Compazine

Compazine is a prescription medicine that is used for treating anxiety, schizophrenia, and severe nausea or vomiting. By blocking or lessening the effects of dopamine in the brain, the medication can help improve these conditions. Compazine comes in various forms, including tablets, rectal suppositories, and injections. Some of the most common side effects reported with Compazine include blurred vision, drowsiness, dizziness, and a dry mouth.

 

What Is Compazine?

Part of a group of drugs called phenothiazines, Compazine® (prochlorperazine maleate) is a prescription medicine that has been licensed to treat the following conditions:
 

Who Makes Compazine?

Compazine was originally manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Although brand-name Compazine is no longer being made, generic Compazine is still available. Generic Compazine is made by several different companies.
 
(Click Compazine Uses for more information on what Compazine is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
 

How Does Compazine Work?

Compazine belongs to a group of medications called phenothiazines. When used to treat schizophrenia, it is known as a typical (or first-generation) antipsychotic medication. It is not entirely known exactly how Compazine works. However, it is known that the drug blocks or lessens the effects of dopamine, a chemical in the brain. Dopamine may be elevated in people with schizophrenia or anxiety. Compazine is not a cure for schizophrenia or anxiety; it only helps to control symptoms of these conditions (see Symptoms of Schizophrenia or Anxiety Symptoms).
 
Since dopamine can activate the part of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting, Compazine can treat severe nausea and vomiting by lessening the effects of dopamine in the brain.
 
(Compazine Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;