Metoclopramide
ReglanPubChem CID 4168 · 3D model
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Blocks dopamine's effects in the brain's nausea center and in the gut, calming nausea while also making the stomach contract harder and empty faster — working through a completely different signal than ondansetron, also on this site.
How it works
Metoclopramide works mainly by blocking dopamine's effects in two places at once: in the brain, where it calms the nausea-triggering zone, and in the gut, where dopamine normally holds motility back. With that brake released, the stomach contracts more forcefully and empties faster, and the valve between the stomach and esophagus closes more tightly. Ondansetron, also on this site, treats nausea through an entirely different signal, serotonin, rather than dopamine.
What it’s used for
Used short-term for heartburn and reflux that hasn't responded to standard treatment, and to relieve nausea, bloating, and early fullness in people with diabetic gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach empties too slowly.
- Mechanism
- D2 dopamine receptor antagonist (prokinetic / antiemetic)
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Gastrointestinal / Antiemetic