Domperidone reduces nausea and vomiting and helps the stomach empty faster. In India it is most often seen combined with an acidity medicine in capsules ending in -D.
- Generic name
- Domperidone
- Active ingredient
- Domperidone
- Common brands in India
- Domstal, Vomistop, Domcet, sold in combinations such as Pan-D, Omez-D and Razo-D
- Available as
- Tablet, Suspension, Capsule combined with a proton pump inhibitor
- Common strengths
- 10 mg, 1 mg/mL suspension
- How it is sold
- Prescription only — needs a doctor's prescription
No dosage information on this page
The correct dose depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other medicines and medical history. Follow the dose your doctor prescribed, or the instructions on the pack. Never copy a dose from a website or from someone else's prescription.
What Domperidone is used for
- Nausea and vomiting
- A feeling of fullness, bloating or food sitting in the stomach
- Slow stomach emptying, including in diabetes
- Combined with an acidity medicine when reflux comes with bloating and belching
How it works
Domperidone helps the stomach empty into the intestine more quickly, and blocks the signals that trigger the vomiting reflex. It works mainly outside the brain, which is why it causes fewer drowsiness and movement side effects than some older anti-vomiting medicines.
How to take Domperidone
- Take it 15 to 30 minutes before a meal. After food it works less well.
- Use it for the shortest period that helps. It is intended for short courses.
- If you are taking a combination capsule such as Pan-D, the same before-food timing applies to the whole capsule.
- The suspension should be measured with the device supplied, not a kitchen spoon.
Precautions
- Tell your doctor about any heart rhythm problem, or a family history of sudden cardiac death — see the warning below.
- Tell your doctor about liver disease and about all your other medicines, including antibiotics and antifungals, several of which interact with it.
- It should be used with particular care in people over 60.
- Nausea that keeps returning needs its cause found rather than continuous treatment of the symptom.
Common side effects
Not everyone gets side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these are troublesome or do not settle.
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Stomach cramps
- Breast tenderness or, uncommonly, milk secretion, in both men and women
Important warnings
- Domperidone can affect the heart's electrical rhythm, and the risk is higher in older people, at higher amounts, with prolonged use, and alongside certain other medicines. Several countries have restricted it for this reason. Use it for a short course and only as prescribed.
- The habit of taking an acidity-plus-domperidone capsule daily for months, without a doctor reviewing it, is common in India and is not safe. Both halves of that capsule are meant for defined courses.
- It does not treat the cause of vomiting. Vomiting with severe stomach pain, blood, high fever, or signs of dehydration needs a doctor, not an anti-vomiting tablet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pan-D, and how is it different from Pan?
Pan is pantoprazole alone, which reduces stomach acid. Pan-D adds domperidone, which helps the stomach empty and reduces nausea and bloating. The -D on Omez-D and Razo-D means the same addition. It is a stronger combination, not simply a better version, and it is not meant to be taken indefinitely.
Is domperidone safe to take long term?
It is not intended for long-term use. Because of its effect on heart rhythm, guidance in several countries is to use the lowest amount for the shortest time. If you have needed it daily for weeks, the underlying problem should be looked at instead.
Should domperidone be taken before or after food?
Before food, about 15 to 30 minutes ahead of a meal. It works by helping the stomach move food along, so it needs to be active before the food arrives.
What are the side effects of domperidone?
Dry mouth, headache and stomach cramps are the common ones. Breast tenderness can occur in both men and women. The serious concern is its effect on heart rhythm, which is why it is a short-course medicine rather than an everyday one.
What this costs, and what is free
Commonly available free at government hospitals and health and wellness centres when prescribed there.
Generic versions are sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras at substantially lower prices than branded packs of the same medicine.
The same molecule is sold under many brand names at very different prices. Ask your doctor to write the generic name, and compare at a Jan Aushadhi Kendra — the saving on a medicine taken daily is often substantial over a year. You can look up any medicine's official ceiling price on NPPA's Pharma Sahi Daam app.
Source: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
Prices and scheme rules change. Confirm current details with the hospital or Kendra before you rely on them.
Looking for Domperidone locally?Aswini Medicals is a pharmacy that stocks everyday medicines and can advise on availability.
Visit Aswini Medicals