Prochlorperazine
Prescription ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
Prochlorperazine is a phenothiazine dopamine antagonist used for severe nausea, vomiting, and short-term treatment of nonpsychotic anxiety in some formulations. It can cause extrapyramidal symptoms, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, anticholinergic effects, QT prolongation, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and it carries the antipsychotic class boxed warning for increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
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What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Prochlorperazine is a phenothiazine dopamine antagonist used for severe nausea, vomiting, and short-term treatment of nonpsychotic anxiety in some formulations. NutriStack rates the supporting evidence as strong. Common adult dosing is Adults: oral 5 to 10 mg three or four times daily for nausea or vomiting; rectal 25 mg twice daily may be used for severe symptoms. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration., though a prescriber sets the actual dose. This profile indexes 3 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating strong. Most-documented uses: control of severe nausea and vomiting, short-term treatment of nonpsychotic anxiety when other options are unsuitable, management of vestibular nausea or vertigo-related vomiting in selected patients. 3 sources indexed (1989–2026), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Prochlorperazine blocks dopamine D2 receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone and central nervous system, reducing nausea and vomiting and producing antipsychotic effects at higher exposures. Phenothiazine activity at alpha-adrenergic, histamine, muscarinic, and cardiac ion channels contributes to hypotension, sedation, dry mouth, urinary retention, extrapyramidal reactions, hyperprolactinemia, and QT-related arrhythmia risk.1,2
Dosing & protocol.
Oral doses may be taken with food if gastrointestinal upset occurs. Avoid alcohol and use caution with other sedating or QT-prolonging agents.
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Akathisia
- Dystonia
- Parkinsonism
- Tardive dyskinesia
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Urinary retention
- Photosensitivity
- QT prolongation
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Lowered seizure threshold
Contraindications
- Comatose states or severe central nervous system depression3
- Known hypersensitivity to phenothiazines2
- Pediatric use in children younger than 2 years or under 20 pounds3
- Avoid pediatric use for conditions where dosage has not been established3
- Use caution in Parkinson disease, seizure disorders, glaucoma, urinary retention, severe cardiovascular disease, or high QT risk
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Reviews & position papers
2- 1Management of nausea and vomiting in adultsFlake ZA et al. · American Family Physician · 2015
Clinical review describes antiemetic selection and adverse-effect tradeoffs for dopamine antagonists.
- 2Drug-induced movement disordersMiller LG · Clinical Pharmacy · 1989
Review describes dopamine antagonist movement disorder risks and clinical recognition.
Reference material
1- 3Prochlorperazine Maleate Tablets US Prescribing InformationURLU.S. National Library of Medicine · DailyMed · 2026
Labeling describes antiemetic use, dosing, boxed warning, pediatric restrictions, CNS depression, and extrapyramidal risks.
Common questions.
Quick answers about Prochlorperazine, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Prochlorperazine?
Prochlorperazine is a phenothiazine dopamine antagonist used for severe nausea, vomiting, and short-term treatment of nonpsychotic anxiety in some formulations. It can cause extrapyramidal symptoms, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, anticholinergic effects, QT prolongation, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and it carries the antipsychotic class boxed warning for increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis.
What is Prochlorperazine used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Prochlorperazine include: Control of severe nausea and vomiting; Short-term treatment of nonpsychotic anxiety when other options are unsuitable; Management of vestibular nausea or vertigo-related vomiting in selected patients. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as strong.
What is a typical dose of Prochlorperazine?
A typical adult dose of Prochlorperazine is Adults: oral 5 to 10 mg three or four times daily for nausea or vomiting; rectal 25 mg twice daily may be used for severe symptoms. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration.. The commonly recommended form is Oral tablet, rectal suppository, or supervised injectable formulation depending on severity and ability to take oral medication. These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Prochlorperazine?
Reported side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, akathisia, dystonia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Prochlorperazine?
NutriStack rates this as Strong, meaning multiple high-quality meta-analyses or systematic reviews converge on the same finding. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Prochlorperazine in NutriStack.
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