Big Island, VA - The Federal Government is working hard to protect people from a drug it says could harm lives. But a Big Island woman says in the process, they're destroying hers.
For Phronia Massie, a single bowel movement can take two to four hours.
"Sometimes I'm in the bathroom and I get so weak I almost pass out," Massie says from her Big Island home.
"It's ruined my life. I had to retire from teaching, a job that I wanted to do since third grade," she explained.
She suffers from a rare digestive disease called gastroparesis, which literally means slow emptying of the stomach.
Massie treats it by taking Domperidone 30 minutes before meals and at bedtime.
"If I didn't have the domperidone, in one day I would not be able to swallow water. It would shoot out like a baby projectile vomits," Massie said.
But in 1998, the United States pulled Domperidone off its shelves - claiming the drug can cause cardiovascular problems.
And last week, the FDA cracked down on Canada Drugs - the company where Massie usually gets it.
"I called my family. I said, 'I'm gonna die. In 40 days, I'm gonna die and I'm gonna have to be on a feeding tube,'" Massie recalled.
The FDA sent warning letters to more than 4,100 Internet pharmacies it says are selling unapproved, counterfeit, or substandard drugs.
Massie says Reglan, the only drug that's approved to treat gastroparesis in the US, caused her to have severe twitching.
She considers Domperidone a lifesaver.
"This is the only medicine we can get in the United States. It is the only medicine that works for us," she said.
She found another pharmacy in Canada willing to sell it to her. But says she worries how much longer they'll be selling it too.
"I hate our government. They make these rulings and they don't see people," said Massie.
Massie's doctor can fill out an application to administer the drug but the FDA would have to approve it, a process Massie says can take several weeks.
