Thorazine Uses (Cont.)

How Thorazine Works

Thorazine belongs to a group of medications called typical (or first-generation) antipsychotic medications. In particular, it is part of a group of medications called phenothiazines. It is not entirely clear how Thorazine works. However, it is known that Thorazine blocks or lessens the effects of dopamine, a chemical in the brain. Dopamine may be elevated in people with schizophrenia. Thorazine is not a cure for schizophrenia; it only helps to control symptoms (see Symptoms of Schizophrenia).
 
Since dopamine can activate the part of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting, Thorazine can treat severe nausea and vomiting by lessening the effects of dopamine in the brain.
 

Thorazine Use in Children

Thorazine is approved to treat behavior problems in children as young as one year old. It can also be used to treat restlessness or worry before surgery, as well as nausea or vomiting, in children. Talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using Thorazine in children.
 

Off-Label Thorazine Uses

On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Thorazine for treating something other than the conditions discussed above. This is called an "off-label" use of the medicine. Some examples of off-label Thorazine uses include the treatment of the following conditions:
 
  • Agitation
  • Dementia
  • Migraine headaches
  • Neonatal abstinence syndrome (withdrawal symptoms in babies born to mothers with drug problems).
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;