Prochlorperazine is a highly potent neuroleptic, which is 10 to 20-times more potent than chlorpromazine. It is a typical antipsychotic drug of the phenothiazine class sold under the names Compazine®, Buccastem® and Stemetil®. It is now more frequently used for the treatment of nausea and vertigo.
Indications
It is now relatively seldom used for the treatment of
psychosis and the
manic phase of
bipolar disorder. It has a prominent antiemetic/antivertignoic activity and is more often used for the (short-time) treatment of nauses/emesis and
vertigo as follows:
- To alleviate the symptoms of vertigo
- As an antiemetic, particularly for nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment and in the pre- and postoperative setting
- Quite recently, in the UK prochlorperazine maleate has been made available as Buccastem M® in buccal form as an OTC-treatment for migraine. In this indication it blocks the CTZ (Chemical Trigger Zone) in the brain, which is responsible for causing severe nausea and emesis. Its OTC use is strictly restricted to a maximum of 2 days, because of the potentially severe side effects of prochlorperazine, which mandate supervision by a health care provider.
More on
[ Prochlorperazine ]
Compazine - Prescribing information for US residents in PDF format. [Acrobat Reader required]
Prochlorperazine - Information from DrugDigest on dosage, usage, side effects, interactions, and storage of this antinausea medication.