around 3 months and after that it just doesn't recover and there's seriously not enough milk...babies start losing weight, stay hungry non stop and come off the breast completely unsatisfied after both breasts are drained. I can't imagine doing that with 2 since supply issues have become significantly worse after our 1st set. So this is not really a debate on how to get my supply up but rather between the 2 meds which one you prefer. Your opinions on the 2?

 

it's interesting because technically increasing milk production is actually a side effect for both of those meds (rather than the other way around) - neither one was developed to increase milk supply. i'm not sure about reglan, but domperidone is usually used for digestive issues. so when i was taking it to increase my milk supply, i did find that i was just generally gurgglier & crampier in the intestinal region. it wasn't horrible, but it was a noticeable difference. the domperidone did work quite well for me at first, but then (in my sleep induced idiocy) i started playing around with the dosage. when i confessed to my doc he told me to stop it immediately. :blush: when i went back to the dosing he suggested, i was fine & eventually weaned off of the domperidone.

here's an overview from kellymom.

 

I used both, and I found their effect similar as far as how much they increased my milk supply. I am prone to depression which is something that can worsen with Reglan, so when I started to feel down, I stopped using Reglan and switched to Domperidone. I also had the "gurglies" with Domperidone, and had some urgency with BMs (no diarrhea), but it was totally bearable and I used the Domperidone until I stopped pumping at about 11 months.

Also note that there is a pending lawsuit over Reglan tardive dyskinesia. I work for a pharmaceutical wholesaler that happens to sell Reglan (as well as a host of other OTCs and RX drugs), which is how I became aware of it.

Hope this helps!

 

I took domperidone because I am allergic to reglan. Reglan (and the other one like it) gives me really bad restless muscles. Domperidone was very effective for me and I didn't notice any side effects. GL!

 

I took Reglan and I didn't notice that much of a difference in my supply. I also suffered from depression while on it - which is what the LCs told me might happen at the hospital. They told me not to stay on it for longer than two weeks if I could help it! I have heard people have more success with domperidone than with Reglan - but that is just my opinion!

 

Wow! This helps a lot!! I was just going to go with Reglan based on sil's experience with it but after doing the research I just found so much conflicting stuff about Reglan. I'm really glad I asked and it's good to actually talk to people that have experience with them. It also explains her melancholy, depressed like state from about 3 months until the time she weaned him at 12 months. But she's a rather laid back, not real enthused person anyway so I just figured she was a bit stressed by the work of a baby. Think I'll go with the Domperidone. What are the best resources for getting it? My mw couldn't prescribe it to me based on the fact at the time when we had orginally thought about it it was not a llowed to be prescribed for anything that didn't have to do with gastro stuff. Do your pediatricians prescribe it or do you just get it off the web? Sorry for the ignorance. It's all very new to me but I finally have hope that we will actually do great at nursing this time around.

 

Some doctors will prescribe it, but it needs to be filled at a compounding pharmacy (it's not approved for sale or use in the US), which means mail order. I would talk to an OB and ask if he/she will prescribe it for you if your midwife cannot. If not, well, I hate to advocate doing anything illegal, but I got mine over the Internet from Vanuatu. :blush: I did a *lot* of research, and used Jack Newman's protocols for increasing milk supply, so I felt comfortable "self-medicating". My OB was on-board with Reglan, but was not open to Domperidone. It sounds like you've done your research, so you can make your own decisions regarding this. You can search online for Domperidone and price-shop. I believe Domperidone is OTC in several countries which is why you can buy it online.

Good luck!

 

Domperidone worked for me & I was given a 10-day supply. It's available OTC here. Extending the period of usage did not have much effect, and the moment I stopped I was back to square one. not sure why though.

 

Yeah...that's the exact same thing we rain into. It wasn't approved in the US yet tons of countries have successfully used it for long periods of time. It's not like it's something new over there. I think England will even prescribe to nursing mothers for supply issues..though it is really just a side effect of the drug. My mw can't prescreibe anything since there are no dr's here in rural west TX that will back a mw that does homebirths. So, it's up to me to see a general family dr to get anything.But I haven't needed a prescription for naything in years so this has proved to be a problem with this. So, I"ve definitely decided to resort to internet ordering as my sil did. But just wondering if there were sites more reputable than others. Really just looking for good price with trustworthy meds.

 

I bought mine from Inhouse Pharmacy ( http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/motilium.html ) and I never had any issues.

 

I've been taking Reglan for a week and a half now & have noticed a definite increase in milk supply. I do not have any side effects, either. I am still taking Fenugreek and drinking Mother's Milk tea. My supply drastically dropped when I started my period for the first time and never recovered. The increase I've seen with taking Reglan gives me hope that I will be able to continue breastfeeding my twins! Over the course of the summer, our freezer stash has been depleted because I was not producing enough milk to feed the twins each day, even with nursing/pumping every 1.5 hours. I have one 6 oz. bottle left that I am hanging onto with the hopes that I will be able to start pumping enough to feed the twins each day school starts in the fall. I think I may just cry on the day I have to thaw that bottle!

 

I've used Reglan and then when it didn't work I switched to Domperidone (Motilium). If you were lucky enough to get a script for Domperidone, you should count yourself fortunate and keep going with it!