Chlorpromazine and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Rac...
• February 6, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Came off Mirtazapine 15 mg cold turkey, which was not a great move. My NS was a mess, propranolol gave me hallucinations as a side effect, as my system was just so hypersensitive. Diazepam just didn't work to settle me down. Ended up in the A and E twice. First time, chest pains, heart fine, blood work fine. Tried to reinstate Mirtazapine (after 11 weeks off), didn't work, felt worse. Back to A and E after 5 days back on the Mirtazapine as I had become suicidal. Then prescribed Chlorpromazine 25 mg, 3 times a day. It's saved my life. Started feeling better after 2 days and settled my system right down. Been on it for 12 days, and apart from a bit of grogginess, I feel amazing. I truly thought I was never going to get better, but I'm improving every day. Was so afraid to try anything because of messing myself up going cold turkey, but it's taken away all fear and paranoia. Please don't ever play around with your meds. I don't want anyone to go through what I experienced for the last 3 months. Chlorpromazine has literally saved my life. God bless."

• bm1...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 20, 2017

For Psychosis "I have struggled with bipolar depression with psychotic features for years. I have tried around 30 medications with no results. My doctor decided to try chlorpromazine to help. The honest truth is it's a lifesaver. Not only do I sleep 8 hours of restful deep sleep, I wake up every morning happy and ready to take on the day. It has helped my depression tremendously and has helped eliminate my psychotic features. The only side effects I have are drowsiness and dizziness, but nothing I can't handle. I take 200 mg at bedtime and will soon ask to raise it to 300 mg. My advice is if you want to be happy, healthy, and sleep great, chlorpromazine is a miracle drug and I could not be more satisfied."

• Dea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2023

Chlorpromazine for Mania "This first-generation old antipsychotic, Thorazine, is the best. Thorazine 25 mg tablet, twice daily, helps with mood severity and skewed thoughts. It stops me from verbal and physical altercations. I don't have any side effects from Thorazine. I take Cogentin to prevent extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). Many doctors say newer second-generation antipsychotics have fewer side effects. However, I developed Tardive Dyskinesia, permanent, involuntary movements of my tongue from Latuda, a newer second-generation antipsychotic, in less than 6 months. Latuda gave me high prolactin levels, stopping my menstruation and making my breasts enlarged, growing out of my bra, 2 sizes larger. My doctor put me on Vitamin B6, 200-250 mg, 3 times per day to bring my menstruation back. I failed Vraylar, which gave me anxiety; Geodon, and drooling while awake; Abilify, a 60 lbs weight gain; Fanapt, chest pain; Caplyta, is too sedating; and Invega is ineffective. Thorazine and 2 mood stabilizers, Trileptal and Lamictal, work."

• Lau...
• February 14, 2015

Chlorpromazine for Nausea/Vomiting "After having surgery for gastric reflux and a major hernia, I was unable to keep anything down, including water. My Dr. tried me on Zofran, Scopolamine patch, and Phenergan with barely any effect. He eventually brought me back in to get some IV fluids into me. That was when he tried me on Thorazine. It works wonderfully on my vomiting. The only problem I have with it at all is that it makes me so drowsy, understatement-it knocks me out. But it was worth it to be able to get something down so I didn't get dehydrated again."

• sta...
• July 26, 2016

Chlorpromazine for Light Sedation "I have been on Thorazine since 1996. I take 1000 mg a day. The doctor keeps increasing it too. It is the only thing he will give me to sleep. I was on Klonopin 1 mg before I started the Thorazine, and it worked great, but my doctor said he doesn't want me to take it anymore because it is a narcotic, so he took it away and doubled my Thorazine. He also put me on Seroquel 200 mg twice a day. The only thing is I can't do much but lay around all day. I don't like the Seroquel, but he said it's better than Klonopin for me and the Thorazine dose is getting too high."

• Tyl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 4, 2025

Chlorpromazine "Before I started this medication, I was on a road straight to death. I was trying to overdose on my medication and once reached a lithium toxicity of 3.8 on one of my attempts. I also was going to the mental hospital every 2 weeks for a total of 8 times in a year period. When I started this medication, I realized it made me a bit drowsy, but I was able to stay on it, it wasn’t like a Seroquel drowsy, it was way less drowsy than that, but drowsy. I started on the 50 mg and then ended up on 200 mg. But I cut back down to 50 mg due to having jobs that require pace and stuff like that. This medication was the only medication to truly stabilize me, my bipolar is truly terrible. I was taking showers maybe once every week or 2 weeks, but now I take showers every day, sometimes 2 showers a day. I’m also really into self-care, where when I wasn’t taking this medication, I had extreme problems with self-care. This medication is seriously the best medicine I’ve ever been on for bipolar."