pimozide vs sotalol
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Side-by-side comparison of pimozide and sotalol. 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
Accordingly, pimozide should not be given with dofetilide, sotalol, quinidine, other Class Ia and III anti-arrhythmics, mesoridazine, thioridazine, chlorpromazine, droperidol, sparfloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, halofantrine, mefloquine, pentamidine, arsenic trioxide, levomethadyl acetate, dolasetron mesylate, probucol, tacrolimus, ziprasidone, or other drugs that have demonstrated QT prolongation as one of their pharmacodynamic effects.
Pimozide (Orap) is a medicine that helps control tics in people with Tourette's Disorder. It works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain.
Sotalol is a medicine that helps keep your heart beating regularly. It can treat dangerous fast heartbeats and help prevent irregular heartbeats from coming back.
Pimozide is used to treat motor and phonic tics in people with Tourette's Disorder. It is for people who have not had success with other treatments. This medicine is not for tics that are mild or just annoying. It is meant for people whose tics greatly affect their daily life.
Sotalol is used to treat life-threatening fast heartbeats in the lower chambers of the heart. It is also used to help keep a normal heart rhythm in people with atrial fibrillation or flutter, which are types of irregular heartbeats in the upper chambers of the heart. Sotalol is for people who have very bothersome symptoms from their atrial fibrillation or flutter.
Pimozide belongs to a class of drugs called antipsychotics. It works by blocking dopamine, a chemical in the brain. By blocking dopamine, pimozide helps to reduce tics.
Sotalol works by slowing down the electrical signals in your heart. It has two actions: it blocks beta receptors (like a beta-blocker) and it prolongs the action potential duration in the heart. This helps to stabilize your heart rhythm and prevent irregular heartbeats.
- • Parkinson-like symptoms (tremors, stiffness)
- • Restlessness
- • Muscle stiffness
- • Drowsiness
- • Feeling tired
- • Slow heart rate (less than 50 bpm)
- • Shortness of breath
- • New or worsening irregular heartbeats
- • Weakness
- Drug Interaction 76
- Parkinsonism 42
- Weight Increased 37
- Somnolence 33
- Hypotension 29
- Atrial Fibrillation 1,179
- Dyspnoea 912
- Fatigue 868
- Dizziness 734
- Diarrhoea 721
Pimozide can cause changes in your heart rhythm (QT prolongation). This can lead to serious heart problems. You should have an ECG (heart test) before starting pimozide and regularly during treatment. Do not take pimozide with other medicines that can also affect your heart rhythm.
Sotalol can cause life-threatening irregular heartbeats. To lower this risk, you will start or restart sotalol in a hospital where your heart can be monitored. If your QT interval (a measure on your heart tracing) gets too long (500 msec or greater), your doctor may lower your dose or stop the medicine. Your doctor will check your kidney function to decide the right dose for you.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if pimozide will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking pimozide during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Sotalol can harm your unborn baby, so talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Sotalol can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant, so do not breastfeed while taking sotalol.
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How to Read This pimozide vs sotalol Comparison
pimozide is classified in the Typical Antipsychotic drug class, while sotalol sits within the Class III Antiarrhythmic / Beta-Blocker 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, pimozide has 217 submissions while sotalol has 4,414. 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 both drugs can interfere with the heart's electrical cycle in the same way. this increases the chance of developing a severe and dangerous 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 pimozide or sotalol.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.