Compazine and Increased Heart Rate: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2021

"Please, please if you have any type of manic disorder or are prone to have anxiety, please reconsider this drug. This was one of the scariest nights of my life when I was administered this in the ER. Within 15 minutes, I immediately felt off. My body was on fire and I couldn’t stop sweating, and then my heart was racing. I couldn’t control my anxiety. Then, my legs started having spasms and I couldn’t stay still. It felt like the world was closing in and I genuinely remember thinking I was going to die that night. I even tried to rip my own IV out. It amazes me that a medicine like this is still around. I’ve never been in a state of psychosis this badly and I encourage you to please PLEASE really reconsider this drug."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2019

For Anxiety "I went in for a severe migraine. They never told me the side effects. After 15 minutes of it, I thought I was going to jump out of my skin. I was nervous and scared. I had to call my mom crying to come get me out of there. I took my blood pressure cuff off and kept walking to the bathroom and just trying to pace. I had no idea it was the medicine until before I left. I asked what was wrong with me. They told me it was normal effects from this drug. For 24 hours, I had to take 2 Benadryl every 4 hours to keep me knocked out because my heart was racing so hard and thought something was going to happen to me. It’s been 36 hours, and I still have anxiety. This stuff should not be given to anyone. It’s HORRRRRRIBLE!"

• Mar...
• June 7, 2018

For Anxiety "About a year ago, I went in to the ER for nausea and headaches. They gave me Compazine through my IV. Almost instantly, my heart was racing to the point I almost passed out. I was screaming for help. How does one get over the fear of taking medicine once something like this has happened to them?"

• Tha...
• July 18, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "Believe the reviews! Do not under any circumstances, when going to the ER for a migraine/headache, have them give you prochlorperazine through an IV. When it was given, I had an insanely fast heart rate, my skin was crawling, and I literally stood up, asked the nurse to remove my IV, and I paced the hospital nonstop. My wife drove me home, and I literally paced my house for almost 3 days straight as I couldn’t sit still or sleep! It’s been a month since then, and I’m still having PTSD from that incident."

• Sha...
• November 6, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "This was, like many others on here have said, a terrifying ER experience. I was given Compazine for what they thought was a migraine, plus Benadryl because they warned me about the anxiety. Upon giving it to me via IV, I felt a wave of panic enter my body. My heart stopped for a moment. I immediately wanted to get out of the hospital and tried to rip my IV out. I thought that would be the end of it. But it wasn't. I had crippling anxiety over the next 5 days! Yes, FIVE days. I had constant panic attacks where I would have to stop driving and pull over. One time I almost fainted during a meeting and had to go to the clinic. This drug made me dizzy, lightheaded, feeling like I was going to pass out all the time, gave me the strangest head pressure/tingling feeling, heart racing constantly. I will never ever take this drug again. Worst experience."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2017

For Nausea/Vomiting "I went to the ER with nausea, they gave me Compazine immediately. I felt hot and restless. I freaked out, they moved me from the hallway to a room where I became restless and angry. My jaw locked up, and I was shaking uncontrollably. My heart raced, and I felt like I was gonna die. My symptoms lessened after about 8 hours, where I slept off and on. I went to a different ER, and they gave me a small dose of Ativan, but it didn’t make me feel any better. The next day, I still feel panicky, and my heart feels weird, and the shaking comes and goes. I also have horrible diarrhea. Worst experience of my life."

• Kat...
• June 23, 2020

For Nausea/Vomiting "Took this for a migraine cycle, and while it helped with the migraine. When the nurse gave it to me, it made my heart race, and it made me have the worst panic attack. I couldn’t stay still because my legs were restless, and I was extremely hot and loopy. I won’t take this again."

• Mig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "This drug made me feel worse than any drug I ever received. I had a migraine and was at the A&E. It was pure mortal terror from the minute they went into my vein. I had them stop the infusion immediately, but it was too late. My heart rate shot up, and I felt like I was going to die right there on the bed. Sleep came on and off, but not because of being relaxed. More like passing out repeatedly. I slept for 24 hours and still feel pretty horrible the next day."

• Kat...
• October 12, 2019

"I went in to the ER with a headache and numbness in my face, arms, and legs. I was immediately given Benadryl and Compazine. I started to feel very restless. I couldn't stop moving. My heart rate increased, and I felt like I was checking out of reality. All I could feel was sheer panic. I wanted to run around, scream, all I could do was beg everyone to help me. Because of this, I'm afraid to take medicine, and I'm afraid to go back to the ER. I was amazed to see others had similar reactions when I was made to feel crazy during my visit to the ER. I think the people administering these medications should be aware of the side effects and have something readily available to stop the effects or be able to sedate a patient and keep them to prevent them from feeling those effects. I was not in my right mind to choose to go home and feel that I scared my family when I did choose to go home because of how irrational I was feeling/acting."

• Com...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2021

For Anxiety "I went to the ER for a migraine, and they gave me this through my IV. I almost lost my mind. Everything was aggravating me. My heart felt like it was racing, I felt like I wanted to get up and run for miles. This had to be one of the scariest moments of my life. This drug makes you feel like you’re gonna die - there, I said it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2022

For Anxiety "Please do not take this medication. I went to the ER for a week-long migraine. They gave me this along with something else. I can’t take Benadryl, so I refused that. Minutes after it was put in my IV, my heart was in the 140s for hours (I already suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and was already nervous). Mind you, I’m on metoprolol as well, which lowers your heart rate, and even that didn’t bring it down. I was restless to the point of insanity, scared, anxious, and alone, and had a panic attack. I had to call the nurse who sat with me while I was having a full-blown panic attack. He was great, thankfully. After discharge, the panic, fear, and restlessness lasted hours. I couldn’t be alone because I was so scared. I am also sensitive to medication and refuse a lot of stuff due to a bad prior experience with something. This is why I do not trust anything anymore. This drug was horrible, and I recommend you DO NOT take this drug ever."

• sna...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2021

"I went in to the ER on July 17 for a headache, and at 1:50 AM, they gave me a migraine cocktail that had Tylenol, Toradol, and Compazine. Within 10 minutes, I became crazy. My heart started racing, I felt like my chest was on fire, and I was super anxious. I took off my cuff and almost ripped out my IV. I was walking around the room like I was crazy. They discharged me, and I was not able to sleep. I felt off that day, and I ended up going back to the ER, and they gave me Benadryl so I could sleep. It helped me sleep, but I woke up and still feel jittery. It’s now 37 hours since I got Compazine, and I’m still not 100% myself."

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 29, 2022

For Psychosis "I was given Compazine with Toradol in the ER for migraine. Within minutes, I was very fidgety, I couldn’t sit still. I started to feel sheer panic, it was an awful experience. They told me it was common. I got home, felt like I was crawling out of my skin, couldn’t go to sleep, couldn’t sit still, and was convulsing. My heart rate went sky high and my blood pressure, and I generally have low blood pressure. I started crying and couldn’t hardly use my hands and arms, I could barely even walk across the house. My husband ended up taking me back to the ER, where they gave me a 2 mg shot of Ativan. It should’ve knocked me out since I barely take stuff like that. It just took the edge off enough to come home and go to sleep."

• Joj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2022

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was sent to the ER by my GP on Tuesday this week for an irregular ECG. I was feeling completely fine with just a small amount of dizziness. My doctor decided to give me prochlorperazine (Compazine) through my IV. Within 15 minutes, I started to lose my patience. My body started to shake involuntarily. I was becoming aggressive towards my poor partner, who couldn’t understand what was happening. My anxiety was awful!! I begged the nurse to stop the fluids, but she said she was following doctors' orders. I’m 19 years old. It’s been 3 days, and within the first 2 hours, I had vomited, involuntary shakes, high heart rate, and drowsiness. On the second day, I felt better, I had just a bit of a sore stomach from vomiting the day before. And now, on the third day, I’ve been vomiting all afternoon, involuntary shakes, and a tight chest stopping sleep. I’ve been obsessed with reading reviews to find answers to when this will end!"

• Jes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2022

For Nausea/Vomiting "Awful drug. Was given this as part of a “drug cocktail” for vomiting that wouldn’t stop. Just a couple minutes after the nurse put it in my IV, I felt terror like never before. The worst anxiety I’ve ever felt. Couldn’t be still. Jerky movements. I felt like I was coming out of my skin. I literally wanted to rip the IV out and run. My heart rate went up and the nurse was concerned, so the doctor ended up giving me Cogentin, which helped some. It took me days to feel normal again. I now have this on my allergy list. I’m not sure why doctors resort to these “cocktails” for nausea/vomiting instead of giving Zofran. I don’t know why these types of drugs are even still on the market. I understand now why people who suffer from mental illness have a hard time staying on these medications. The side effects are awful."

• 123...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 31, 2021

For Anxiety "About a year ago or so, I went to the hospital for a migraine. I've gone fairly often for migraines. Normally, it's Benadryl, and some fluids (from dehydration), and then I'm good to go. This time they gave me Benadryl and Compazine. Almost immediately, I started panicking. My heart was racing, it was hard to breathe, and I literally thought I was dying. I was in the process of trying to text my loved ones, telling them I loved them. Thanks to COVID, my husband wasn't allowed in, however, my attack had gotten so bad I begged and pleaded for them to let him in with me. The nurse who administered the medicine didn't care that I was freaking out, in fact, all she had said was, 'Well, your headache is gone now, right? Now you have a new problem.' If I could sue the hospital for this and win, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I thought I was dying, and the nurse just shrugged and said, 'Oh well, now you have a new problem.' A year later, and I'm still not normal. Panic attacks are worse and often."

• Jos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2022

For Nausea/Vomiting "I went to the ER for a severe migraine with nausea and stomach pain. I was given an IV cocktail of Toradol, Benadryl, and Compazine. Within 3 minutes of injection, the room went completely black, I thought I was going to faint, a wave of heat overcame my entire body, and my heart rate skyrocketed. I thought I was dying. I had an extreme urge to leave the hospital, I felt that I was not safe. I hit the call button over and over, begging for someone to help me. I was extremely restless, my jaw was chattering, I couldn’t stop moving my legs, I felt like I was crawling out of my skin. The nurses had to perform an EKG on my heart as I started having abnormal heart rhythms. After 20 - 30 minutes, I was able to calm myself down, however, I kept jerking awake with every sound, movement, or voice. I was admitted for observation overnight and hooked up to a heart monitor until I was released. Nurses said these are common side effects after the fact. I will never take Compazine again!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 7, 2020

For Psychosis "Received IV for headache... within seconds, heart rate spiked and raced. Panic attack and out of body experience!! Awful!!"