chlorpromazine vs fluoxetine
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Side-by-side comparison of chlorpromazine and fluoxetine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
These include: specific antipsychotics (e.g., ziprasidone, iloperidone, chlorpromazine, mesoridazine, droperidol); specific antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, sparfloxacin); Class 1A antiarrhythmic medications (e.g., quinidine, procainamide); Class III antiarrhythmics (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol); and others (e.g., pentamidine, levomethadyl acetate, methadone, halofantrine, mefloquine, dolasetron mesylate, probucol or tacrolimus).
Thorazine
Prozac, Sarafem
Chlorpromazine is a medicine that belongs to a class of drugs called phenothiazine antipsychotics. It can help manage symptoms of certain mental disorders by affecting chemical messengers in the brain.
Fluoxetine is a medicine that can help treat depression and other mental health conditions. It belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Chlorpromazine can treat psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. It can also control nausea and vomiting. Additionally, it can help with restlessness before surgery, acute intermittent porphyria, tetanus, manic episodes of bipolar disorder, and intractable hiccups. In children, it can treat severe behavioral problems and hyperactivity.
Fluoxetine can treat major depressive disorder in adults and children. It also treats obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults and children. Fluoxetine can help with bulimia nervosa (an eating disorder) and panic disorder. Sometimes, it is used with another medicine called olanzapine to treat depression related to bipolar disorder.
Chlorpromazine works by changing the effect of certain natural chemicals in the brain. It blocks dopamine receptors, which helps to reduce psychotic symptoms. It also affects other neurotransmitters, such as histamine and acetylcholine.
Fluoxetine works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood. By increasing serotonin, fluoxetine can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression, OCD, and other conditions.
- • Drowsiness
- • Abnormal dreams
- • Problems ejaculating
- • Loss of appetite
- • Feeling anxious
- • Feeling weak
- Toxicity To Various Agents 425
- Overdose 345
- Drug Interaction 321
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome 280
- Nausea 272
- Drug Interaction 3,335
- Toxicity To Various Agents 3,316
- Nausea 3,233
- Fatigue 3,156
- Completed Suicide 2,904
Antipsychotic medicines like chlorpromazine can increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have dementia-related psychosis. Chlorpromazine is not approved for treating this condition.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teenagers, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes in mood or behavior. Fluoxetine is not approved for use in children younger than 7 years old.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if chlorpromazine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Fluoxetine should only be used during pregnancy if the benefit outweighs the risk to the baby. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking fluoxetine.
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How to Read This chlorpromazine vs fluoxetine Comparison
chlorpromazine is classified in the Typical Antipsychotic (Phenothiazine) drug class, while fluoxetine sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, chlorpromazine has 1,643 submissions while fluoxetine has 15,944. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to combining these drugs can interfere with your heart's electrical activity and cause an abnormal heart rhythm.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for chlorpromazine or fluoxetine.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.