Flatoril (Clebopride + Simethicone) in Spain: Uses

Flatoril is a Spanish prescription medicine that joins clebopride and simethicone in one capsule. Clebopride helps the stomach and gut move food along and eases nausea. Simethicone breaks up trapped gas. Doctors use the clebopride simethicone mix for bloating, wind and sickness linked to a slow gut, in adults only.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

What is Flatoril used for?

The Spanish product leaflet lists three uses, all for adults:

• Gut motility problems with wind and bloating, where no illness is found to explain them.
• Cutting down gas before an X-ray of the gut, so the picture is clear.
• Feeling sick and vomiting after an operation, with wind.

Each capsule has two active parts:

• Clebopride. It belongs to the same family as metoclopramide. It speeds up the stomach and eases nausea and vomiting.
• Simethicone (simeticona in Spanish). It makes small gas bubbles join together, so wind passes more easily. It is not absorbed into the blood.

The doctor or the leaflet sets how to take it. An oral emulsion was also made, but it is no longer on sale.

Is there a UK or US version of Flatoril?

No. Clebopride is not sold in the UK or the US, and the UK medicines database has no product with it. Simethicone on its own is easy to find. These are related products, not the same medicine.

Name	What it is	Where
Flatoril	Clebopride plus simethicone	Spain (prescription)
Metoclopramide (Primperan in Spain)	Same drug family as clebopride: for nausea and a slow stomach	Spain, UK, US (prescription)
Domperidone	Another anti-sickness medicine that moves the stomach	Spain, UK (prescription)
Wind-eze, Gas-X	Simethicone alone, for trapped wind	UK, US (no prescription)

Do you need a prescription for Flatoril in Spain?

Yes. Flatoril is listed as medicamento sujeto a prescripción médica on the AEMPS CIMA database. The capsules are on sale and the emulsion is not. A pharmacy needs a valid prescription to supply it. See our guide to which medicines need a prescription in Spain.

Can Flatoril cause involuntary movements?

Yes, but it is rare. Clebopride blocks dopamine, a brain signal that also controls movement. In some people this causes what doctors call extrapyramidal effects:

• Muscle spasms, often in the neck, face, jaw or eyes.
• Shaking, stiffness or slow movement, like Parkinson's disease.
• Restless or jerky movements you cannot stop.

The leaflet says doses above the advised amount raise this risk, mainly in children, teenagers and older people. Long treatment has caused tardive dyskinesia in older people. This is lasting, repeated movement of the mouth, tongue or face. So Flatoril is not meant to be taken for long spells without a doctor's review. If you notice any odd movement, stop it and contact your doctor.

Rarely, it can also raise the hormone prolactin. This can cause breast swelling, milk from the nipple, missed periods or erection problems.

Who should not take Flatoril?

The leaflet says not to take it if you have:

• Bleeding, a blockage or a tear in the stomach or gut.
• Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, tardive dyskinesia or another movement disorder.
• An allergy to clebopride, simethicone or any other ingredient.

Tell the doctor about severe liver or kidney disease, or a breast tumour or prolactin-secreting tumour. Flatoril is approved for adults; the leaflet gives no advice for children. Newborns given medicines from this family have had a blood problem called methaemoglobinaemia. It is best avoided in pregnancy, mainly in the first three months. Ask a doctor first if you are breastfeeding.

Alcohol, driving and other medicines

Avoid alcohol, which can add to the drowsiness. Do not drive or use dangerous machines while you take it, as the leaflet advises. Tell the doctor if you take any of these:

• Antipsychotics, such as phenothiazines or haloperidol. They add to the effect on the brain.
• Sleeping pills, anxiety medicines or strong painkillers (opioids). They add to the drowsiness.
• Digoxin or cimetidine. Flatoril can weaken them.
• Atropine-type medicines or opioids. They can cancel its effect on the gut.
• MAOI antidepressants.

What Flatoril does not treat, and abdominal pain red flags

Flatoril is not a painkiller. It does not treat appendicitis, gallstones, ulcers, infection or a blocked bowel. Bloating that is new, lasting or getting worse needs a doctor to find the cause. Our pages on abdominal pain and heartburn explain what a doctor checks.

See a doctor if:

• Bloating or pain lasts more than a few weeks, or keeps coming back.
• You lose weight without trying, or your bowel habit changes.
• You are over 55 and the symptoms are new.
• Food sticks when you swallow, or you keep feeling full after small meals.

Call 112 if pain starts suddenly and is severe, or comes with vomiting blood or green vomit. Also call if you pass black or bloody stools, cannot pass stool or wind at all, or struggle to breathe. Chest pain can feel like indigestion, so call 112 for that too.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

• Ask where the bloating or pain is, when it comes and what makes it better or worse.
• Check for warning signs that need tests, a scan or an in-person exam.
• Explain whether diet changes, simethicone alone or another step fits best.
• Check how your other medicines fit, mainly those that act on the brain.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace the package leaflet or the advice of your doctor or pharmacist.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• AEMPS CIMA: Flatoril capsules package leaflet
• AEMPS CIMA: Flatoril summary of product characteristics
• MedlinePlus: Gas
• NHS: Stomach ache

Related guides

• Buscapina in Spain: the Spanish Buscopan
• Abdominal pain care online
• Heartburn care online
• Which medicines need a prescription in Spain?
• Urgent Care video visit