Domperidone/Motilium: A Commentary

Last Edit: 20 Sept 2006

Domperidone/Motilium: A Commentary

The Opinions and Comments of Hudson

Domperidone: Boon or Bane?
Domperidone/Motilium has become the drug of choice for many women who wish to breast feed without becoming pregnant! Seemingly a miracle drug by side effect. With as little as one, 10 mg tablet, almost any woman can induce lactation and breast feed, regardless of whether she has ever been pregnant. And by reputation, with little or no adverse side effects.

Certainly a boon for women who wish to breast feed an adopted child, or an adult lover. A worry free short cut to lactation.... Or is it? As much myth surrounds this drug as truth. Is Domperidone a medicinal miracle by chance, or an unseen medical disaster lurking?

The search for truth about this drug finds opposing viewpoints, each galvanized in biased opinion. Those who believe Domperidone is a modern medicinal miracle, and those who believe it is a health catastrophe waiting to happen. What is the truth? Let's take an in-depth look at this drug: what Domperidone is, and what it does.

What Is Domperidone/Motilium:
Domperidone is a medication developed and manufactured by Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd for the treatment of Dyspeptic Symptom Complex, (a.k.a. Acid Reflux Disease), which by design blocks Dopamine receptors in an area of the brain known as the "Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone", (CTZ).

In layman's terms: by blocking Dopamine receptors in the Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone, Domperidone creates an anti-emetic effect by desensitizing the nausea/vomit reflex. Desensitizing the nausea/vomit reflex prevents backward movement of food into the esophagus. Backward movement of food into the esophagus is a major cause of Acid Reflux.

As a side effect, Domperidone also blocks Dopamine receptors at the Pituitary gland, there by increasing secretion of the hormone Prolactin. Because elevated levels of Prolactin in the female bloodstream can cause spontaneous lactation, Domperidone is often used as a galactagogue to induce lactation.

What Domperidone Does:
Manufacturer's research has demonstrated: within 90 minutes of ingesting the first dose, one, 10 mg tablet of Domperidone can elevate Prolactin levels in the female bloodstream by as much as 1300%. From a normal level of about 9 ng/mL, (nanograms of Prolactin per milliliter of blood), one tablet can elevate Prolactin levels in the female bloodstream to as much as 117 ng/mL.

However, Domperidone affects male physiology differently. The normal level of Prolactin in the male bloodstream is about 5 ng/mL. Manufacturer's test results have shown: after continual daily doses of Domperidone over a two week period, the level of Prolactin in the male bloodstream remained constant at about 25 ng/mL. In most cases, successful male lactation requires a more complex medicinal/hormonal strategy.

For women: due to it's ability to dramatically elevate Prolactin levels in the female bloodstream, Domperidone has proven to be a useful aid for inducing lactation.

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