PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

perphenazine Side Effects

Also known as: Trilafon

Analysis of 2,013 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.

Total Reports

2,013

Death-Related

221

11.0% of reports

Hospitalizations

971

48.2% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INEFFECTIVE
357
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS
274
WEIGHT INCREASED
222
AKATHISIA
184
SUICIDE ATTEMPT
180
OFF LABEL USE
172
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
163
INCREASED APPETITE
155
EUPHORIC MOOD
153
PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION
150
ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG LEVEL BELOW THERAPEUTIC
149
DISINHIBITION
148
THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT EFFECT INCOMPLETE
142
THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT EFFECT VARIABLE
140
LEUKOPENIA
139
DRUG INTERACTION
125
HYPERTENSION
117
FATIGUE
106
NAUSEA
97
TARDIVE DYSKINESIA
97

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 1,027 (56%)
Male 810 (44%)
Unknown 11

Age Distribution

0-17 58 (4%)
18-44 528 (39%)
45-64 486 (36%)
65-74 145 (11%)
75+ 151 (11%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 221 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
COMPLETED SUICIDE 87
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 53
DEATH 39
CARDIAC ARREST 29
BRADYCARDIA 17
ATRIOVENTRICULAR BLOCK 14
SEIZURE 14
HYPOTENSION 13
SOMNOLENCE 13
DYSPNOEA 10
INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE 10
BRAIN OEDEMA 9
OVERDOSE 9
CONFUSIONAL STATE 7
FALL 7
HYPERAMMONAEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY 7
BRAIN HERNIATION 6
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 6
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 6
HEPATOMEGALY 6

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 971 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 263
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 230
WEIGHT INCREASED 179
SUICIDE ATTEMPT 175
AKATHISIA 166
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER 152
INCREASED APPETITE 151
EUPHORIC MOOD 150
ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG LEVEL BELOW THERAPEUTIC 148
DISINHIBITION 148
THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT EFFECT INCOMPLETE 140
THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT EFFECT VARIABLE 139
PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION 137
LEUKOPENIA 129
OFF LABEL USE 123
DRUG INTERACTION 93
HYPERTENSION 90
LEUKAEMIA 82
FALL 80
OBESITY 75

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare perphenazine vs acamprosate →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About perphenazine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 2,013 voluntary reports linked to perphenazine and its brand equivalents (Trilafon), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 221 (11.0%) listed death as an outcome and 971 (48.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 56% were female and 44% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 528 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 357 submissions, followed by toxicity to various agents and weight increased.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.