Chlorpromazine Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Chlorpromazine Tablet, known generically as chlorpromazine, is a phenothiazine antipsychotic also sold under the brand name Thorazine. It is used to manage conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe nausea and vomiting, and persistent hiccups, among other uses. It comes in tablet, injectable, and oral concentrate forms and works by blocking dopamine and other receptors in the brain.

What is Chlorpromazine Tablet

Chlorpromazine is a first-generation (typical) antipsychotic medicine. It is also known by the brand name Thorazine. It comes in tablet form and is also available as an injection.

Chlorpromazine Tablet uses

• Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
• Manic phase of bipolar disorder
• Severe behavioral problems or hyperactivity in children ages 1 to 12
• Persistent or intractable hiccups
• Severe nausea and vomiting
• Acute intermittent porphyria
• Anxiety or apprehension before surgery
• Adjunct treatment for tetanus

Benefits of Chlorpromazine Tablet

• Helps manage symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
• Helps control nausea and vomiting
• Relieves prolonged hiccups
• Helps you relax before a procedure

How Chlorpromazine Tablet works

Chlorpromazine works by blocking dopamine and other receptors in the brain and central nervous system, which helps balance a brain chemical involved in mood.

Chlorpromazine Tablet dosage

Take this medication by mouth with a glass of water, with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label and take doses at regular intervals. Do not take the medication more often than directed.

Do not stop taking this medication suddenly, since this can cause nausea, vomiting, and dizziness; ask your care team for advice before stopping. If using the liquid concentrate form, measure the dose carefully with a special measuring device and mix it into liquid or soft food as directed, not a household spoon.

Take it at the same times each day to help you remember. It may take several weeks of regular use before you notice the full benefit. Special care is needed when this medicine is used in children; talk to your care team.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but skip it if it is almost time for your next dose; do not double up.

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet
• Injectable solution
• Oral concentrate (liquid)

Side effects of Chlorpromazine Tablet

Common

• Drowsiness, fatigue, or sedation
• Dry mouth and stuffy nose
• Constipation
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness or lightheadedness upon standing
• Weight gain
• Trouble sleeping
• Nausea

Serious

• Uncontrolled, repetitive movements of the face, tongue, mouth, or jaw (tardive dyskinesia), which may be permanent
• Muscle stiffness, tremors, shuffling walk, restlessness, or loss of balance (extrapyramidal symptoms)
• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: high fever, severe muscle rigidity, confusion, sweating, and fast or irregular heartbeat
• Signs of low white blood cells: fever, chills, mouth sores, sore throat, cough, or feeling light-headed
• Signs of liver injury: right upper belly pain, loss of appetite, nausea, light-colored stool, dark urine, yellowing skin or eyes, unusual weakness or fatigue
• Signs of an allergic reaction: rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing
• High prolactin levels: unexpected breast growth or discharge, changes in sex drive, irregular periods
• Signs of low blood pressure: dizziness, feeling faint, blurry vision
• A painful or prolonged erection lasting 4 or more hours (seek help right away)
• Signs of heart rhythm problems (QT prolongation): severe dizziness, fainting, fast or uneven heartbeat

Warnings and precautions

• In older adults with dementia-related psychosis, this medicine increases the risk of death and is not approved for this use.
• Long-term use can cause a serious, possibly permanent movement disorder; the longer you use it, the higher the risk, especially in older adults.
• This medicine can make it harder for your body to regulate temperature, increasing risk of problems in very hot or cold weather.
• This medicine can cause a heart rhythm problem called QT prolongation, which can rarely be fatal.
• Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without talking to your doctor, as this can cause withdrawal-like symptoms or worsening of your condition.
• This medicine should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. Using it near the due date or in the last three months of pregnancy may cause low blood pressure in the mother and problems like muscle stiffness, drowsiness, feeding or breathing difficulties, or constant crying in the newborn.
• This medicine passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing baby. Talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease before taking this medicine.
• Tell your doctor if you have liver disease before taking this medicine, since chlorpromazine can cause liver injury.
• Avoid alcohol while taking this medicine, since it can increase drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects.
• This medicine can affect your coordination, reaction time, and judgment. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F)
• Store away from light and moisture
• Do not store in the bathroom
• Keep out of the reach of children and pets
• Throw away any unused medication after the expiration date
• Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed; ask your pharmacist or local waste disposal company about proper disposal

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away for signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you notice high fever, severe muscle stiffness, sweating, confusion, or fast/irregular heartbeat, which may be signs of a rare, life-threatening reaction called neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
• Get medical help right away if you have uncontrollable movements such as lip smacking, mouth puckering, tongue thrusting, chewing, or unusual arm or leg movements.
• Get medical help right away for a painful or prolonged erection lasting 4 hours or more, as permanent problems could occur.
• If you think you have taken too much of this medicine, contact a poison control center or go to an emergency room right away.
• Get medical help right away for severe dizziness, fainting, or slow/shallow breathing.

Alternatives

• Aripiprazole
• Quetiapine
• Risperidone
• Haloperidol