Prescription medication · Phenothiazine Antiemetic

prochlorperazine

Also sold as Compazine. This medicine can help control severe nausea and vomiting.

Data updated 2026-05-15

26,613
FDA reportsModerately reported
1
Recall record

What the data shows

prochlorperazine (Compazine) is a prescription Phenothiazine Antiemetic, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (26,613 FDA reports).

Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.

prochlorperazine (Compazine) is a prescription Phenothiazine Antiemetic. This medicine can help control severe nausea and vomiting.

Prochlorperazine is a medicine that can help control severe nausea and vomiting. It can also treat schizophrenia and anxiety for a short time.

Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →

Drug Pricing (NADAC)

Generic Price

$0.19/unit

Generic Available

Yes (21 manufacturers)

Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →

Compare with Another Drug → Full Side Effects Report →

What it does

This medicine can help control severe nausea and vomiting.

Common side effects

Drowsiness, Dizziness, Missed menstrual periods

Key warnings

This medicine can cause serious side effects, including Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS).

The sections below are summarized in plain English from prochlorperazine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

Prochlorperazine belongs to a class of drugs called phenothiazines. It works by affecting the balance of certain chemicals in your brain. This can help reduce nausea, vomiting, and the symptoms of schizophrenia and anxiety.

Side Effects (from patient reports)

Based on 26,613 FDA adverse event reports.

Most-reported reactions

Adverse reactions in FAERS for prochlorperazine, by number of reports

reports

What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.

Source FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) As of 2025

Reports over time

Adverse-event reports filed for prochlorperazine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

01,0002,0003,000 199920062009201220152018202120242025 2,036

Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.

Where prochlorperazine sits

prochlorperazine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 61% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.

fewest reports most reports

Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is prochlorperazine; the line is the median (50th percentile).

FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis

Detailed analysis of 26,613 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1999–2025.

Total Reports

26,613

Reports Mentioning Death

3,717

14.0% of reports — not proof of cause

Hospitalization Reports

11,376

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Gender Distribution

Female 14,236 (58%)
Male 10,234 (42%)

Age Distribution

0–17 168
18–44 2,376
45–64 7,034
65–74 5,833
75+ 3,711

Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)

# Reaction Reports
1 NAUSEA 3,261
2 FATIGUE 2,706
3 DIARRHOEA 2,321
4 VOMITING 1,842
5 FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA 1,832
6 DEATH 1,705
8 ASTHENIA 1,254
9 PNEUMONIA 1,149
10 DYSPNOEA 1,101
11 PYREXIA 1,021
12 DECREASED APPETITE 1,013
13 PAIN 1,010
14 HEADACHE 973
15 DIZZINESS 962
16 CONSTIPATION 920

Reactions in Death Reports

DEATH 1,690
NAUSEA 237
PNEUMONIA 219
FATIGUE 209
DISEASE PROGRESSION 188
MALIGNANT NEOPLASM PROGRESSION 185
SEPSIS 181
DIARRHOEA 174
DYSPNOEA 166
ASTHENIA 156

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA 1,603
NAUSEA 1,332
VOMITING 1,067
PNEUMONIA 1,003
DIARRHOEA 985
FATIGUE 936
PYREXIA 825
ASTHENIA 729
DYSPNOEA 633
DEHYDRATION 606

Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation

Serious Warnings

This medicine can cause serious side effects, including Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS). NMS can cause high fever, muscle stiffness, confusion, and changes in breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms. Long-term use or high doses may cause tardive dyskinesia, a condition with uncontrollable muscle movements that may not go away.

Common Questions

Can children take this medicine?
Prochlorperazine should not be used in children under 2 years old or weighing less than 20 pounds. It is also not for use in pediatric surgery.
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
You should not drink alcohol while taking this medicine, as it can increase the risk of side effects.
What should I do if I experience muscle stiffness or spasms?
Tell your doctor right away if you experience muscle stiffness, spasms, or uncontrollable movements.
How long does it take for this medicine to start working?
For psychiatric disorders, it may take a day or two to see a response, but it usually takes longer to see the full benefit.
Can I drive while taking this medicine?
This medicine can cause drowsiness and dizziness, so be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how it affects you.
What if I have a sore throat or signs of infection?
Tell your doctor right away if you have a sudden sore throat or other signs of infection.
Can I take this for other types of anxiety?
This medicine was studied for generalized anxiety disorder. It may not be helpful for other conditions with anxiety-like symptoms.
What should I do if I feel restless or agitated after taking this medicine?
If you feel restless or agitated, do not take another dose and talk to your doctor.
Is it okay to take this medication long term?
When used for anxiety, do not take for longer than 12 weeks.
What do the tablets look like?
The 5mg tablets are chartreuse and round, with "TL" and "113" on one side. The 10mg tablets are also chartreuse and round, with "TL" and "115" on one side.
What are the common side effects of prochlorperazine?
The registry lists Drowsiness, Dizziness, Missed menstrual periods, Blurred vision, Skin reactions among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for prochlorperazine. The compiled record contains 26,613 FDA adverse-event reports. These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
What drug class is prochlorperazine?
prochlorperazine belongs to the Phenothiazine Antiemetic drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). This medicine can help control severe nausea and vomiting.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for prochlorperazine?
The FDA label for prochlorperazine contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.
Has prochlorperazine been recalled?
There is 1 recall associated with prochlorperazine products. CGMP Deviations. Check the recalls section below for full details and affected products.

Active Recalls

Class II March 13, 2025

CGMP Deviations

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA

Related Medications in Phenothiazine Antiemetic

Other drugs grouped near prochlorperazine - same-class peers and common alternatives.

alosetron

Lotronex

Alosetron (Lotronex) is a medicine for women with severe diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Compare with prochlorperazine →

aprepitant

Emend

Aprepitant (Emend) is a medicine that helps prevent nausea and vomiting.

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bisacodyl

Dulcolax

Bisacodyl is a medicine that helps you have a bowel movement.

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bismuth subsalicylate

Pepto-Bismol

Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a medicine that can treat diarrhea and upset stomach.

Compare with prochlorperazine →

cimetidine

Tagamet

Cimetidine (Tagamet) reduces stomach acid.

Compare with prochlorperazine →

Compare prochlorperazine vs alosetron side-by-side →

Compare beyond drug class

Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share

Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for prochlorperazine: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.

Similar FAERS report volume

Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 26,613.

4 peers

Similar death-report share

Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 13.97%.

4 peers

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What the FDA Data Shows for prochlorperazine

The FDA label for prochlorperazine (sold under brand names such as Compazine) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Phenothiazine Antiemetic class. This medicine can help control severe nausea and vomiting. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Drowsiness, Dizziness, Missed menstrual periods.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 26,613 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.19.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: January 22, 2025

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page