The medicine prochlorperazine maleate is used to ease nausea, prevent vomiting, or to treat psychosis. It can also treat anxiety in patients who don't suffer from psychosis. It acts on the nervous system to regulate undesirable brain activity. The drug comes in a tablet form or a suppository form.
Prochlorperazine maleate is suitable for adults and children over the age of two. The desired antinausea and antivomiting can be achieved with short-term treatment. The antipsychotic and antianxiety treatments can be long term.
A typical dose of prochlorperazine maleate is up to four tablets per day for adults and up to three per day for children. Suppositories are used twice a day. These doses should be taken at roughly the same time each day.
Schizophrenia is the major mental illness treatable by the drug. The withdrawal symptoms and the risks of recurring psychosis mean that a patient with schizophrenia should not stop taking the drug even if he or she feels well. Porchlorperazine maleate may affect a fetus in the womb, but as the risks of sudden withdrawal are so great, a pregnant woman should consult her doctor prior to discontinuing the treatment regimen.
Certain groups of people may react adversely to the drug. Medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and others can affect how the drug works in the body. A previous history of certain cancers, glaucoma, and issues such as brain trauma also need to be taken into account before taking the drug.
Many mild side effects are associated with the medicine. Gastrointestinal symptoms include constipation and nausea. Prochlorperazine maleate can also cause dizziness, blurry eyesight, or a stuffy nose. The medication may also make the patient sleepy, agitated, or insomniac. It can affect menstruation, increase appetite, and affect facial expressions.
The drug is part of the phenothiazine group of antipyschotics. Antipsychotic drugs are known to cause a range of serious side effects. For this reason, prochlorperazine maleate may be prescribed at a low dose initially to lower the risk. Tardive dyskinesia, a condition where the patient suffers from involuntary movements, is a severe side effect that may be irreversible. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is another possibility and can be fatal. This disease affects heart rhythms, locks muscles, and alters the mental state of the patient.
Brand names of prochlorperzine maleate include Compazine® and Compro®. The medication may also be marketed under its scientific name. Prochlorperazine maleate should not be taken by anyone other than the person it is prescribed for.