spec sheet10 rows
Prochlorperazine is a phenothiazine antipsychotic used mainly at lower doses as an anti-nausea and anti-vertigo medication, and at higher doses for psychosis. It works by blocking dopamine D2 receptors, including those in the brain's vomiting center, which is why it is effective against nausea. It is not recreational and can cause the movement side effects typical of dopamine-blocking drugs.
- Effective against nausea and vomiting
- Helps vertigo
- Antipsychotic at higher doses
- Acute muscle spasms and restlessness
- Drowsiness and low blood pressure
- QT prolongation
- Rare neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Mechanism
Prochlorperazine is a receptor of the phenothiazine class. Its anti-nausea action comes from blocking D2 receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone, the part of the brainstem that drives vomiting; at higher doses the same dopamine blockade in other pathways produces antipsychotic effects. It also has antihistamine and anticholinergic activity, which contributes to drowsiness and dry mouth, and its dopamine blockade can cause movement side effects even at anti-nausea doses.
receptor fingerprint
receptorAntagonist
H1 receptorAntagonist
Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
Even at the low doses used for nausea, prochlorperazine can cause extrapyramidal reactions, including sudden muscle spasms (acute dystonia) and restlessness, which are more common in younger people. It can prolong the QT interval, cause drowsiness and low blood pressure, and rarely trigger neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It adds to sedation with other depressants and to QT risk with other QT-prolonging drugs. Not medical advice.
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
Useful and unglamorous; at low doses it is a strong antiemetic for nausea and vertigo. It is still a dopamine blocker, though, and even those low doses can cause acute muscle spasms and restlessness, more so in younger people. Prescription territory, with no recreational value whatsoever.
Resources
This entry is here for reference.
Research
- 1.Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and tolerability of dopamine-receptor antagonists for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
- 2.Extrapyramidal reactions to metoclopramide and prochlorperazine.
2 listed here; entry last updated July 2026
Reviews
My notesprivate to this device
FAQ
Why is an antipsychotic used for nausea?
Nausea and vomiting are driven partly by dopamine in a brainstem trigger zone, and prochlorperazine's dopamine blockade quiets that signal.
Can it cause muscle problems even for nausea?
Yes. Even low doses can trigger acute dystonic reactions, sudden muscle spasms, especially in younger people; these usually respond to treatment.
Is it addictive or recreational?
No. It is not euphoric or addictive; it is a medical drug whose main risks are movement effects, sedation and heart-rhythm changes.
Adverse effects
- Acute muscle spasms and restlessness
- Drowsiness and low blood pressure
- QT prolongation
- Rare neuroleptic malignant syndrome