Prochlorperazine

What is Prochlorperazine?

Prochlorperazine is a tablet used for a range of conditions that cause nausea and dizziness. It’s used off-label for morning sickness, or nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

You’ve probably heard the term morning sickness, but nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is common throughout the day. Nausea and vomiting is very normal in the early stages of pregnancy. But if it’s severe, it continues throughout your pregnancy or you can’t eat and drink as much as you need to, it’s time to seek some help.

Prochlorperazine blocks the pathways in your brain that can lead to nausea and vomiting, allowing you to live and eat normally again. So, you can focus on having a happy and healthy pregnancy.

How does Prochlorperazine work?

Prochlorperazine is a type of medication called a phenothiazine. It works to stop nausea and vomiting by working on the receptors in the brain called D2 receptors. It stops too much dopamine from being active in the brain, which can cause nausea.

Dopamine is one of the hormones that helps regulate the part of the brain known as the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) or vomiting centre. If you have too much dopamine, it triggers the vomiting centre, which causes the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. So by limiting the effects of the D2 receptors, Prochlorperazine gets rid of sickness at its root.

What doses of Prochlorperazine are there?

Prochlorperazine comes in 5mg tablets. The dosage for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is usually around 5-10mg, but your clinician will help you figure out the right dose for you. They may advise you to start on a lower dose and increase it if that fails to control your nausea.

You’ll usually take Prochlorperazine up to three times a day during pregnancy. Try and space out your doses, leaving a gap of at least two hours. When you’re pregnant, it’s always best to take the lowest possible dose of any medications for the shortest possible time, to limit potential effects on the baby.

How to take Prochlorperazine

Always follow your clinician’s advice on how to take Prochlorperazine. If you have any questions, you can log into your account and message us.

• Swallow the tablets whole without crushing or chewing them. If you’re struggling with swallowing due to nausea, Prochlorperazine is also available as a syrup or buccal tablet
• Have a glass of water with your tablets
• Try to take a note of when you’ve taken Prochlorperazine, so you don’t take the tablets too often
• You can take Prochlorperazine with or without food

How long does it take Prochlorperazine to work?

Prochlorperazine usually starts having an effect around 30-60 minutes after you take it. So it should provide some relief from your sickness pretty quickly. Prochlorperazine usually takes around a week to reach stable levels in your system.

If you’ve been using Prochlorperazine for a few days and seen no improvement in your nausea, go back to your clinician. If your nausea gets worse or you experience symptoms of severe dehydration, get medical attention right away.

What do I do if I make a mistake while taking Prochlorperazine?

If you take too much Prochlorperazine, get medical attention right away. Take the packaging of the medication with you so they can see what you’ve taken and how much. You may feel dizzy or sleepy. Don’t drive if you feel drowsy, get a taxi or ask someone to drive you instead.

If you forget to take Prochlorperazine at your usual time, just skip that dose and wait for your next one. Don’t take a double dose to make up for missing a dose. Try not to leave the tablets in contact with your skin for too long, because they can cause redness and irritation. Prochlorperazine can make you extra sensitive to the sun, so make sure to wear suncream and cover your skin in direct sunlight.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on February 17, 2023.

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