Health Encyclopedia
Compazine overdose
Definition
Compazine overdose is poisoning from swallowing a large amount of prochlorperazine (Compazine), a drug used to treat severe nausea and vomiting.
Poisonous Ingredient
Prochlorperazine
Where Found
- Buccastem
- Compazine
- Spansule
- Stemetil
Symptoms
- Whole body
- Hypothermia (body temperature is lower than normal)
- Fever
- Bladder and kidneys
- Inability to completely empty the bladder
- Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat
- Nasal congestion
- Blurred vision
- Yellow eyes
- Drooling
- Dry mouth
- Muscles and joints
- Muscle spasms
- Stiff muscles in neck, face, or back
- Skin
- Rash
- Yellow skin
- Gastrointestinal
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty swallowing
- Heart and blood
- Low blood pressure (severe)
- Rapid heartbeat
- Convulsions
- Nervous system
- Drowsiness
- Coma
- Disorientation
- Tremor
- Uncoordined movement
- Weakness
- Reproductive system
- Changes in menstrual patterns
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following information:
- Patient's age, weight, and condition
- The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
- When it was swallowed
- The amount swallowed
- If the medication was prescribed for the patient
Poison Control
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
See National Poison Control center.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:
- Medicines to treat symptoms
- Medicines to make the person throw up
- Activated charcoal
- Laxative
- Fluids
- A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
Outlook (Prognosis)
Recovery depends on the damage done by the overdose. Survival past 2 days is usually a good sign.
Reviewed By: Janeen R. Azare, PhD, MSPH, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
