tetrabenazine vs thioridazine
Side-by-side comparison of tetrabenazine and thioridazine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
7.5 Drugs That Cause QTc Prolongation Tetrabenazine causes a small prolongation of QTc (about 8 msec), concomitant use with other drugs that are known to cause QTc prolongation should be avoided, these including antipsychotic medications (e.g., chlorpromazine, haloperidol, thioridazine, ziprasidone), antibiotics (e.g., moxifloxacin), Class 1A (e.g., quinidine, procainamide) and Class III (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol) antiarrhythmic medications or any other medications known to prolong the QTc interval. 7.6 Neuroleptic Drugs The risk for Parkinsonism, NMS, and akathisia may be increased by...
Recommendation: Avoid taking these two medications together. Talk to your doctor about safer alternatives for your condition.
Xenazine
Mellaril
Tetrabenazine is a medicine used to treat chorea (uncontrollable movements) caused by Huntington's disease. It helps to reduce these movements.
Thioridazine is a medicine used to treat schizophrenia. It is only used when other antipsychotic medicines have not worked well enough.
Tetrabenazine is used to treat chorea, which are the involuntary, jerky movements that happen with Huntington's disease. Huntington's disease is a brain disorder that affects movement, behavior, and thinking. This medicine can help control the movements caused by this condition.
Thioridazine is used to manage schizophrenia in adults and children. You should only use this medicine if other antipsychotic medicines have not worked for you. This is because thioridazine can cause serious heart problems.
Tetrabenazine works by affecting a substance in the brain that moves other chemicals. It lowers the amount of certain chemicals, like dopamine, in the brain. This helps to control the involuntary movements (chorea) caused by Huntington's disease.
Thioridazine affects the balance of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine, can affect mood and behavior. By changing the balance, thioridazine helps to reduce symptoms of schizophrenia.
- • Feeling sleepy or drowsy
- • Feeling tired
- • Trouble sleeping
- • Feeling depressed
- • Feeling restless
- • Drowsiness
- • Dry mouth
- • Blurred vision
- • Constipation
- • Nausea
- Death 1,212
- Feeling sad or hopeless 475
- Feeling sleepy or drowsy 451
- Feeling tired 360
- Falling down 316
- Weight gain 8
- Shortness of breath 7
- Muscle spasms and contractions 6
- High blood sugar 6
- Low oxygen levels 6
Tetrabenazine can increase the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts in people with Huntington's disease. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, tell your doctor right away. You should not take this medicine if you are actively suicidal or have untreated depression.
Thioridazine can cause a life-threatening heart rhythm problem called Torsades de pointes, which can lead to sudden death. Because of this risk, only use thioridazine if other antipsychotic medicines have not worked. Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis who are treated with antipsychotic drugs have an increased risk of death.
This medicine may harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if thioridazine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking thioridazine during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare tetrabenazine with
Compare thioridazine with
How to Read This tetrabenazine vs thioridazine Comparison
tetrabenazine is classified in the VMAT2 Inhibitor drug class, while thioridazine sits within the Typical Antipsychotic (Phenothiazine) 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, tetrabenazine has 2,814 submissions while thioridazine has 33. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both medications can change the heart's electrical rhythm. taking them together increases the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm problem.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between tetrabenazine and thioridazine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.