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Warning!
This medicine may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. You should avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine because it can make drowsiness worse. This medicine can occasionally cause your blood pressure to drop when you move from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, especially when you first start taking the medicine, or if you are elderly. This may make you feel dizzy or unsteady. To avoid this try getting up slowly. If you do feel dizzy, sit or lie down until the symptoms pass. High doses of this medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight than it usually is, so you should avoid exposing your skin to direct sunlight or sunlamps until you know how your skin reacts. If you can't avoid sunlight you should use a sunscreen lotion or make sure your skin is protected with clothing. Chlorpromazine can cause rare but serious contact skin sensitisation in people who regularly handle the medicine. For this reason chlorpromazine tablets should not be broken or crushed and you should avoid any unnecessary contact of the tablets with the skin. It is recommended that you have regular eye examinations if you are taking this medicine for long periods of time, as it can sometimes cause eye problems. Consult your doctor if you experience any disturbances in your vision while taking this medicine. Antipsychotic medicines are associated with an increased risk of getting a blood clot in a vein (deep vein thrombosis) or in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). For this reason, you should consult a doctor immediately if you get any of the following symptoms, which could suggest you have a blood clot: stabbing pains and/or unusual redness or swelling in one leg, pain on breathing or coughing, coughing up blood or sudden breathlessness.
Antipsychotic medicines can sometimes affect the ability of the body to control its core body temperature. This is more likely to be a problem in elderly people and can result in heat stroke in hot temperatures and hypothermia in cold temperatures. It is important to avoid situations that can result in you overheating or getting dehydrated. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more advice. This medicine may rarely cause a decrease in the normal amounts of blood cells in the blood. For this reason you should consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: unexplained bruising or bleeding, purple spots, sore throat, mouth ulcers, high temperature (fever), feeling tired or general illness. Your doctor may want to take a blood test to check your blood cells. Consult your doctor immediately if you experience abnormal body movements, particularly of the face, lips, jaw and tongue, while taking this medicine. These symptoms may be indicative of a rare side effect known as tardive dyskinesia, and your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine, or decrease your dose. Consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms while taking this medicine: high fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, faster breathing and drowsiness or sleepiness. These symptoms may be due to a rare side effect known as the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and your treatment may need to be stopped.
trifluoperazine.
Not to be used in
People in unresponsive unconscious states (comatose states). People with reduced awareness, slow reactions or drowsiness due to medicines or illness that reduce activity in the central nervous system. Severe disease involving the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease). People with a history of a drop in the normal number of blood cells in the blood. This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Label warnings
This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink. Avoid exposure of skin to direct sunlight or sun lamps.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect. Drowsiness. Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity (extrapyramidal effects, dyskinesia or dystonia). Anxiety, restlessness and agitation (akathisia). A drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a lying down or sitting position to
sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension see warning section above). Dry mouth. Blocked nose. Difficulty sleeping (insomnia). Nightmares. High blood prolactin (milk producing hormone) level (hyperprolactinaemia). Sometimes this may lead to symptoms such as breast enlargement, production of milk, stopping of periods or problems getting an erection. Weight gain. Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias). Jaundice (tell your doctor straight away if you notice any yellowing of your eyes or skin while taking this medicine). Skin rashes. Increased sensitivity of the skin to UV light (photosensitivity - see warning section above). Metallic grey/mauve discolouration of the skin and parts of the eyes. Clouding of the lens or cornea in the eyes. Increased blood glucose levels. Tell your doctor if you notice you feel unusually hungry or thirsty, or need to pass urine more often than usual. People with diabetes should monitor their blood sugar closely. Decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood (leucopenia - see warning section above). Interference with the body's temperature regulation (this is more common in elderly people and may cause heat stroke in very hot weather or hypothermia in very cold weather). Rhythmical involuntary movement of the tongue, face, mouth and jaw, which may sometimes be accompanied by involuntary movements of the arms and legs (tardive dyskinesia). See warning section above. High temperature combined with falling levels of consciousness, paleness, sweating and a fast heart beat (neuroleptic malignant syndrome). Requires stopping the medicine and immediate medical treatment - see warning section above. Convulsions. Abnormal blood clot in the blood vessels (venous thromboembolism - see warning section above). The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
strong opioid painkillers, eg morphine, codeine tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline. There may be an increase in side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, confusion or heat stroke (in hot and humid conditions) if chlorpromazine is taken with other medicines that have anticholinergic effects, including the following: anticholinergic medicines for Parkinson's symptoms, eg procyclidine antihistamines, eg brompheniramine, chlorphenamine other antipsychotic medicines other antisickness medicines, eg promethazine, meclozine, cyclizine antispasmodic medicines, eg hyoscine MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine medicines for urinary incontinence, eg oxybutynin, flavoxate, tolterodine, propiverine, trospium muscle relaxants, eg baclofen tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline. Anticholinergic medicines such as procyclidine, which are sometimes used to treat the Parkinson-like side effects of chlorpromazine, may oppose the antipsychotic effect of this medicine. Chlorpromazine may enhance the blood pressure-lowering effects of medicines that lower blood pressure, including medicines used to treat high blood pressure (antihypertensives) and medicines that lower blood pressure as a side effect, eg benzodiazepines. If you are taking medicines that lower blood pressure you should tell your doctor if you feel dizzy or faint after starting treatment with this medicine, as your doses may need adjusting. Medicines that increase the risk of a type of abnormal heart rhythm, seen as a 'prolonged QT interval' on an ECG, should be avoided in combination with chlorpromazine. These medicines include the following: antiarrhythmics (medicines to treat abnormal heart beats), eg amiodarone, procainamide, disopyramide, sotalol the antihistamines astemizole, mizolastine or terfenadine arsenic trioxide atomoxetine certain antidepressants, eg amitriptyline, imipramine, maprotiline certain antimalarials, eg halofantrine, chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, Riamet certain antipsychotics, eg thioridazine, pimozide, sertindole , haloperidol cisapride dronedarone droperidol intravenous erythromycin or pentamidine methadone moxifloxacin saquinavir. There may also be an increased risk of a prolonged QT interval if medicines that can alter the levels of salts such as potassium or magnesium in the blood, eg diuretics such as furosemide, are taken in combination with chlorpromazine. There may be an increased risk of a drop in the number of white blood cells in the blood if chlorpromazine is taken in combination with other medicines that can have this side effect, such as the following: anti-cancer chemotherapy medicines
carbamazepine co-trimoxazole penicillamine phenylbutazone sulphonamides, eg sulfadiazine. Chlorpromazine may oppose the effect of anticonvulsant medicines used to treat epilepsy. Chlorpromazine may increase blood sugar levels and disturb the control of diabetes. People with diabetes may need an adjustment in the dose of their antidiabetic medication. Chlorpromazine may oppose the effects of dopamine agonists used to treat Parkinson's disease, eg levodopa, apomorphine, bromocriptine, cabergoline, pergolide, ropinirole, rotigotine. Chlorpromazine may oppose the effect of histamine (used to treat leukaemia) and is not recommended for people having this treatment. If chlorpromazine is used in combination with propranolol the breakdown of both medicines by the liver may decrease, resulting in increased levels of both medicines in the blood. This could increase the risk of side effects of both medicines. Cimetidine may enhance or reduce the effect of chlorpromazine. Phenobarbital may increase the breakdown of chlorpromazine by the liver and so could make it less effective. Lithium may lower the amount of chlorpromazine in the blood and could make it less effective. There may also be an increased risk of extrapyramidal side effects (abnormal body movements) with this combination. Antacids for indigestion may potentially reduce the absorption of this medicine from the gut and so could make it less effective. To avoid a possible interaction, you should avoid taking antacids within two to three hours of taking this medicine. Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/brain-and-nervoussystem/medicines/chlorpromazine.html#ixzz2mOzQvS3C Follow us: @NetDoctor on Twitter | NetDoctorUK on Facebook