Pharmacokinetics of metoclopramide after single oral dose administration in cirrhosis

The pharmacokinetics of metoclopramide were studied after a single oral dose in 16 cirrhotic patients, eight without, and eight with ascites. Elimination half-life ranged from 5.6 to 14.2 h (mean: 9.46 ± 0.69 h) and total plasma clearance from 0.09 to 0.56 l/h per kg (0.3 ± 0.03). In comparison with data in healthy volunteers, elimination of metoclopramide in cirrhosis was greatly delayed. Despite the fact that in cirrhotics with ascites hepatic function was worse than in those without, no statistically significant differences were found in the pharmacokinetic data. Moreover, no statistically significant relationships were found between pharmacokinetic data and liver function tests. An adjustment of the dosage of metoclopramide can thus be recommended in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, irrespective of their liver function.