pimozide vs ziprasidone

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Side-by-side comparison of pimozide and ziprasidone. 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.

Drug Class
pimozide Typical Antipsychotic
ziprasidone Atypical Antipsychotic
Type
pimozide Prescription
ziprasidone Prescription
Summary
pimozide

Pimozide (Orap) is a medicine that helps control tics in people with Tourette's Disorder. It works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain.

ziprasidone

Ziprasidone is a medicine used to treat mental disorders. It helps to balance chemicals in the brain to improve mood and behavior.

What It Treats
pimozide

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.

ziprasidone

Ziprasidone treats schizophrenia in adults. It also treats manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder, either alone or with lithium or valproate. This medicine can help manage mood swings and improve overall mental well-being.

How It Works
pimozide

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.

ziprasidone

Ziprasidone is an atypical antipsychotic. It works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain, like dopamine and serotonin. By balancing these chemicals, it helps to reduce symptoms of mental illness.

Common Side Effects
pimozide
  • Parkinson-like symptoms (tremors, stiffness)
  • Restlessness
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Drowsiness
ziprasidone
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Respiratory tract infection
  • Extrapyramidal symptoms (movement problems)
  • Dizziness
  • Restlessness
FAERS Reports
pimozide
  • Drug Interaction 76
  • Parkinsonism 42
  • Weight Increased 37
  • Somnolence 33
  • Hypotension 29
ziprasidone
  • Weight Increased 1,176
  • Diabetes Mellitus 1,003
  • Anxiety 875
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 859
  • Insomnia 801
Serious Warnings
pimozide

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.

ziprasidone

This medicine may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. Ziprasidone is not approved to treat dementia-related psychosis. Talk to your doctor about the risks if you are an elderly patient with dementia.

Pregnancy
pimozide

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.

ziprasidone

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who use this medicine in the last 3 months of pregnancy may have withdrawal symptoms after birth. There is a pregnancy registry, call 1-866-961-2388.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This pimozide vs ziprasidone Comparison

pimozide is classified in the Typical Antipsychotic drug class, while ziprasidone sits within the Atypical Antipsychotic 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 ziprasidone has 4,714. 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 these medicines both affect how the heart's electrical system resets after each beat. using them together can lead to serious heart rhythm problems.. 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 ziprasidone.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.