An anti-sickness (antiemetic) medicine
Domperidone
A medicine for nausea and vomiting that also helps the stomach empty — used short-term and with attention to the heart, because it can affect heart rhythm.
What is Domperidone?
Domperidone relieves nausea and vomiting and helps the stomach empty, so it is used for sickness and for some conditions where the stomach is slow. Unlike some anti-sickness drugs it causes few movement-type side effects because it barely enters the brain. It can affect the heart’s rhythm (the QT interval), so it is used at the lowest amount for the shortest time, and avoided in certain heart conditions.
Education and reference only. This is a plain-language guide to Domperidone — it deliberately contains no doses. Doses depend on the person, the brand and the reason for treatment, and belong with your prescriber. Always check the BNF, the product labelling (SmPC) and follow medical advice.
What it is
Domperidone is an anti-sickness (antiemetic) medicine that also encourages the stomach and gut to move their contents along (a "prokinetic" effect). It is used for nausea and vomiting, and for symptoms of a slow-emptying stomach. It is also occasionally used to help with breastfeeding milk supply, though this is a specialist decision. It is taken as a tablet or liquid, usually for short periods, and is used with attention to heart health.
How it works
Domperidone blocks dopamine receptors in the part of the gut and the "vomiting centre" trigger zone that sit outside the brain’s main protective barrier. This settles nausea and speeds up stomach emptying and gut movement. Because it barely crosses into the brain itself, it is much less likely than similar drugs (such as metoclopramide) to cause restlessness or abnormal movements — but its effect on dopamine and other channels in the heart means it can influence heart rhythm.
What it treats
Conditions Domperidone is used for
Practical use
How to take Domperidone
General, dose-free guidance — always follow your prescriber's and the leaflet's specific instructions.
- Take it before meals, as the lowest amount for the shortest time (usually no more than about a week unless a specialist advises).
- Tell your prescriber about heart conditions and all other medicines, as some combinations affect heart rhythm.
- Report palpitations, fainting or an irregular heartbeat and seek urgent advice.
- Do not exceed the recommended amount; more does not work better and adds to heart risk.
- Use the measured liquid for children or those who cannot swallow tablets.
Weighing it up
Advantages & disadvantages of Domperidone
Advantages
- Effective for nausea and vomiting and helps a slow stomach empty.
- Causes far fewer movement-type side effects than metoclopramide (barely enters the brain).
- Available as tablets and liquid.
Disadvantages
- Can affect heart rhythm (QT prolongation) — restricted to short-term, low-dose use.
- Avoided in several heart conditions and with certain other medicines.
- Not for long-term use without specialist input.
Practical use
Good to know
The key modern caution with domperidone is the heart: it can lengthen the heart’s electrical recovery time (the QT interval), which in rare cases can lead to serious rhythm problems. Because of this it is now used at the lowest effective amount for the shortest possible time (usually up to about a week), avoided in people with certain heart conditions or low potassium, and used cautiously in older people and alongside other medicines that affect the heart’s rhythm. It causes far fewer movement-type side effects than metoclopramide because it does not readily enter the brain.
Who should not take it / use with caution
- People with certain heart-rhythm problems, a prolonged QT interval, significant heart disease, or low potassium/magnesium.
- People with significant liver impairment, or a blockage or bleeding in the gut.
- People taking other medicines that prolong the QT interval or strongly raise domperidone levels.
Monitoring
- Usually none for short courses
- Heart rhythm (ECG) considered in those at risk
- Potassium/magnesium where relevant
Side effects
- Usually well tolerated short-term; sometimes dry mouth, headache or abdominal cramps.
- Rarely, effects on heart rhythm (the main reason for its cautious use).
- Occasionally raised prolactin, which can cause breast tenderness or milk production.
Key interactions
- Other medicines that prolong the QT interval (such as amiodarone, some antibiotics and antidepressants) add to the heart-rhythm risk.
- Strong inhibitors of its breakdown (certain antifungals and antibiotics like ketoconazole and erythromycin) raise its level — avoided.
- Its prokinetic effect can alter the absorption of some other medicines.
Available as: Tablets and an oral liquid (suspension).
Answers
Domperidone: frequently asked questions
Why is domperidone only used short-term now?
Because it can lengthen the heart’s QT interval, which very rarely causes dangerous rhythm problems, guidance changed to using the lowest effective amount for the shortest time — usually up to about a week — and avoiding it in people with certain heart conditions. For most people short-term use is low-risk.
How is it different from metoclopramide?
Both treat nausea and help the stomach empty, but domperidone barely enters the brain, so it is much less likely to cause the restlessness and abnormal movements sometimes seen with metoclopramide. Domperidone’s main caution is the heart rather than the brain.
Can I take it with my heart medicines?
Check first. Domperidone can affect heart rhythm, so it is avoided or used very cautiously alongside other medicines that do the same (such as amiodarone or certain antibiotics and antidepressants), and in people with heart conditions or low potassium. Always tell your prescriber your full medicine list.
Is Motilium the same as domperidone?
Yes — domperidone is the generic (active-ingredient) name and Motilium is a brand name; both contain the same active ingredient.
The wider class
About Antiemetic (anti-sickness medicine)
Domperidone belongs to the antiemetic (anti-sickness medicine) class. For how the class as a whole works, its shared safety principles and monitoring, see the full guide.
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Authoritative sources
- BNF: Domperidone.
- electronic Medicines Compendium (SmPC): Domperidone (Motilium).
- MHRA: Domperidone – cardiac risk and restricted indications.
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