Prochlorperazine®

What is Prochlorperazine?

Prochlorperazine buccal tablets are used to treat nausea and vomiting. Rather than being swallowed, the tablets are placed into your top gum, beneath your upper lip. They gradually dissolve and release medication that can ease nausea symptoms.

The active ingredient in the tablets, prochlorperazine, belongs to a class of medications known as phenothiazines. They work by blocking dopamine, a neurotransmitter that sends messages throughout your body. Impacting dopamine this way is thought to reduce feelings of nausea, which can prevent you from being sick.

Lots of things can make you nauseous, including anxiety, motion sickness and digestive issues.^[1] Fresh air can help, as can taking small sips of drink regularly and eating smaller meals. If you experience nausea that doesn’t pass, tablets like Prochlorperazine can help relieve your symptoms.

How does Prochlorperazine work?

Prochlorperazine works against nausea by targeting your brain. Specifically, it blocks dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the body which send messages throughout your nervous system.

By interfering with dopamine this way, Prochlorperazine stops the messages telling you you’re feeling sick. This can ease the sensation of nausea. Prochlorperazine is used to treat a range of conditions that can cause feelings of sickness, including labyrinthitis, migraines, and Meniere’s disease.

What doses of Prochlorperazine are there?

The buccal tablet version of Prochlorperazine comes in 3 mg doses. The buccal mucosa is the area that lines the inside of your cheek and lips, which is where the tablets sit.^[2]

The recommended dose is one or two tablets, taken twice a day. The amount you need will depend on how severe your nausea is, and how often you’re affected by it.

Prochlorperazine is more likely to be effective when taken after food.

How to take Prochlorperazine

Prochlorperazine can be taken once or twice a day.

To take the tablet:

• place it under your upper lip, along your top gum;
• allow the tablet to full dissolve, which can take 1-2 hours; and
• avoid moving the tablet around your mouth.

Take care to not chew or swallow the tablet whole, as this will stop it working properly.

When you’ve placed the tablet in your gum, it will soften and hold in place. After a few minutes, you shouldn’t notice it’s there.

How long does it take Prochlorperazine to work?

Prochlorperazine targets an area of your brain known as the vomiting centre.^[1] The tablets can start to work between 30 to 60 minutes after you’ve taken them.

To begin with, you might be told to take one tablet a day to see if this improves your nausea. If you feel like you need to take more tablets, or if your symptoms aren’t improving, you can speak to a clinician about changing doses or trying a different treatment.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Prochlorperazine?

If you forget to take your usual dose of Prochlorperazine, there’s no need to double-dose next time you take a tablet. Instead, just skip the missed dose and carry on taking the tablets how you normally would.

If for any reason you swallow too many tablets, seek urgent medical attention at your nearest hospital.