Experiences with
Prochlorperazine

About prochlorperazine

Prochlorperazine is an anti-sickness medicine. It can help stop you feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting).

You can take prochlorperazine to treat:

morning sickness
feelings of dizziness (vertigo)
travel sickness
feelings of sickness due to migraines
sickness caused by general anaesthetics after surgery, cancer treatment or taking other medicines
problems with balance such as Ménière's disease

Prochlorperazine may occasionally be used to treat some forms of anxiety.

It's available as tablets and a liquid that you swallow. It can also be given as an injection, but this is usually done in hospital.

Prochlorperazine tablets and liquid are available on prescription. You can also buy tablets in a pharmacy without a prescription to treat nausea and vomiting, but only if you've been previously diagnosed with migraines.

Key facts

Prochlorperazine starts to work in around 30 to 60 minutes.
Common side effects include feeling sleepy and blurred vision.
You can usually take prochlorperazine when you need it, up to 3 times a day.
It's best not to drink alcohol while taking prochlorperazine. It can increase the chance of side effects, such as feeling sleepy.

Who can and cannot take prochlorperazine

Prochlorperazine can be taken by most adults and children aged 1 year and over.

Prochlorperazine is not suitable for some people. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:

have had an allergic reaction to prochlorperazine or any other medicines in the past
have high blood pressure due to a tumour near the kidney (phaeochromocytoma)
have glaucoma
have a history of blood clots or may be at higher risk of developing a clot
have Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, hernia or colon cancer, or any other condition that can lead to a blockage in your bowel
have liver problems
have epilepsy or any condition that causes fits or seizures
have high blood pressure or heart failure

How and when to take prochlorperazine

If you or your child have been prescribed prochlorperazine, follow your doctor's instructions about how and when to take it.

Prochlorperazine tablets come as:

standard tablets that you swallow whole with a drink of water
tablets that dissolve between your upper lip and gum (buccal tablets)

Standard tablets and liquid can be taken with or without food.

Buccal tablets work best if they're taken after meals. This gives them more time to dissolve.

Dosage

The dose varies depending on what you are taking prochlorperazine for, but it is usually taken 2 to 3 times a day.

The dose for children aged 1 to 17 years is based on their weight.

What if I forget to take it?

For travel sickness, take it as soon as you remember.

For anything else, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Never take 2 doses at the same time.

What if I take too much?

Taking too much prochlorperazine can be dangerous.

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive yourself. Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance.

Take the prochlorperazine packet, or the leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine with you.

Side effects

Like all medicines, prochlorperazine can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects

These common side effects happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or do not go away:

feeling sleepy or drowsy
blurred vision
dry mouth
headaches
stuffy nose

Serious side effects

Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 10,000 people.

Tell your doctor straight away if you get:

muscle stiffness or shaking, or uncontrollable face or tongue movements
a sudden high temperature or an infection
sore breasts in both men and women
yellowing skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow – these can be signs of liver problems
a fast or irregular heartbeat (your heart feels like it's pounding)

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to prochlorperazine.

These are not all the side effects of prochlorperazine. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme.

How to cope with side effects of prochlorperazine

What to do about:

feeling sleepy or drowsy – do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery. It's best not to drink alcohol, as it'll make you feel more tired. This should wear off as your body gets used to the medicine. Talk to your doctor if it continues for longer than a week, they may be able to suggest a different medicine.
blurred vision – do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery. If it lasts for more than 2 days, speak to your doctor.
dry mouth – try chewing sugar-free gum or sucking sugar-free sweets.
headache – rest and drink plenty of fluids. You can take an everyday painkiller like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Talk to your doctor if the headaches last longer than a week or are severe.
stuffy nose – try a menthol decongestant or talk to your pharmacist if this bothers you.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Prochlorperazine and pregnancy

Your doctor may prescribe prochlorperazine for morning sickness.

There's no evidence that prochlorperazine will harm your baby, but for safety it's best to take it for the shortest possible time.

Prochlorperazine and breastfeeding

Prochlorperazine passes into breast milk in small amounts. Talk to your doctor, as other medicines might be better while you're breastfeeding.

If your baby was premature, had a low birthweight or is not feeding as usual, speak to your doctor before taking any anti-sickness medicine.

If you take prochlorperazine while breastfeeding and notice your baby is sleeping more than usual or is behaving differently, talk to your health visitor or doctor as soon as possible.