Prochlorperazine
/api/v1/drug/prochlorperazineMechanism of action
Sourced from openFDAMechanism-of-action class: Dopamine Antagonists.
Indications
Sourced from openFDA- For control of severe nausea and vomiting. For the treatment of schizophrenia.ICD-10: F20.9, R11.2
Contraindications
Sourced from openFDA- Do not use in patients with known hypersensitivity to phenothiazines. Do not use in comatose states or in the presence of large amounts of central nervous system depressants (alcohol, barbiturates, narcotics, etc.).contraindicated
Dosage & administration
Sourced from openFDA(For children’s dosage and administration, see below.) Dosage should be increased more gradually in debilitated or emaciated patients. Elderly Patients: In general, dosages in the lower range are sufficient for most elderly patients. Since they appear to be more susceptible to hypotension and neuromuscular reactions, such patients should be observed closely. Dosage should be tailored to the individual, response carefully monitored and dosage adjusted accordingly. Dosage should be increased more gradually in elderly patients. 1.To Control Severe Nausea and Vomiting: Adjust dosage to the response of the individual. Begin with the lowest recommended dosage. Oral Dosage-Tablets: Usually one 5mg or 10mg tablet 3 or 4 times daily. Daily dosages above 40 mgs should be used only in resistant cases. 2.In Adult Psychiatric Disorders: Adjust dosage to the response of the individual and according to the severity of the condition. Begin with the lowest recommended dose. Although response ordinarily is seen within a day or 2, longer treatment is usually required before maximal improvement is seen. Oral Dosage: Non-Psychotic Anxiety--Usual dosage is 5 mg 3 or4 times daily. Do not administer in doses of more than 20mg per day or for longer than 12 weeks. Psychotic Disorders including Schizophrenia--In relatively mild conditions, as seen in private psychiatric practice or in out patient clinics, dosage is 5 or 10 mg 3 or 4 times daily. In moderate to severe conditions, for hospitalized or adequately supervised patients, usual starting dosage is 10 mg 3 or 4 times daily.
Warnings & precautions
Sourced from openFDAIncreased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Prochlorperazine maleate is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis (see BOXED WARNING). The extrapyramidal symptoms which can occur secondary to prochlorperazine may be confused with the central nervous system signs of an undiagnosed primary disease responsible for the vomiting, e.g., Reye’s syndrome or other encephalopathy. The use of prochlorperazine and other potential hepatotoxins should be avoided in children and adolescents whose signs and symptoms suggest Reye’s syndrome. Tardive Dyskinesia: Tardive dyskinesia, a syndrome consisting of potentially irreversible, involuntary, dyskinetic movements, may develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. Although the prevalence of the syndrome appears to be highest among the elderly, especially elderly women, it is impossible to rely upon prevalence estimates to predict, at the inception of antipsychotic drug treatment, which patients are likely to develop the syndrome. Whether antipsychotic drug products differ in their potential to cause tardive dyskinesia is unknown. Both the risk of developing the syndrome and the likelihood that it will become irreversible are believed to increase as the duration of treatment and the total cumulative dose of antipsychotic drugs administered to the patient increase.
Adverse reactions
Sourced from openFDADrowsiness, dizziness, amenorrhea, blurred vision, skin reactions and hypotension may occur. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with antipsychotic drugs (see WARNINGS). Cholestatic jaundice has occurred. If fever with grippe-like symptoms occurs, appropriate liver studies should be conducted. If tests indicate an abnormality, stop treatment. There have been a few observations of fatty changes in the livers of patients who have died while receiving the drug. No causal relationship has been established. Leukopenia and agranulocytosis have occurred. Warn patients to report the sudden appearance of sore throat or other signs of infection. If white blood cell and differential counts indicate leukocyte depression, stop treatment and start antibiotic and other suitable therapy. Neuromuscular (Extrapyramidal) Reactions These symptoms are seen in a significant number of hospitalized mental patients. They maybe characterized by motor restlessness, be of the dystonic type, or they may resemble parkinsonism. Depending on the severity of symptoms, dosage should be reduced or discontinued. If therapy is reinstituted, it should be at a lower dosage. Should these symptoms occur in children or pregnant patients, the drug should be stopped and not reinstituted. In most cases barbiturates by suitable route of administration will suffice. (Or, injectable BENADRYL®ll may be useful). In more severe cases, the administration of an anti-parkinsonism agent, except levodopa (See PDR), usually produces rapid reversal of symptoms.
Overdosage
Sourced from openFDA(See also ADVERSE REACTIONS.) SYMPTOMS--Primarily involvement of the extrapyramidal mechanism producing some of the dystonic reactions described above. Symptoms of central nervous system depression to the point of somnolence or coma. Agitation and restlessness may also occur. Other possible manifestations include convulsions, EKG changes and cardiac arrhythmias, fever and autonomic reactions such as hypotension, dry mouth and ileus. TREATMENT--It is important to determine other medications taken by the patient since multiple-dose therapy is common in overdosage situations. Treatment is essentially symptomatic and supportive. Early gastric lavage is helpful. Keep patient under observation and maintain an open airway, since involvement of the extrapyramidal mechanism may produce dysphagia and respiratory difficulty in severe overdosage. Do not attempt to induce emesis because a dystonic reaction of the head or neck may develop that could result in aspiration of vomitus. Extrapyramidal symptoms may be treated with antiparkinsonism drugs, barbiturates or Benadryl. See prescribing information for these products. Care should be taken to avoid increasing respiratory depression.
Approval history
Sourced from openFDA- Aug 29, 1989ANDAANDA089903Hikma
- Nov 24, 1993ANDAANDA040058Cosette
- Jul 19, 1996ANDAANDA040101Chartwell Rx
- Feb 27, 1998ANDAANDA040268Jubilant Cadista
- Jun 28, 2000ANDAANDA040246Padagis Us
- Oct 15, 2013ANDAANDA204147Avet Lifesciences
- Oct 25, 2018ANDAANDA210710Mylan Labs Ltd
- Apr 22, 2021ANDAANDA214379Caplin
FAERS reports
- 1Nausea4,70813%
- 2Fatigue4,11311%
- 3Diarrhoea3,3759.1%
- 4Vomiting2,5787.0%
- 5Death2,4786.7%
- 6Febrile Neutropenia2,0305.5%
- 7Off Label Use1,8775.1%
- 8Asthenia1,8585.0%
- 9Pneumonia1,5774.3%
- 10Dyspnoea1,5734.2%
- 11Decreased Appetite1,5704.2%
- 12Pain1,4383.9%
- 13Constipation1,3833.7%
- 14Pyrexia1,3813.7%
- 15Headache1,3703.7%
Literature
Recent PubMed references pinned to Prochlorperazine as a MeSH major topic. Citations link to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Investigating Potential Prescribing Cascades Resulting in Prochlorperazine Prescription: An Exploratory Analysis of Antihypertensives and NSAIDs.Drugs & aging · 2026 · Gilmore S, Wallace E, Doherty AS, et al.PMID 41865214DOI 10.1007/s40266-026-01293-x
- Prochlorperazine maleate versus placebo for the prophylaxis of acute mountain sickness: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.Journal of travel medicine · 2025 · Small E, Steins H, Musi M, et al.PMID 40403745DOI 10.1093/jtm/taaf044
- Prochlorperazine maleate versus placebo for the prevention of acute mountain sickness: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Trials · 2024 · Small E, Goldberg E, Musi M, et al.PMID 39574186DOI 10.1186/s13063-024-08592-x
- Harm to a child caused by the off-label use of prochlorperazine maleate tablets due to the discontinuation of licensed prochlorperazine mesilate liquid in the UK.European journal of hospital pharmacy : science and practice · 2025 · Morris S, Salm V, Salm A, et al.PMID 38876766DOI 10.1136/ejhpharm-2023-003791
- Diphenhydramine and Migraine Treatment Failure in Pediatric Patients Receiving Prochlorperazine.Pediatric emergency care · 2024 · Naeem S, Lozano JM, Ruiz Castaneda AM, et al.PMID 38718751DOI 10.1097/PEC.0000000000003202
- Prochlorperazine-induced neuroleptic malignant syndrome.The American journal of emergency medicine · 2024 · Tee ZJPMID 38575461DOI 10.1016/j.ajem.2024.03.032
- Optimizing the fabrication of electrospun nanofibers of prochlorperazine for enhanced dissolution and permeation properties.Biomaterials advances · 2024 · Shafi H, Reddy DVS, Rashid R, et al.PMID 38277903DOI 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213773
- Simultaneous quantification of sumatriptan succinate and prochlorperazine maleate in orodispersible films using two validated UV-spectroscopic methods.Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences · 2022 · Javed S, Hussain A, Akhtar Shah P, et al.PMID 35228176
Clinical trials
The 10 most recently updated of 50 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations naming Prochlorperazine as an intervention. Registration is not evidence of efficacy or safety — reference crosswalk only.
- 5-Azacytidine and/or Nivolumab in Resectable HPV-Associated HNSCCRecruiting · Phase 2 · Interventional · 50 enrolled · Barbara BurtnessNCT05317000updated 2026-06-10
- Staccato Prochlorperazine Single Dose PK StudyCompleted · Phase 1 · Interventional · 54 enrolled · Nova Pneuma Inc.NCT00610727updated 2026-04-22
- E7 TCR T Cells for Human Papillomavirus-Associated CancersCompleted · Phase 1 · Phase 2 · Interventional · 224 enrolled · National Cancer Institute (NCI)NCT02858310updated 2026-03-09
- Sunitinib or Cediranib for Alveolar Soft Part SarcomaCompleted · Phase 2 · Interventional · 34 enrolled · National Cancer Institute (NCI)NCT01391962updated 2026-02-02
- Effectiveness of Magnesium in Addition to Prochlorperazine for the Treatment of MigrainesRecruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 100 enrolled · Wake Forest University Health SciencesNCT06904287updated 2026-01-22
- Intranasal Ketorolac TrialTerminated · Phase 2 · Interventional · 41 enrolled · Washington University School of MedicineNCT06083571updated 2026-01-16
- Treatment of Refractory Nausea and Vomiting in Patients With Breast CancerCompleted · Phase 3 · Interventional · 1,363 enrolled · University of Rochester NCORP Research BaseNCT03367572updated 2025-09-25
- Conventionally Fractionated vs. Hypofractionated Comprehensive Nodal Irradiation for Breast Cancer Using Pencil Beam Scanning Proton TherapyRecruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 276 enrolled · Proton Collaborative GroupNCT05856773updated 2025-09-09
- Prochlorperazine vs Imitrex for Acute Migraine in the Emergency DepartmentWithdrawn · Interventional · 0 enrolled · United States Naval Medical Center, PortsmouthNCT00573599updated 2025-08-19
- Dose-Adjusted EPOCH Chemotherapy and Rituximab (CD20+) in Previously Untreated Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's LymphomaCompleted · Phase 2 · Interventional · 348 enrolled · National Cancer Institute (NCI)NCT00001337updated 2025-06-22
Frequently asked questions
- How does Prochlorperazine work?
- Mechanism-of-action class: Dopamine Antagonists.
- What is Prochlorperazine used for?
- According to FDA labeling, Prochlorperazine carries indications including: For control of severe nausea and vomiting. For the treatment of schizophrenia.. This is a reference summary of labeled uses, not medical advice or a treatment recommendation.
- What class of drug is Prochlorperazine?
- Prochlorperazine is classified as Phenothiazines with piperazine structure, Phenothiazine, Dopamine Antagonists, Decreased Brain Stem Dopamine Activity, Decreased Central Nervous System Acetylcholine Activity, Decreased Central Nervous System Norepinephrine Activity, Decreased Central Nervous System Organized Electrical Activity, Emesis Suppression.
- What are the brand names for Prochlorperazine?
- Prochlorperazine is marketed under brand names including Compazine, Compro.
- What are the contraindications for Prochlorperazine?
- Prochlorperazine labeling lists contraindications including: Do not use in patients with known hypersensitivity to phenothiazines. Do not use in comatose states or in the presence of large amounts of central nervous system depressants (alcohol, barbiturates, narcotics, etc.).. Always consult the full prescribing information and a clinician.
prochlorperazine is illustrative MVP content compiled from public sources. pharmacopeia is for educational and informational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.