Prochlorperazine is an anti-sickness medicine. It can help stop you feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting).
You can take prochlorperazine to treat:
- sickness in pregnancy
- feeling dizzy or a spinning sensation (vertigo)
- motion sickness
- feeling sick due to migraines
- sickness caused by general anaesthetics after surgery
- sickness caused by cancer treatment or taking other medicines
- problems with balance such as Ménière's disease
Prochlorperazine is occasionally used to treat anxiety.
It comes as tablets that you swallow and tablets that dissolve in your mouth. It can also be given as an injection, but this is usually done in hospital.
Prochlorperazine tablets are available on prescription. You can also buy tablets in a pharmacy without a prescription to treat nausea and vomiting, but only if you've been previously diagnosed with migraines and are 18 years old or over.
Key facts
- Prochlorperazine starts to work in around 30 to 60 minutes. If you're taking it for Ménière's disease, it will take a few days to work fully.
- Common side effects include feeling sleepy and a dry mouth. They're usually mild and go away by themselves.
- You can usually take prochlorperazine when you need it, up to 3 times a day.
- Only take prochlorperazine long term if your doctor advises it. If you take it for a long time, stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms.
- It's best not to drink alcohol while taking prochlorperazine. It can increase the chance of side effects, such as feeling sleepy.