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

Quick overview

Promethazine Tablet (promethazine hydrochloride) is a phenothiazine antihistamine and antiemetic. It is used to relieve allergy symptoms, treat nausea and vomiting, prevent motion sickness, and provide sedation before or after surgery or during childbirth. It is a drowsy antihistamine that can cause sleepiness because it crosses into the brain. It is available as a tablet, syrup, oral solution, suppository, and injection solution.

What is Promethazine Tablet

Promethazine is an antihistamine that belongs to a group of medicines called phenothiazines. It is a drowsy antihistamine that can cross into the brain, which is why it may make you feel sleepy.

Promethazine Tablet uses

• Hay fever and other allergy symptoms such as itching, runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes
• Allergic conjunctivitis (eye allergy)
• Skin allergies including hives and itchy skin rashes
• Nausea and vomiting, including after surgery
• Motion sickness and travel sickness
• Sedation before or after surgery or during childbirth
• Short-term sleep problems
• Relief of apprehension and light sleep
• Adjunctive therapy with epinephrine for serious allergic reactions

Benefits of Promethazine Tablet

• Reduces allergy symptoms like sneezing, itching, and watery eyes
• Helps prevent and control nausea and vomiting
• Helps prevent motion sickness
• Can help with short-term sleep problems
• Provides sedation before or after surgery

How Promethazine Tablet works

Promethazine blocks histamine, a chemical your body makes during allergic reactions, which reduces symptoms like sneezing and itching. It also affects certain brain receptors involved in wakefulness and nausea, which is why it can help with sleep problems and motion sickness.

Promethazine Tablet dosage

Take promethazine exactly as directed by your doctor or the patient information leaflet. Tablets should be swallowed whole with water. They can be taken with or without food, or with a glass of water or milk to reduce stomach irritation. Promethazine is often taken at bedtime or before meals. For motion sickness, it is usually started before traveling. When used before surgery, it is usually taken the night before. How often you take it and the timing depends on the condition being treated. In children, dosing is based on weight, so tell your doctor about any weight changes. 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.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet
• Syrup
• Oral solution
• Suppository
• Injection solution

Side effects of Promethazine Tablet

Common

• Drowsiness or sedation
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Double vision
• Feeling nervous
• Tired feeling, sleep problems (insomnia)
• Confusion
• Restlessness
• Headache
• Difficulty urinating

Serious

• Signs of allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Severe drowsiness, weak or shallow breathing
• Light-headed feeling like you might pass out
• Confusion, agitation, hallucinations, nightmares
• Seizures (convulsions)
• Fast or slow heartbeats or irregular pulse
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes)
• Uncontrolled muscle movements in the face (chewing, lip smacking, frowning, tongue movement, blinking or eye movement)
• Easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums)
• Sudden weakness or ill feeling, fever, chills, sore throat, mouth sores, red or swollen gums, trouble swallowing
• Severe nervous system reaction with very stiff muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors
• Loss of bladder control
• Unusually pale skin
• Irregular heartbeat

Warnings and precautions

• Promethazine should not be given to a child younger than 2 years old because it can cause severe breathing problems or death in very young children.
• Stop using promethazine and call your doctor right away if you notice twitching or uncontrollable movements of the eyes, lips, tongue, face, arms, or legs, as these can be early signs of dangerous side effects.
• This medicine should not be used to treat asthma, pneumonia, or other lower respiratory tract infections.
• This medicine may cause serious tissue damage if injected incorrectly, but this applies to injectable forms rather than tablets.
• A potentially fatal condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) has been reported with this medicine, with symptoms including high fever, muscle stiffness, altered mental status, and irregular heartbeat or blood pressure.
• This medicine may lower the seizure threshold, so it should be used carefully in people with seizure disorders or those taking other medicines that can also increase seizure risk.
• This medicine should be used with caution in people with bone marrow problems, as it has been linked to low white blood cell counts and other blood cell problems.
• Avoid prolonged sun exposure and tanning beds, as this medicine can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and increase sunburn risk.
• It is not known whether promethazine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Promethazine may sometimes be used during pregnancy under medical supervision, particularly for nausea, but this should be assessed individually.
• It is not known whether promethazine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine unless your doctor says it is okay.
• No dose adjustment is generally required for kidney problems, but elderly patients with kidney disease may need dosage adjustment due to increased sensitivity to side effects.
• Use with caution if you have liver disease due to the risk of liver problems such as jaundice.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking promethazine, as it can increase drowsiness, dizziness, impaired coordination, and breathing difficulties.
• This medicine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light
• Keep from freezing
• Store below 25°C
• Keep in the original packaging
• Keep out of sight and reach of children
• Do not use after the expiry date
• Ask your healthcare professional how to dispose of any medicine you do not use
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Seek urgent medical help if you have difficulty breathing, severe allergic reactions, irregular heartbeat, seizures, or severe confusion or hallucinations.
• Check with your doctor right away if you notice pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin; difficult or troubled breathing; or irregular, fast, slow, or shallow breathing, as these could be signs of respiratory depression.
• Stop taking the medicine and get emergency help immediately if you have muscle stiffness, fever, difficult or fast breathing, seizures, fast heartbeat, increased sweating, loss of bladder control, unusually pale skin, or unusual tiredness or weakness, as these may be signs of a serious condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

Alternatives

• Cetirizine
• Loratadine
• Phenergan
• Promethegan
• Antinaus 50
• Phenadoz
• Promacot