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Chlorpromazine Coupon - Chlorpromazine 25mg tablet

chlorpromazine

Generic Thorazine
Used for Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Nausea, Porphyria, Schizophrenia

Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic medication that has many different uses. It's usually given as an oral medication, but in severe cases it can be given as an injection by your provider.

Reviewed by:
reviewerHope Chang, PharmD, AAHIVP
reviewerAllison Gourley, PharmD
Last reviewed on January 5, 2022
basics-icon

What is Chlorpromazine?

What is Chlorpromazine used for?

  • Management of psychotic disorders
  • Schizophrenia
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Restlessness and anxiety before surgery
  • Acute intermittent porphyria
  • Tetanus
  • Manic episodes of bipolar disorder
  • Hiccups that won't go away
  • Severe behavioral issues in children 1 to 12 years old (e.g., aggressive behavior, frustration, explosive or hyperexcitable behavior)

How Chlorpromazine works

Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic medication. It works by controlling dopamine activity in your brain, which affects your thoughts and mood. It also helps relax you and lowers nausea and vomiting.

Drug facts

Common BrandsThorazine(brand no longer available)
Drug ClassFirst Generation (Typical) Antipsychotic
Controlled Substance ClassificationNot a controlled medication
Generic StatusLower-cost generic available
AvailabilityPrescription only
side-effects-icon

Side effects of Chlorpromazine

The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.

Common Side Effects

  • Drowsiness
  • Uncontrollable muscle movements (e.g., neck spasms, difficulty swallowing and breathing, sticking your tongue out)
  • Dry mouth
  • Stuffy nose
  • Nausea
  • Constipation
  • Bladder problems

Less Common Side Effects

  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Skin and eye color changes
  • Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
  • Breast growth and milk production
  • Fever
  • Weight gain
  • Big appetite

Chlorpromazine serious side effects

Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.

  • Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: high fever, fast heart rate, full body stiffness, and confusion
  • Very low blood pressure
  • Seizures

Source: DailyMed

The following Chlorpromazine side effects have also been reported

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Phenothiazines can sometimes cause serious unwanted effects. Tardive dyskinesia or tardive dystonia (muscle movement disorders) may occur and may not go away after you stop using the medicine. Signs of tardive dyskinesia or tardive dystonia include worm-like movements of the tongue, or other uncontrolled movements of the mouth, tongue, cheeks, jaw, body, arms, or legs. Another possible serious unwanted effect is the neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Signs and symptoms of NMS include severe muscle stiffness, fever, fast heartbeat, difficult breathing, increased sweating, and loss of bladder control. You and your doctor should discuss the good this medicine will do as well as the risks of taking it.

Stop taking this medicine and get emergency help immediately if any of the following effects occur:

Rare

Symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Confusion (severe) or coma

difficult or fast breathing

drooling

fast heartbeat

high or low (irregular) blood pressure

increased sweating

loss of bladder control

muscle stiffness (severe)

trembling or shaking

trouble in speaking or swallowing

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Inability to move eyes

increased blinking or spasms of eyelid

lip smacking or puckering

muscle spasms of face, neck, body, arms, or legs causing unusual postures or unusual expressions on face

puffing of cheeks

rapid or worm-like movements of tongue

sticking out of tongue

tic-like or twitching movements

trouble in breathing, speaking, or swallowing

uncontrolled chewing movements

uncontrolled movements of arms or legs

uncontrolled twisting movements of neck, trunk, arms, or leg

Rare

Irregular or slow heart rate

recurrent fainting

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Blurred vision, change in color vision, or difficulty in seeing at night

fainting

loss of balance control

mask-like face

restlessness or need to keep moving

shuffling walk

stiffness of arms or legs

trembling and shaking of hands and fingers

Less common

Difficulty in urinating

skin rash

sunburn (severe)

Rare

Abdominal or stomach pains

aching muscles and joints

agitation, bizarre dreams, excitement, or trouble in sleeping

bleeding or bruising (unusual

chest pain

clumsiness

confusion (mild)

constipation (severe)

convulsions (seizures)

dark urine

fever and chills

hair loss

headaches

hot, dry skin or lack of sweating

itchy skin (severe)

muscle weakness

nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

pain in joints

prolonged, painful, inappropriate erection of the penis

redness of hands

shivering

skin discoloration (tan or blue-gray)

sore throat and fever

sores in mouth

unusual bleeding or bruising

unusual tiredness or weakness

yellow eyes or skin

Phenothiazines may cause your urine to be dark. In most cases, this is not a sign of a serious problem. However, if your urine does become dark, discuss it with your doctor.

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Constipation (mild)

decreased sweating

dizziness

drowsiness

dryness of mouth

nasal congestion

Less common

Changes in menstrual period

decreased sexual ability

increased sensitivity of eyes to light

rough or “fuzzy” tongue

secretion of milk (unusual)

swelling or pain in breasts

watering of mouth

weight gain (unusual)

After you stop using this medicine, your body may need time to adjust. The length of time this takes depends on the amount of medicine you were using and how long you used it. During this time, check with your doctor if you notice dizziness, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, trembling of the fingers and hands, or any of the following signs of tardive dyskinesia or tardive dystonia:

Inability to move eyes

lip smacking or puckering

muscle spasms of face, neck, body, arms, or legs, causing unusual body positions or unusual expressions on face

puffing of cheeks

rapid or worm-like movements of tongue

sticking out of tongue

tic-like or twitching movements

trouble in breathing, speaking, or swallowing

uncontrolled chewing movements

uncontrolled twisting or other movements of neck, trunk, arms, or legs

Although not all of the side effects listed above have been reported for all of the phenothiazines, they have been reported for at least one of them. However, since all of the phenothiazines are very similar, any of the above side effects may occur with any of these medicines.

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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pros-and-cons-icon

Pros and cons of Chlorpromazine

Pros

  • Available as a tablet and injection
  • Dose can be easily adjusted based on how you respond to the medication
  • Can be used in young children 6 months and older
  • Available in 5 different strengths
  • Available as a lower-cost generic

Cons

  • Higher risk of death when used in older adults with dementia-related psychosis
  • Generally not recommended for use in pregnancy
  • Can cause withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly
  • Needs to be taken multiple times a day
  • Can cause weight gain and tiredness
pharmacist-tips-icon

Pharmacist tips for Chlorpromazine

pharmacist
  • Take chlorpromazine exactly as directed by your provider. Your dose might change over time, especially in the beginning as your provider finds the right dose for your needs.
  • Drowsiness is a common side effect during the first two weeks. After that, it typically goes away on its own. Don't drive or do anything that requires you to focus until you know how this medication affects you.
  • Don't stop taking chlorpromazine unless directed by your provider. Suddenly stopping the medication after taking high doses for a long time can lead to unpleasant effects. Your provider might want you to lower your dose slowly over time.
  • Antipsychotic medications like chlorpromazine can cause movement problems and other conditions when used for a long period of time. Have regular follow up visits with your provider so they can monitor for side effects.
faq-icon

Common questions about Chlorpromazine

At high doses, chlorpromazine is sedating (makes you sleepy) and has a calming effect in hospitalized mental health patients. At typical doses, chlorpromazine causes some sedation and drowsiness, but this is usually just for the first few weeks as your body gets used to the medication.

Yes, chlorpromazine is still available and used for a number of conditions. It's not used as often as newer antipsychotic medications, which have less side effects and only need to be taken once a day.

Chlorpromazine helps with anxiety right before surgery, but it's usually just taken as one dose. It's not routinely used as an anti-anxiety medication.

No, there's no specific antidote (cure) for chlorpromazine overdose. Symptoms of overdose include severe sleepiness, low blood pressure, movement problems, heart problems, and even a coma in some cases. Get medical help right away if you accidentally take too much chlorpromazine. There's no antidote, but the medical team can provide treatment to stabilize or fix the effects from taking too much medication.

It's not clear why the manufacturer stopped making the brand name Thorazine product. It's possible that it wasn't used as often as the lower-cost generic options.

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warnings-icon

Risks and warnings for Chlorpromazine

Chlorpromazine can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.

Higher risk of death in people age 65 and older with dementia

  • Risk factors: Age 65 and older with dementia and psychosis

Black Box Warning People over the age of 65 who also have dementia sometimes have some of the symptoms of schizophrenia, like hallucinations and delusions. This is called dementia-related psychosis, and it should not be treated with chlorpromazine. If chlorpromazine is used for dementia-related psychosis, it can cause death. Let your provider know if you or your loved one has dementia before starting chlorpromazine.

Difficulty controlling movements

  • Risk factors: Age 65 and older | Females aged 65 and older | Taking chlorpromazine for a long time | Taking high doses

Antipsychotic medications like chlorpromazine can cause a movement condition called tardive dyskinesia (TD). Common symptoms of TD include uncontrollable facial movements such as blinking or sticking out your tongue. It happens more often to older adults, especially older women, but can happen to anyone. Let your provider know if this starts to happen to you or a loved one if you're a caregiver. Sometimes TD will go away if chlorpromazine is stopped or the dose is lowered.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Chlorpromazine can cause a rare but life-threatening condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Symptoms include high fever, fast heart rate, full body stiffness, and confusion. Get medical attention right away if you notice any of these symptoms. Your healthcare provider will likely find you another medication that will work better for you.

Changes in blood cell counts

  • Risk factors: History of low white blood cell counts

Chlorpromazine can lower the number of white blood cells you have. White blood cells help your body to fight off infections and diseases. If you notice a fever or that you're getting sick more easily, let your provider know right away because they might have you stop taking this medication. Talk to your provider if you think you're getting sick more often.

High prolactin levels

Chlorpromazine can cause prolactin hormone levels in your blood to go up. High prolactin levels can lead to a milky substances being released from the nipple, enlarged breasts, sexual dysfunction, absent or irregular menstrual periods, and weak bones. Your provider might do regular blood tests to make sure that your prolactin levels are in a healthy range.

dosage-icon

Chlorpromazine dosage

The average cost for 90 tablets of 25mg of Chlorpromazine is $38.50 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 89.28% off the average retail price of $359.24.
bottle of oral concentrateBottle of oral concentrate
DosageQuantityPrice as low asPrice per unit
120ml of 30mg/ml1 bottle$154.34$154.34
240ml of 100mg/ml1 bottle$624.50$624.50
tabletTablet
DosageQuantityPrice as low asPrice per unit
25mg90 tablets$38.50$0.43
50mg60 tablets$36.34$0.61
10mg90 tablets$31.03$0.34
200mg30 tablets$36.74$1.22
100mg60 tablets$40.63$0.68

Typical dosage for Chlorpromazine

The dose varies depending on the condition you're taking chlorpromazine for. In general, the typical dose ranges from 10 mg to 50 mg by mouth two to four times a day. If you're taking chlorpromazine for restlessness and anxiety before surgery, the typical dose is 25 mg to 50 mg by mouth once, 2 to 3 hours before your procedure.

Chlorpromazine is also available as an intramuscular (IM) or intravenous (IV) injection that is administered by a healthcare professional.

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Interactions between Chlorpromazine and other drugs

Chlorpromazine may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements) that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Chlorpromazine. Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

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How much does Chlorpromazine cost?

To access savings, use a GoodRx coupon and pay just a fraction of the retail price.
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contraindications-icon

Chlorpromazine contraindications

Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Chlorpromazine will not be safe for you to take.

  • Phenothiazine allergy
  • Taking large doses of sedatives or medications that cloud your thinking (e.g., alcohol, barbiturates, narcotics)
  • Coma
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What are alternatives to Chlorpromazine?

There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Chlorpromazine. Compare a few possible alternatives below.
Chlorpromazine
Used for:
  • Management of psychotic disorders
  • Schizophrenia
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Restlessness and anxiety before surgery
  • Acute intermittent porphyria
  • Tetanus
  • Manic episodes of bipolar disorder
  • Hiccups that won't go away
  • Severe behavioral issues in children 1 to 12 years old (e.g., aggressive behavior, frustration, explosive or hyperexcitable behavior)
$31.03Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
Used for:
  • Psychotic and behavioral disorders
  • Tourette syndrome in adults and children
  • Hyperactivity in children
$7.48Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
Used for:
$9.00Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
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Chlorpromazine images

Orange Round Gg 476 And 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is Orange, Round Tablet Imprinted With "25" And "Gg 476".Orange Round Gg 476 And 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
Orange Round Sz 202 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is Orange, Round Tablet Imprinted With "Sz 202".Orange Round Sz 202 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
White Round 832 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is White, Round Tablet Imprinted With "832 25".White Round 832 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
White Round 832 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is White, Round Tablet Imprinted With "832 25".White Round 832 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
Brown Round 11 And 30 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is Brown, Round Tablet Imprinted With "11" And "30".Brown Round 11 And 30 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
Blue Round M And 804 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is Blue, Round Tablet Imprinted With "804" And "M".Blue Round M And 804 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
Green Round Logo And 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is Green, Round Tablet Imprinted With "Logo" And "25".Green Round Logo And 25 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
White Round J2 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is White, Round Tablet Imprinted With "J2".White Round J2 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
White Round B2 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is White, Round Tablet Imprinted With "B2".White Round B2 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
Yellow Round C2 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet
This medicine is Yellow, Round Tablet Imprinted With "C2".Yellow Round C2 - Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 25mg Tablet

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