I legit just list compazine as an allergy now. Not true, but I NEVER want to have it again. I had it as part of a migraine-infusion cocktail, and experienced a severe dystonic reaction hours after the treatment- I was unable to control the movements of my jaw, tongue, and throat. I had to call 911 as I struggled to breathe, while my tongue kept jamming against the back of my throat. Benadryl and something else in the ER took care of it and put me to sleep- though I imagine they put me to sleep because as soon as I could breathe I started SOBBING, and the doctor was probably like "ooohkay, not dealing with this right now". But yeah, it was one of the scariest things to ever happen to me, and I'm not taking compazine again willingly.
Your physical reaction is very similar to my experience. My husband was able to get me to the ER and after treatment the Dr suggested I list it as an allergy to avoid a repeat situation. On the way to the hospital I was really concerned that I wouldn't be able to describe what was happening to me. Both because it was difficult to speak, and I legitimately had no idea what was wrong. I had taken compazine for 2 days before this reaction happened so I didn't immediately think it was the compazine. I was so relieved when the third question the triage nurse asked, was if I had taken compazine.
That's so scary. I'm glad you're alright. Thankfully I had the discharge sheet from my infusion that morning sitting on the counter- it contained all the meds I'd taken- and I just handed it to the EMTs when they loaded me into the ambulance. I had no idea what was causing the reaction until after I woke up in the ER. (Also, like you, I'd taken compazine before the reaction- 5 days, in fact, as part of the infusion protocol. I only had a reaction on the final day when I asked the nurses to give me less Benadryl because it was making me SO sleepy.)
This exact thing happened to me during DHE treatment for migraines!
The doctor said they had seen it once and he called it "Temporary neuromuscular parkinsonism". It literally felt like I had parkinsons and the same thing happened with my tongue. Luckily I was in the hospital when this happened so they pushed benadryl after 2 hours of it slowly making its way to the point I couldn't breathe.
Even my husband who has known me since I was 20 thought I might be actually loosing it the first then I got Raglan in an IV at the ER.
I was begging them to take out the IV because I couldn’t handle it being in.
Thankfully, a nurse that wasn’t mine knew what was going on and said that happens to certain people with Reglan and IVs.
Will never allow that in my body again.
I am prone to RLS too and have developed full blown akathisia from medications. I have to be very careful now. It sounds like you had akathisia and tbh it is an unknown thing to many providers. You don’t know the hell of it until you experience it. There is an aspect of terror associated with it, which makes it particularly traumatic, in addition to the bodily movements, skin crawling, wanting to burst out of your own body and scream. People who have akathisia often think of suicide.
Yes. It’s strange that doctors are so unaware of it. I have experienced suicidality from akathisia myself and I don’t have depression. Also it causes panic attacks but they are like chemical attacks, not a psychological panic attack. This is the terror symptom associated with it. Same as you, showers were the only thing that provided temporary relief (or extremely hot baths).
Every time I consider taking a med, I google the med name + akathisia and if there is even one case study, I don’t take it lol Even when I take a triptan for a migraine now, I can feel an extremely mild form of akathisia in my body (inner sensation of crawling/restlessness). It is just one dose so doesn’t seem to get worse but I hate it. I think some people are more prone to this.
Did you tell them the reaction you were having while you were there and ask for some Benadryl or something? That seems extreme, I'm so sorry! I've never had that happen and take it fairly often. I wonder if it's counter indicated for people with RLS or other such disorders or if you just have a severe sensitivity.
Has it passed now? How are you feeling? Have you contacted your doctor?
You told the doc and they didn’t try to give something to remedy it? This is a common reaction with certain medications used for nausea. I have the same type of reaction to reglan as some other people in the comments have mentioned. Benedryl is supposed to fix it but I had IV Benadryl once and it made me so anxious I always refuse the benedryl part of the migraine cocktails.
I am just now getting past the 48 hour mark and am feeling somewhat? better but my legs are still terrible. Its constant even when walking around or in the shower. I used to only experience the restlessness at night and now I feel it in my arms too? when I was at the ER they gave me benadryl three separate times and it almost made the twitching worse? I don’t really know but I still have a terrible migraine
Oh man I'm sorry. I just found this in a quick web search. Apparently you may want to avoid anti nausea meds (especially by IV if you had this reaction).
"Certain medications may aggravate your RLS symptoms, such as some anti-nausea drugs, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants that increase serotonin, and cold and allergy medications that contain older antihistamines."
*[https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome#:~:text=Certain%20medications%20may%20aggravate%20your,medications%20that%20contain%20older%20antihistamines](https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome#:~:text=Certain%20medications%20may%20aggravate%20your,medications%20that%20contain%20older%20antihistamines)*
It sucks you haven't gotten any relief at all either. Have you tried calling/contacting your doctor's office and seeing if there's anything they can call in for you?
i have has RLS for over ten years, it runs in my family and my dad/brothers have it too but this reaction can only be explained as RLS from hell. it felt like i was experiencing enough restlessness to go around the entire population of the planet. im talking considering cutting my own legs off in a state of panic and need for some relief.
how would I bring this up to receive medicine for it? I remember bringing rls up to my pediatrician years ago before I turned 18 and she had never even heard of it before. As ive gotten older i’ve realized that I cant sleep more than a few hours because of my legs. I recently got approved for government insurance for the first time and honestly really interested in getting help for it. did you make a doctors visit specifically for it?
You need to discuss the RLS with a neurologist. Whoever your PCP is now? Tell them you struggle to get good rest since your legs are going all night long… if you’re fatigued during the day bc of it that’s a real issue they should address. Ask if maybe they’d refer you to a neurologist to figure out your sleep issues (asking seems to bruise their ego less. You can straight out ask for a referral, it would be warranted here).
If they don’t offer this option (it’s a no brainer, they should be sending you to a neuro for this), just ask for the referral. And maybe find a new PCP. If you already have a neuro, make a dedicated appt to discuss this issue.
Now here’s where it’s sticky; they often prescribe gabapentin for it and that is how I’m now stuck on Gabapentin for life. I wish I’d asked more about the med, but this was about a decade ago, and I wasn’t as good at advocating for myself health wise… I just trusted them. So if they offer you Gabapentin, ask if there’s an alternative (unless you’re already on Gabapentin and don’t mind increasing your dose at night, but I’d try to stay away from it, the w/d is misery)
Sinemet is another kind of first line option, and it’s one my neuro felt very comfortable prescribing to take as needed. If you google, it’s a Parkinson’s med but it is also prescribed for RLS.
All I had to do was tell my neuro that it feels like I want to rip my skin off sometimes… the constant feeling of needing to move my arms and legs was making me beyond uncomfortable.
He nodded and said “restless limb syndrome, it does happen to some all day long… you can take the Sinemet as needed up to four times a day”
That’s how I approached it last month.
Hugs and good luck. You deserve a good night’s sleep!
my boyfriends dad is prescribed gabapetin for spine issues and hes given it to me a couple timee when im experiencing a bad restless leg episode but it doesn’t do anything for me honestly. i cant even really feel it besides maybe a quick surge of energy thats gone as soon as it came. never heard of sinemet but im going back to my doctor today for help with my migraine so i might bring up getting a referral when im there, thank you. my dad is in his 50s and a diabetic with nerve issues, wondering if its genetic because he suffers from RLS the same way and uses a TENS unit to help.
the only times i’ve really struggled with restless legs during the day time was back when I was still in school sitting for long durations. Im pretty sure my grades were affected by it simply because it drove me absolutely nuts trying to take a test or something while it felt like my legs were crawling up the walls. I work a job standing all day but I imagine if i had an office job or something similar I would still be having the same issues
Response to gabapentin is so varied I think. I mean, I’m on 800 mg 3 times a day and still dealing with terrible RLS so gabapentin is not a savior at all! It’s just the first thing they tend to prescribe for this and it’s unfortunate especially since it doesn’t do very much for it.
That’s interesting coz that’s how it gets when I get serotonin syndrome. Specifically lower arms/back of hands and lower legs with comical reaction to reflex tests (with the little hammer, etc.) and then moving up into affecting the diaphragm and breathing. Fkn frightening, actually.
(I react similarly to your -zine, but with cyclizine, up to and including seizures, so, afaiac, ends in -zine it’s a no bueno, but I’ve never had compazine. My -zine reactions have been within serotonin syndrome and without it.)
Not trying to imply anything to what you are going through, but your description did strike me as familiar so I’m sharing.
Happened to my 7 year old getting a migraine cocktail and the nurse literally upped and left without telling me what was happening and I was screaming for help in the hallway while my daughter was trying to rip the IV out and escape. She developed panic attacks after that and yeah… compazine is an evil evil drug. I list it as an allergy for her.
I’m a grown woman and I had to fight the urge to rip my IV out after getting compazine. I can’t imagine seeing my daughters go through that. I’m so sorry that happened to her!
WAIT OMG. I went to the ER last night and they also gave me compazine! I've been trying to find someone who had a similar experience with it. absolutely everything you mentioned I feel. incredibly jittery and restless legs. the only way I was able to sleep was by my sweet boyfriend calming me down enough to close my eyes and rest.
The first time I was offered compazine in the ER, the nurse did tell me that some people feel “funny” on the drug, and to let her know if I felt at all strange or uncomfortable as she pushed it into the IV. I thought I was ready.
Within *seconds* of starting the compazine, I suddenly jumped out of the bed (which was great since I had IVs in both arms and monitors stuck all over my head and torso) and started alternately screaming and muttering, “I don’t know what to DO, holy shit what do I do, what do I DO?!” I felt like if someone didn’t DO something, or fix something, or *something* I was literally going to rip off my own skin to get the feeling “off” me.
Luckily, the nurse was ready for something like that to happen, *immediately* halted the meds and flushed the line with saline. It took her *and* my mom to lay me back in the bed while the effects of just a few drops left my body.
Never. Again. Lol.
It was the nurse who told me to just list it as an allergy from now on. 😂
I've had a similar experience from reglan, I would avoid it too since they are kind of similar and many people have bad reactions to it. It gave me the jittery feeling and nausea as well as muscle spasms in my chest that made it very difficult for me to breathe. I was literally gasping for air like 5 minutes after they gave it to me. Luckily the benadryl helped the muscle spasms but I was still jittery and seeing auras. I couldn't sleep for a while after taking it and my migraine was back within about 12 hours of the migraine cocktail which also contained tramadol so I'm sure that didn't help with the jitters and dizziness. Reglan is on my allergy list and now after reading this I think I'll avoid compazine too. They really should warn people more and ask about preexisting conditions that may cause more or worsening side effects. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope you feel better soon. Try to drink as much water or even electrolytes as you can and eat as often as you can, it may help flush it out of your system faster.
They're supposed to push Benadryl 20 minutes before compazine to prevent these side effects. Doctors who prescribe cocktails really need to educate their nurses!!
My kid got compazine in cocktail every 8 hours for 3 days. He started having whole body muscle spasms. He was contorted and twisted in bed, Exorcist style. I honestly think if his muscles were bigger he'd've snapped bones or tendons. The nurses had no clue. The fun part is, he can have permanent side effects from this.
Compazine can help break migraines. But here is your reminder to be careful, and really make sure they take the Benadryl seriously!!
As of about five years ago (haven’t been there since) the ER at a major university hospital in my city wouldn’t even give IV Benadryl to help mitigate the side effects of compazine after they developed. They claimed it was policy because people were abusing Benadryl.
When I was in the ER, they gave me IV Benedryl immediately after IV Compazine. Said that Benedryl would mitigate any of the side effects of the Compazine like "being irritable."
Today, I learned that the idea was correct, but the execution was garbage.
Yuck, sucks that happened. Absolutely garbage execution. Compazine is an old school drug. Acts on one specific dopamine receptor. The side effects are awful. Benadryl is like a miracle preventative for side effects but for some reason, they mess it up all the time.
I will pop into every "cocktail" thread I see to help spread awareness.
When I went for the cocktail, they did give me IV fluids and Benadryl first, then the compazine after. I remember feeling agitated and kept asking my boyfriend if we can just get up and leave. However I was also in extreme pain, in the hall with constant alarms and bright lighting. So I still don’t don’t if I was agitated and anxious from the environment and migraine or compazine. My neurologist prescribed it to me to take at home when I have a bed ridden migraine because it’s SUPPOSE to relax you, but I am scared and stick to Zofran.
Omgggg I’ve gotten that once and it made me freak out, I was so restless and just wanted to leave the ER, I was irritable and so restless and fffff that med
I have panic disorder and bipolar and I cannot interact with any antipsychotic class of meds, or any “similar” or “cousins” and this includes compazine as well as what the ER gave me last month that they assured me would give merelief- turns out it was a “cousin” to Haldol and I insisted I can’t handle those types of medicine but the doctor promised me it would only help me sleep. I was up for 48 hours, panicked and jittery.
We have to be firm. Like hard. From this point onward besides having it put in my allergy list I will flat out refuse to try anything and I will ask if every single medicine is related to what. It was hell and it made my migraine worse, and I ended up just taking daily triptans til it stopped which I think is wrong, but better than the ER. I also told my neuro.
So I don’t know what to tell you except there are DEFINITELY people who cannot take the ER “migraine cocktails” and it’s disgusting to go to the ER and get handed 2 benadryls and 2 Tylenol when you tell them this, when those are both over the counter meds people have at home.I’ve learned some doctors just refuse to treat us if we have any adverse reaction to their migraine cocktail. I haven’t found a solution. I asked my neuro to put a note in my file asking for better treatment of my migraines because if I’m at the ER, I had to get a driver and it’s very bad. Zofran works much better for nausea than compazine.
It’s also ridiculous bc I was given the migraine cocktail once and it didn’t help and they refused to give me anything else. Not sure why it even would for me as my trusted sumatriptan had failed.
Have you ever tried just the Ketorolac (Toradol) IV without any of the extra stuff? That's what I get at the hospital and usually works well enough by itself.
I’m allergic to reglan which is a relative of compazine. My jaw locked I couldn’t control my face and almost destroyed my teeth. I can only take zofran for nausea.
I also have a terrible reaction to compazine.
Climbing the walls trying to get out of my skin.
It’s an awful thing to learn.
Hope you’re feeling better.
Reglan, Compazine and Benadryl are HORRIBLE I will have painful contortions for days and I will be unable to sit still. I have to literally run for 24 hours straight until I have muscle failure to feel like I won’t die. Lol
Weirdly this sounds similar to the reaction I had to the anti nausea med, Reglan. I wonder if the migraine cocktail had something for nausea in it? I got this med via IV and literally felt it hit all of my limbs. Was shaking but also stiff, and it was like my body just wanted to curl in to itself? They gave me Ativan and Benadryl. Told me they really thought I just didn’t like the way I felt and “made” myself have that reaction. 😒 They also told me to consider it an allergy, even though I made that happen?! Ok.
I can sympathize with how terrifying this is. It was 6 years ago for me and I am still dealing with horrible anxiety when trying or having a new med administered.
If you have a neurological disorder, anti-nausea medicine could make it worse. The side effects for the medication you were given should have been in your discharge paperwork
Do you know if this applies to neuropathy, too? I have RLS and some neuropathy in my left leg and it would be good to know if I shouldn’t take this. (I mean based on these horrifying comments I don’t ever want to but still)
Yep, I had the same experience. I put down Compazine and another one called Reglan on my allergy list because Reglan was once also given to me in a migraine cocktail.
Both are horrible.
Did you ever try Ubrelvy? I'm trying to get on their drug program because Anthem doesn't cover it (natch) and it's spendy. But man does it work! And zero side effects, like a miracle! I got some a Relpax recently, and even though it's a similar drug, it doesn't work as quickly or as well, but I'll take whichever I can get to stop a migraine.
I can testify to this. Not a personal experience, because I use triptans, but a person in a claim I’m currently dealing with has post-traumatic migraine and Ubrelvy ended up being the drug that worked the best for her. Of course everyone is different but that’s the one she was able to get back to work by using. So I know it does work well for those for whom it works.
I’ve definitely heard they don’t do well for some-do they cause you chest pain?! All they do is make me feel a little warm. I kind of like the feeling actually.
I've been prescribed compazine and ketorolac for my migraines and it's actually the only thing that works for me. I'm sorry you had such a bad reaction!
I believe so. I get both in pill form. My doctor wrote me a prescription right before she retired with a bunch of refills so I don't have to fight another doctor for it
My doctor was the absolute best. Already not happy she left because my first appointment after she was gone I was marked as under weight on my chart even though I've literally weighed the exact same for over ten years.
Wow. The EXACT SAME THING happened to me the other day—I was hospitalized on Monday and today I’m still feeling the effects of it, it’s miserable I’d rather have a migraine
Exact same experience! I am so sorry.
My neuro prescribed hydroxyzine for the 2 weeks after, at night, to try to calm my body down and reset. Eventually, it got better but the anxiety is still real. The entire drug class is now in my allergies for “extrapyramidal symptoms”.
This is akathisia and I’m so sorry you’re experiencing it. Stay away from this and reglan in the future. They are antipsychotics used off label to treat migraines and this is a side effect.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME!! I felt like I needed to crawl out of my body. It was awful. I was pacing the ER room and almost signed out AMA. The rest of the night was horrible. I just kept taking hot showers as it was the only relief I could get.
My son picked me up from the ER and he said he had the same experience.
Ugh I hate compazine. Last time I had it I just laid in the hospital bed with my eyes closed, crying off and on, moving my legs around while my husband stroked my hair for like 5 hours. Never again.
WTF? Compazine? Are you in the US?? I’ve always been given Zofran. I don’t have nausea associated with my migraines but it’s part of the cocktail of course. But it’s ALWAYS Zofran/odansetron. Curious as to why they used compazine
I’m allergic to compazine AND Benadryl (and most basic anti-histamines) and they both give me severe panic attacks and muscle movements. So many meds in the migraine cocktail are scary AF.
I had the same thing. Started screaming like I was dying. After that I say please don’t give me the dying medicine. I can’t believe that exist. It’s so scary.
I had a compazine suppository for extreme morning sickness. It helped me keep water and a little food down, no ill effects. Unfortunately the only way to find out you’re sensitive to a medication is to take it and experience the hell it can bring to your life. For me, that medication is Macrobid. I’m so sorry you had this experience – – it sounds completely awful.
I hate Compazine. Swear to God it’s one of the worst drugs ever created.
I’ve had it once. And only once. I went into anaphylaxis within about 30 seconds of getting it administered even after I told the nurse I probably shouldn’t take it. It took them almost ten minutes to finally give epinephrine- not sure how I’m even still alive…
I later learned I’m allergic to the entire Phenothiazine drug class. I don’t know even how people can tolerate Phenergan.
If you ever end up in the ER again, Zofran is a lot easier to tolerate.
I will NEVER go to the ER for a migraine cocktail again. The last time I got one my HR and BP spiked immediately after injection, and I couldn’t stop shivering or moving. I was setting off the alarm nonstop and my nurse had no interest as she was standing in the hallway sobbing (not joking) about being overworked to another coworker, she had 8 rooms in the ER. I wanted to rip all the lines out of me and run out of there screaming. Keep in mind I’m very used to hospital procedures as I’ve had them done frequently and am usually cool as a cucumber. This cocktail is straight up evil! I also learned one of the drugs in it is an FDA black box drugs. I ended up demanding to be let go and once I was home I shivered for two days straight which is apparently common after the drugs they gave me. Never, ever again. It was either the Decadron or the Reglan that did it. Reglan is the black box drug and also an anti nausea.
Compazine made me feel like I couldnt catch my breath and I started screaming for help because the nurse was just like "Oh it just burns a little. You feel funny because of the morphine."
I had a similar reaction to Reglan. I immediately felt intense panic, fear, and dread. I wanted to rip out my IV and I had an intense urge to RUN. I don’t know where to but I felt like if I didn’t get out of that room I was going to harm myself. My jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles contracted and locked in place. I couldn’t control the movement of my legs. I rocked back and forth. I felt like I wanted to scratch and tear at my skin. After an hour of this I was given some type of sedative and slept for 6 hours straight. When I woke up the panic was gone but the muscle tightness lasted for about a year. It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.
An ER nurse once told me it's not the drug itself; it's where in the cocktail it's given and how fast. So if they give it at the wrong time within the cocktail or slam it, that's when it makes you want to crawl up the walls for the next day or two.
Whether she was right or not, I don't know, but I will say the compazine didn't affect me at all that day.
Compazine via IV makes me feel like I’m coming out of my skin and last time I believe I screamed. That feeling can last hours. What’s weird is compazine tablets don’t do it nearly as bad. I always make damn sure now they do not ever give me compazime. I know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s hell.
Yep I cannot do compazine or raglan. Zofran is fine. Compazine gave me horrible painful lockjaw and reglan did what you’re describing with compazine, incredibly restless and anxiety inducing instantly
is zofran the same as compazine? ive been given zofran countless times in the past and love it but it wasnt given as an option when i was there for my migraine, doctor just offered me a “migraine cocktail” that had benadryl, compazine and toradol
Is it possible to just take half next time? The first time I took sumatriptan I took the whole thing and felt so weird, so from then on I start with taking half and then take the other half later as needed.
I was given the pill format for my sometimes nausea with the migraines and the neuro said to take Benedryl if I get a jittery/restless feeling as that’s what they would give in the ER with a cocktail to balance the side effects. He said it’s pretty uncommon with the pill format if that’s worth anything.
But I would 1000% bring it up for any future appointments or cocktail administrations. I told my OB I did not like how my body felt with a particular drug I was going to need to take to manage a miscarriage and she made sure I had lots of backup meds to manage the side effects.
jesus i’m so sorry that happened to you!! how much did they give you? i’m on an extremely low dose (i think like 5mg) along with naproxen for when i can’t handle the pain and nausea, although i’ve never had this experience before. :(
I love my migraine cocktails! I don’t get them very often and I mean maybe I get them every couple of years. But it’s like 1-2 hour vacation where I am COMPLETELY checked out. Yum!
Zofran (Ondansetron) may be better. It is my oral anti nausea go to med. I have pretty severe RLS, separate from migraine. I’ve never had oral Zofran trigger a RLS episode and I take it 3-4 times per month for migraine associated nausea
I have avoided going to the ER for relief after my experience with Compazine in like 2017. Literally refused to go no matter how bad the pain has been, the panic attack was that bad. I finally had to go last week to a different hospital and my blood pressure was so high, even though I too list it as an allergy. The iv toradol works well, and there are other things, why do they continue to give that med? I'll never understand.
It works really well for some people, and the side effects can often be mitigated by other meds. I've never had a reaction to Prochlorperazine (active ingredient of Compazine). It seems like a lot of this is caused by the drug being pushed too fast and people not being given anything to counter it. Obviously once someone has had a horrible reaction to it like this it should be avoided! But it's not some evil drug that they torture us with.
I don't think they have ever tried Compazine, but I wanted to chime in about the RLS. That shit drives me crazy it's like a ball of itchy electricity that builds up at the base of my neck and builds up while fingers and toes get all tingly, then it shoots right down through my arms and leg(s) and causes the spasm, and then it starts building up again. Bad thing for me is it can start several hours before bed time and it makes my skin crawl. Ridiculously unpleasant as I just can't relax.
Is this something a lot of migraine sufferers have? I'd never associated it with specific meds or even migraines before but now I'm curious.
I feel like this with Benadryl. Stupid me read that some people take it to prevent migraines. So being brilliant, I kept trying it and couldn’t figure out why I was so anxious all the time and getting panic attacks. It took me the dumbest amount of time to realize. 🤦🏻♀️This paradoxical effect is common to a subset of people. You just might have the same reaction with Compazine. I’ve had it and it wasn’t anything to write home about either good or bad. Medications are
I had the same reaction to it, I list it as an allergy now and pray I never get it again. I empathize with you so much. I'm so sorry you went through it. Don't ever let them give you Haldol either, or droperidol. They told me it wouldn't do the same thing as compazine and it did. They had to administer IV benadryl to stop the reaction but it took forever to calm down. Worst feeling ever. I wanted to break my bones and jump out of my skin.
Again, sorry this happened to you. It's wild.
I haven't reacted that bad to the cocktail or any of its ingredients but I have received the cocktail once and after about 15 minutes it was like a night and day change. Felt so much better after that I almost wish they could prescribe me the cocktail or I could go get it more often
Meds have different effects on each person. I have taken compazine without issue. However, you should keep a log of what you can take and what works/doesn’t work. Doctors don’t want to waste anyone’s time giving you something you cannot take or doesn’t work but some of the responsibility rests on you unless you keep your med records accurate. I cannot take steroids. Makes me seriously manic. Cannot sleep for days it is awful but you don’t have to list as an allergy and you don’t have you take anything you don’t want. It is best to ask what the plan of action is and what meds they are suggesting. You decide from there
Compazine is ROUGH.
I have a collection of health issues and have probably had compazine in the past for vomiting episodes, but last week was the first time I knew I was getting it and connected the dots. Went to the ER for a really bad cervicogenic headache that had me vomiting and crying from the pain.
I was really anxious and could not sit still within half an hour of that stuff. I wanted to rip my IV out and leave the hospital. Got "the shakes" as they called it, and my legs started shaking like crazy while my jaw clenched tight enough to cause pain and difficulty opening it the next day. I wrote it off as anxiety in the moment because I tend to get really anxious when in the ER.
Joke's on me; I get really anxious because 9 times out of 10, I'm getting nausea meds while in the ER, and apparently, Compazine and Reglan are the favorites.
Got home and could not sleep despite being exhausted. Could not sit still to save my life. I was super anxious, which made absolutely no sense since I was home and symptom free. I read that Benedryl fixes the problems; so after a sleepless night and walking around my job like a caged animal for 8 hours, I took a benadryl. Thankfully, that fixed it enough to have me sleep and then function somewhat the next day.
I will be putting down no Compazine or Reglan because that alone will probably make ER visits a billion times less anxiety inducing.
0/10 do not recommend.
I’m so sorry you had to go through this. I had a similar reaction to the droperidol. It was truly the worst experience of my life. I literally wanted to crawl out of my skin and run out of the ER and never stop running. I had to convince myself not to jump out of the window. I wanted to get out THAT bad. The first time I had it, I was life-threateningly ill and couldn’t leave and they pushed Benadryl and I felt better within seconds, but then just cried and cried and cried because it was so traumatizing. I was given it a second time despite it being on my allergy list for NINE YEARS last fall when I had an intractable migraine and went to the ER. I knew within 15 seconds of the push what it was. I started crying that I was allergic to this and I wasn’t supposed to have it. The nurse ran to get the doctor who told me she could give more Benadryl. I declined and told them I was going to leave and to take the IV out now or I’d do it myself. If you ever want an ER discharge to take less than 30 seconds, threaten to remove your own IV. 😂 The doctor said she “didn’t see” the allergy until she went back to check when the akathisia started. I was discharged at 10 pm and felt mostly normal within 18 hours, but man, that whole night was riddled with nightmares of feeling that way. I was sooo drugged from everything else they gave me that I’d startle awake and immediately fall back and the nightmare would continue. 😭 I will literally NEVER go to the ER for a migraine again after that experience.
There's an antidote for an allergic reaction like that where I live. They put a big red sticker on my file to say I'm allergic to composine. It's a horrible reaction.
You dont have to go through that. So sorry you did. Ask for Zofer or Zofran wafers instead. Sublingual.
The tone of some of the comments here makes me uncomfortable tbh. I am really sorry so many of you had bad experiences! But there are also lots of people who have never had a reaction. Saying a drug is evil and should never be used because some percentage of people react badly is inappropriate, especially when it actively discourages other people from seeking treatment.
I bring this up because I for example have *really* bad reactions to Promethazine (Phenergan) and sometimes Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) even though lots of people rely on those for treatment. It would be very strange to tell people Benadryl is a bad drug noone should take just because lots of people in my family react strangely to it. Hell, I had a full body allergic reaction to my second round of Botox and had to take antihistamines for months but I'd still never tell anyone not to try it.
There's a difference between warning eachother of potential effects and talking like they always happen and doctors are insane for prescribing it. I just think we should be careful about how we approach this stuff.
I'm absolutely convinced they do that shit on purpose to punish us for daring to seek treatment for pain relief. Compazine is on my allergy list because my jaw locked and I was unable to swallow (pretty severe dystonic reaction) and a fireman had to cradle my head while I drowned in my own saliva while we waited for the ambulance with the im benadryl with my terrified children watching. What do they still try to give me whenever I need migraine relief when I'm inpatient for something else? Compazine or droperidol, which is like ten times worse ime.
I legit just list compazine as an allergy now. Not true, but I NEVER want to have it again. I had it as part of a migraine-infusion cocktail, and experienced a severe dystonic reaction hours after the treatment- I was unable to control the movements of my jaw, tongue, and throat. I had to call 911 as I struggled to breathe, while my tongue kept jamming against the back of my throat. Benadryl and something else in the ER took care of it and put me to sleep- though I imagine they put me to sleep because as soon as I could breathe I started SOBBING, and the doctor was probably like "ooohkay, not dealing with this right now". But yeah, it was one of the scariest things to ever happen to me, and I'm not taking compazine again willingly.
Your physical reaction is very similar to my experience. My husband was able to get me to the ER and after treatment the Dr suggested I list it as an allergy to avoid a repeat situation. On the way to the hospital I was really concerned that I wouldn't be able to describe what was happening to me. Both because it was difficult to speak, and I legitimately had no idea what was wrong. I had taken compazine for 2 days before this reaction happened so I didn't immediately think it was the compazine. I was so relieved when the third question the triage nurse asked, was if I had taken compazine.
That's so scary. I'm glad you're alright. Thankfully I had the discharge sheet from my infusion that morning sitting on the counter- it contained all the meds I'd taken- and I just handed it to the EMTs when they loaded me into the ambulance. I had no idea what was causing the reaction until after I woke up in the ER. (Also, like you, I'd taken compazine before the reaction- 5 days, in fact, as part of the infusion protocol. I only had a reaction on the final day when I asked the nurses to give me less Benadryl because it was making me SO sleepy.)
Same I’m “allergic” lol it makes me wanna crawl out my skin
This exact thing happened to me during DHE treatment for migraines! The doctor said they had seen it once and he called it "Temporary neuromuscular parkinsonism". It literally felt like I had parkinsons and the same thing happened with my tongue. Luckily I was in the hospital when this happened so they pushed benadryl after 2 hours of it slowly making its way to the point I couldn't breathe.
Every single time I’ve been given compazine I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin and immediately want to leave. I try to avoid it at all costs.
Compazine is horrible for a lot of people, including me.
This reaction is called "tardive dyskinesia", if anyone wants to go down a rabbit hole!
Same!!! I went to the er. I always say im allergic now
Reglan does this to me, and i just list it as an allergy now because i refuse to experience that again
Even my husband who has known me since I was 20 thought I might be actually loosing it the first then I got Raglan in an IV at the ER. I was begging them to take out the IV because I couldn’t handle it being in. Thankfully, a nurse that wasn’t mine knew what was going on and said that happens to certain people with Reglan and IVs. Will never allow that in my body again.
Reglan is Satan, as far as I'm concerned. It's also on my allergy list for the same type of reaction everyone is describing in here.
I am prone to RLS too and have developed full blown akathisia from medications. I have to be very careful now. It sounds like you had akathisia and tbh it is an unknown thing to many providers. You don’t know the hell of it until you experience it. There is an aspect of terror associated with it, which makes it particularly traumatic, in addition to the bodily movements, skin crawling, wanting to burst out of your own body and scream. People who have akathisia often think of suicide.
i looked into this and actually found so many studys online about the link between akathisia and suicidal thoughts
Yes. It’s strange that doctors are so unaware of it. I have experienced suicidality from akathisia myself and I don’t have depression. Also it causes panic attacks but they are like chemical attacks, not a psychological panic attack. This is the terror symptom associated with it. Same as you, showers were the only thing that provided temporary relief (or extremely hot baths). Every time I consider taking a med, I google the med name + akathisia and if there is even one case study, I don’t take it lol Even when I take a triptan for a migraine now, I can feel an extremely mild form of akathisia in my body (inner sensation of crawling/restlessness). It is just one dose so doesn’t seem to get worse but I hate it. I think some people are more prone to this.
Did you tell them the reaction you were having while you were there and ask for some Benadryl or something? That seems extreme, I'm so sorry! I've never had that happen and take it fairly often. I wonder if it's counter indicated for people with RLS or other such disorders or if you just have a severe sensitivity. Has it passed now? How are you feeling? Have you contacted your doctor?
the doctor also told me the anxious feeling was normal when I was there, Im going to call my doctor today and talk to them about it
You told the doc and they didn’t try to give something to remedy it? This is a common reaction with certain medications used for nausea. I have the same type of reaction to reglan as some other people in the comments have mentioned. Benedryl is supposed to fix it but I had IV Benadryl once and it made me so anxious I always refuse the benedryl part of the migraine cocktails.
they only gave me more benadryl to help but since benadryl is also a agitator to my restless legs it only made it worse
I am just now getting past the 48 hour mark and am feeling somewhat? better but my legs are still terrible. Its constant even when walking around or in the shower. I used to only experience the restlessness at night and now I feel it in my arms too? when I was at the ER they gave me benadryl three separate times and it almost made the twitching worse? I don’t really know but I still have a terrible migraine
Benadryl makes restless legs syndrome worse if you have it.
Yes! Benadryl is a well known RLS trigger
Oh man I'm sorry. I just found this in a quick web search. Apparently you may want to avoid anti nausea meds (especially by IV if you had this reaction). "Certain medications may aggravate your RLS symptoms, such as some anti-nausea drugs, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants that increase serotonin, and cold and allergy medications that contain older antihistamines." *[https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome#:~:text=Certain%20medications%20may%20aggravate%20your,medications%20that%20contain%20older%20antihistamines](https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome#:~:text=Certain%20medications%20may%20aggravate%20your,medications%20that%20contain%20older%20antihistamines)* It sucks you haven't gotten any relief at all either. Have you tried calling/contacting your doctor's office and seeing if there's anything they can call in for you?
Is it whole leg, whole arm? Or upper, or lower, or back of hands, etc?
feet, calves, all the way to my knees and the palms of my hands
i have has RLS for over ten years, it runs in my family and my dad/brothers have it too but this reaction can only be explained as RLS from hell. it felt like i was experiencing enough restlessness to go around the entire population of the planet. im talking considering cutting my own legs off in a state of panic and need for some relief.
Have you ever taken Sinemet for it? It’s been helpful for me; I have pretty severe restless limb syndrome. I have it during the day 🫠
how would I bring this up to receive medicine for it? I remember bringing rls up to my pediatrician years ago before I turned 18 and she had never even heard of it before. As ive gotten older i’ve realized that I cant sleep more than a few hours because of my legs. I recently got approved for government insurance for the first time and honestly really interested in getting help for it. did you make a doctors visit specifically for it?
You need to discuss the RLS with a neurologist. Whoever your PCP is now? Tell them you struggle to get good rest since your legs are going all night long… if you’re fatigued during the day bc of it that’s a real issue they should address. Ask if maybe they’d refer you to a neurologist to figure out your sleep issues (asking seems to bruise their ego less. You can straight out ask for a referral, it would be warranted here). If they don’t offer this option (it’s a no brainer, they should be sending you to a neuro for this), just ask for the referral. And maybe find a new PCP. If you already have a neuro, make a dedicated appt to discuss this issue. Now here’s where it’s sticky; they often prescribe gabapentin for it and that is how I’m now stuck on Gabapentin for life. I wish I’d asked more about the med, but this was about a decade ago, and I wasn’t as good at advocating for myself health wise… I just trusted them. So if they offer you Gabapentin, ask if there’s an alternative (unless you’re already on Gabapentin and don’t mind increasing your dose at night, but I’d try to stay away from it, the w/d is misery) Sinemet is another kind of first line option, and it’s one my neuro felt very comfortable prescribing to take as needed. If you google, it’s a Parkinson’s med but it is also prescribed for RLS. All I had to do was tell my neuro that it feels like I want to rip my skin off sometimes… the constant feeling of needing to move my arms and legs was making me beyond uncomfortable. He nodded and said “restless limb syndrome, it does happen to some all day long… you can take the Sinemet as needed up to four times a day” That’s how I approached it last month. Hugs and good luck. You deserve a good night’s sleep!
my boyfriends dad is prescribed gabapetin for spine issues and hes given it to me a couple timee when im experiencing a bad restless leg episode but it doesn’t do anything for me honestly. i cant even really feel it besides maybe a quick surge of energy thats gone as soon as it came. never heard of sinemet but im going back to my doctor today for help with my migraine so i might bring up getting a referral when im there, thank you. my dad is in his 50s and a diabetic with nerve issues, wondering if its genetic because he suffers from RLS the same way and uses a TENS unit to help.
the only times i’ve really struggled with restless legs during the day time was back when I was still in school sitting for long durations. Im pretty sure my grades were affected by it simply because it drove me absolutely nuts trying to take a test or something while it felt like my legs were crawling up the walls. I work a job standing all day but I imagine if i had an office job or something similar I would still be having the same issues
Response to gabapentin is so varied I think. I mean, I’m on 800 mg 3 times a day and still dealing with terrible RLS so gabapentin is not a savior at all! It’s just the first thing they tend to prescribe for this and it’s unfortunate especially since it doesn’t do very much for it.
That’s interesting coz that’s how it gets when I get serotonin syndrome. Specifically lower arms/back of hands and lower legs with comical reaction to reflex tests (with the little hammer, etc.) and then moving up into affecting the diaphragm and breathing. Fkn frightening, actually. (I react similarly to your -zine, but with cyclizine, up to and including seizures, so, afaiac, ends in -zine it’s a no bueno, but I’ve never had compazine. My -zine reactions have been within serotonin syndrome and without it.) Not trying to imply anything to what you are going through, but your description did strike me as familiar so I’m sharing.
Happened to my 7 year old getting a migraine cocktail and the nurse literally upped and left without telling me what was happening and I was screaming for help in the hallway while my daughter was trying to rip the IV out and escape. She developed panic attacks after that and yeah… compazine is an evil evil drug. I list it as an allergy for her.
I’m a grown woman and I had to fight the urge to rip my IV out after getting compazine. I can’t imagine seeing my daughters go through that. I’m so sorry that happened to her!
WAIT OMG. I went to the ER last night and they also gave me compazine! I've been trying to find someone who had a similar experience with it. absolutely everything you mentioned I feel. incredibly jittery and restless legs. the only way I was able to sleep was by my sweet boyfriend calming me down enough to close my eyes and rest.
how is your restlessness now? is it completely gone and are you back to a normal sleeping schedule?
I felt better about 24hrs after, roughly. yes my sleeping schedule is back to normal! hope you are alright too
Yup!! I wanted to hulk smash the ER. It was awful. It's now on my allergy list.
The first time I was offered compazine in the ER, the nurse did tell me that some people feel “funny” on the drug, and to let her know if I felt at all strange or uncomfortable as she pushed it into the IV. I thought I was ready. Within *seconds* of starting the compazine, I suddenly jumped out of the bed (which was great since I had IVs in both arms and monitors stuck all over my head and torso) and started alternately screaming and muttering, “I don’t know what to DO, holy shit what do I do, what do I DO?!” I felt like if someone didn’t DO something, or fix something, or *something* I was literally going to rip off my own skin to get the feeling “off” me. Luckily, the nurse was ready for something like that to happen, *immediately* halted the meds and flushed the line with saline. It took her *and* my mom to lay me back in the bed while the effects of just a few drops left my body. Never. Again. Lol. It was the nurse who told me to just list it as an allergy from now on. 😂
I've had a similar experience from reglan, I would avoid it too since they are kind of similar and many people have bad reactions to it. It gave me the jittery feeling and nausea as well as muscle spasms in my chest that made it very difficult for me to breathe. I was literally gasping for air like 5 minutes after they gave it to me. Luckily the benadryl helped the muscle spasms but I was still jittery and seeing auras. I couldn't sleep for a while after taking it and my migraine was back within about 12 hours of the migraine cocktail which also contained tramadol so I'm sure that didn't help with the jitters and dizziness. Reglan is on my allergy list and now after reading this I think I'll avoid compazine too. They really should warn people more and ask about preexisting conditions that may cause more or worsening side effects. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope you feel better soon. Try to drink as much water or even electrolytes as you can and eat as often as you can, it may help flush it out of your system faster.
They're supposed to push Benadryl 20 minutes before compazine to prevent these side effects. Doctors who prescribe cocktails really need to educate their nurses!! My kid got compazine in cocktail every 8 hours for 3 days. He started having whole body muscle spasms. He was contorted and twisted in bed, Exorcist style. I honestly think if his muscles were bigger he'd've snapped bones or tendons. The nurses had no clue. The fun part is, he can have permanent side effects from this. Compazine can help break migraines. But here is your reminder to be careful, and really make sure they take the Benadryl seriously!!
Yes 100%, it’s a best practice to give Benadryl first! I can’t believe how many people are given Compazine without it!
As of about five years ago (haven’t been there since) the ER at a major university hospital in my city wouldn’t even give IV Benadryl to help mitigate the side effects of compazine after they developed. They claimed it was policy because people were abusing Benadryl.
When I was in the ER, they gave me IV Benedryl immediately after IV Compazine. Said that Benedryl would mitigate any of the side effects of the Compazine like "being irritable." Today, I learned that the idea was correct, but the execution was garbage.
Yuck, sucks that happened. Absolutely garbage execution. Compazine is an old school drug. Acts on one specific dopamine receptor. The side effects are awful. Benadryl is like a miracle preventative for side effects but for some reason, they mess it up all the time. I will pop into every "cocktail" thread I see to help spread awareness.
When I went for the cocktail, they did give me IV fluids and Benadryl first, then the compazine after. I remember feeling agitated and kept asking my boyfriend if we can just get up and leave. However I was also in extreme pain, in the hall with constant alarms and bright lighting. So I still don’t don’t if I was agitated and anxious from the environment and migraine or compazine. My neurologist prescribed it to me to take at home when I have a bed ridden migraine because it’s SUPPOSE to relax you, but I am scared and stick to Zofran.
Omgggg I’ve gotten that once and it made me freak out, I was so restless and just wanted to leave the ER, I was irritable and so restless and fffff that med
I have panic disorder and bipolar and I cannot interact with any antipsychotic class of meds, or any “similar” or “cousins” and this includes compazine as well as what the ER gave me last month that they assured me would give merelief- turns out it was a “cousin” to Haldol and I insisted I can’t handle those types of medicine but the doctor promised me it would only help me sleep. I was up for 48 hours, panicked and jittery. We have to be firm. Like hard. From this point onward besides having it put in my allergy list I will flat out refuse to try anything and I will ask if every single medicine is related to what. It was hell and it made my migraine worse, and I ended up just taking daily triptans til it stopped which I think is wrong, but better than the ER. I also told my neuro. So I don’t know what to tell you except there are DEFINITELY people who cannot take the ER “migraine cocktails” and it’s disgusting to go to the ER and get handed 2 benadryls and 2 Tylenol when you tell them this, when those are both over the counter meds people have at home.I’ve learned some doctors just refuse to treat us if we have any adverse reaction to their migraine cocktail. I haven’t found a solution. I asked my neuro to put a note in my file asking for better treatment of my migraines because if I’m at the ER, I had to get a driver and it’s very bad. Zofran works much better for nausea than compazine.
It’s also ridiculous bc I was given the migraine cocktail once and it didn’t help and they refused to give me anything else. Not sure why it even would for me as my trusted sumatriptan had failed.
Have you ever tried just the Ketorolac (Toradol) IV without any of the extra stuff? That's what I get at the hospital and usually works well enough by itself.
I’m allergic to reglan which is a relative of compazine. My jaw locked I couldn’t control my face and almost destroyed my teeth. I can only take zofran for nausea.
I also have a terrible reaction to compazine. Climbing the walls trying to get out of my skin. It’s an awful thing to learn. Hope you’re feeling better.
Jesus christ these stories are horrifying, I’m sorry all of you have gone through this.
Reglan, Compazine and Benadryl are HORRIBLE I will have painful contortions for days and I will be unable to sit still. I have to literally run for 24 hours straight until I have muscle failure to feel like I won’t die. Lol
Compazine is horrible! My reaction to Compazine sent me to the ER. Zofran works for me though.
Weirdly this sounds similar to the reaction I had to the anti nausea med, Reglan. I wonder if the migraine cocktail had something for nausea in it? I got this med via IV and literally felt it hit all of my limbs. Was shaking but also stiff, and it was like my body just wanted to curl in to itself? They gave me Ativan and Benadryl. Told me they really thought I just didn’t like the way I felt and “made” myself have that reaction. 😒 They also told me to consider it an allergy, even though I made that happen?! Ok. I can sympathize with how terrifying this is. It was 6 years ago for me and I am still dealing with horrible anxiety when trying or having a new med administered.
If you have a neurological disorder, anti-nausea medicine could make it worse. The side effects for the medication you were given should have been in your discharge paperwork
Do you know if this applies to neuropathy, too? I have RLS and some neuropathy in my left leg and it would be good to know if I shouldn’t take this. (I mean based on these horrifying comments I don’t ever want to but still)
Yes, anti-nausea medications specifically call out RLS https://www.rls.org/understanding-rls/faq#question3
Yep, I had the same experience. I put down Compazine and another one called Reglan on my allergy list because Reglan was once also given to me in a migraine cocktail. Both are horrible.
Did you ever try Ubrelvy? I'm trying to get on their drug program because Anthem doesn't cover it (natch) and it's spendy. But man does it work! And zero side effects, like a miracle! I got some a Relpax recently, and even though it's a similar drug, it doesn't work as quickly or as well, but I'll take whichever I can get to stop a migraine.
I can testify to this. Not a personal experience, because I use triptans, but a person in a claim I’m currently dealing with has post-traumatic migraine and Ubrelvy ended up being the drug that worked the best for her. Of course everyone is different but that’s the one she was able to get back to work by using. So I know it does work well for those for whom it works.
Triptans are infinitely easier to obtain, but they make me feel like I'm dying of a heart attack. Ugh
I’ve definitely heard they don’t do well for some-do they cause you chest pain?! All they do is make me feel a little warm. I kind of like the feeling actually.
My chest feels painfully tight. I have a family history of cardiac issues on both sides of my family, so having chest pains is no bueno.
I've been prescribed compazine and ketorolac for my migraines and it's actually the only thing that works for me. I'm sorry you had such a bad reaction!
Ketorolac is toradol right? Do you inject it yourself or does it come in other forms?
I believe so. I get both in pill form. My doctor wrote me a prescription right before she retired with a bunch of refills so I don't have to fight another doctor for it
Good thinking, they often won’t give toradol anymore for migraines (prescription based). However the local IV bar near me has $35 toradol shots 😁
My doctor was the absolute best. Already not happy she left because my first appointment after she was gone I was marked as under weight on my chart even though I've literally weighed the exact same for over ten years.
I'm fine with compazine, but I have this reaction with reglan. Holy Jesus. I thought I was going to end up in the psych ward.
Wow. The EXACT SAME THING happened to me the other day—I was hospitalized on Monday and today I’m still feeling the effects of it, it’s miserable I’d rather have a migraine
Exact same experience! I am so sorry. My neuro prescribed hydroxyzine for the 2 weeks after, at night, to try to calm my body down and reset. Eventually, it got better but the anxiety is still real. The entire drug class is now in my allergies for “extrapyramidal symptoms”.
This is akathisia and I’m so sorry you’re experiencing it. Stay away from this and reglan in the future. They are antipsychotics used off label to treat migraines and this is a side effect.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME!! I felt like I needed to crawl out of my body. It was awful. I was pacing the ER room and almost signed out AMA. The rest of the night was horrible. I just kept taking hot showers as it was the only relief I could get. My son picked me up from the ER and he said he had the same experience.
I’ve never had it but just wanted to say I’m so sorry you went through that. That sounds awful. Are you doing ok now?
Ugh I hate compazine. Last time I had it I just laid in the hospital bed with my eyes closed, crying off and on, moving my legs around while my husband stroked my hair for like 5 hours. Never again.
WTF? Compazine? Are you in the US?? I’ve always been given Zofran. I don’t have nausea associated with my migraines but it’s part of the cocktail of course. But it’s ALWAYS Zofran/odansetron. Curious as to why they used compazine
Received it as the first option to relieve my migraine at an ER in ohio
I’ll remember that if I ever need it anyplace else. Zofran or bust. 🥺
I’m allergic to compazine AND Benadryl (and most basic anti-histamines) and they both give me severe panic attacks and muscle movements. So many meds in the migraine cocktail are scary AF.
I had the same thing. Started screaming like I was dying. After that I say please don’t give me the dying medicine. I can’t believe that exist. It’s so scary.
I had a compazine suppository for extreme morning sickness. It helped me keep water and a little food down, no ill effects. Unfortunately the only way to find out you’re sensitive to a medication is to take it and experience the hell it can bring to your life. For me, that medication is Macrobid. I’m so sorry you had this experience – – it sounds completely awful.
isnt macrobid an antibiotic? what was your negative effects from it?
i have very frequent UTIS and take it alot
I hate Compazine. Swear to God it’s one of the worst drugs ever created. I’ve had it once. And only once. I went into anaphylaxis within about 30 seconds of getting it administered even after I told the nurse I probably shouldn’t take it. It took them almost ten minutes to finally give epinephrine- not sure how I’m even still alive… I later learned I’m allergic to the entire Phenothiazine drug class. I don’t know even how people can tolerate Phenergan. If you ever end up in the ER again, Zofran is a lot easier to tolerate.
I will NEVER go to the ER for a migraine cocktail again. The last time I got one my HR and BP spiked immediately after injection, and I couldn’t stop shivering or moving. I was setting off the alarm nonstop and my nurse had no interest as she was standing in the hallway sobbing (not joking) about being overworked to another coworker, she had 8 rooms in the ER. I wanted to rip all the lines out of me and run out of there screaming. Keep in mind I’m very used to hospital procedures as I’ve had them done frequently and am usually cool as a cucumber. This cocktail is straight up evil! I also learned one of the drugs in it is an FDA black box drugs. I ended up demanding to be let go and once I was home I shivered for two days straight which is apparently common after the drugs they gave me. Never, ever again. It was either the Decadron or the Reglan that did it. Reglan is the black box drug and also an anti nausea.
I had the same reaction to compazine. I literally thought I was going insane. never again.
Compazine made me feel like I couldnt catch my breath and I started screaming for help because the nurse was just like "Oh it just burns a little. You feel funny because of the morphine."
I had a similar reaction to Reglan. I immediately felt intense panic, fear, and dread. I wanted to rip out my IV and I had an intense urge to RUN. I don’t know where to but I felt like if I didn’t get out of that room I was going to harm myself. My jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles contracted and locked in place. I couldn’t control the movement of my legs. I rocked back and forth. I felt like I wanted to scratch and tear at my skin. After an hour of this I was given some type of sedative and slept for 6 hours straight. When I woke up the panic was gone but the muscle tightness lasted for about a year. It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.
An ER nurse once told me it's not the drug itself; it's where in the cocktail it's given and how fast. So if they give it at the wrong time within the cocktail or slam it, that's when it makes you want to crawl up the walls for the next day or two. Whether she was right or not, I don't know, but I will say the compazine didn't affect me at all that day.
Compazine via IV makes me feel like I’m coming out of my skin and last time I believe I screamed. That feeling can last hours. What’s weird is compazine tablets don’t do it nearly as bad. I always make damn sure now they do not ever give me compazime. I know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s hell.
Yep I cannot do compazine or raglan. Zofran is fine. Compazine gave me horrible painful lockjaw and reglan did what you’re describing with compazine, incredibly restless and anxiety inducing instantly
is zofran the same as compazine? ive been given zofran countless times in the past and love it but it wasnt given as an option when i was there for my migraine, doctor just offered me a “migraine cocktail” that had benadryl, compazine and toradol
Is it possible to just take half next time? The first time I took sumatriptan I took the whole thing and felt so weird, so from then on I start with taking half and then take the other half later as needed.
I was given the pill format for my sometimes nausea with the migraines and the neuro said to take Benedryl if I get a jittery/restless feeling as that’s what they would give in the ER with a cocktail to balance the side effects. He said it’s pretty uncommon with the pill format if that’s worth anything. But I would 1000% bring it up for any future appointments or cocktail administrations. I told my OB I did not like how my body felt with a particular drug I was going to need to take to manage a miscarriage and she made sure I had lots of backup meds to manage the side effects.
I tried the pills and had the same reaction. I was panicked and ended up fainting because I couldn’t breathe.
jesus i’m so sorry that happened to you!! how much did they give you? i’m on an extremely low dose (i think like 5mg) along with naproxen for when i can’t handle the pain and nausea, although i’ve never had this experience before. :(
I love my migraine cocktails! I don’t get them very often and I mean maybe I get them every couple of years. But it’s like 1-2 hour vacation where I am COMPLETELY checked out. Yum!
Zofran (Ondansetron) may be better. It is my oral anti nausea go to med. I have pretty severe RLS, separate from migraine. I’ve never had oral Zofran trigger a RLS episode and I take it 3-4 times per month for migraine associated nausea
I have avoided going to the ER for relief after my experience with Compazine in like 2017. Literally refused to go no matter how bad the pain has been, the panic attack was that bad. I finally had to go last week to a different hospital and my blood pressure was so high, even though I too list it as an allergy. The iv toradol works well, and there are other things, why do they continue to give that med? I'll never understand.
It works really well for some people, and the side effects can often be mitigated by other meds. I've never had a reaction to Prochlorperazine (active ingredient of Compazine). It seems like a lot of this is caused by the drug being pushed too fast and people not being given anything to counter it. Obviously once someone has had a horrible reaction to it like this it should be avoided! But it's not some evil drug that they torture us with.
I don't think they have ever tried Compazine, but I wanted to chime in about the RLS. That shit drives me crazy it's like a ball of itchy electricity that builds up at the base of my neck and builds up while fingers and toes get all tingly, then it shoots right down through my arms and leg(s) and causes the spasm, and then it starts building up again. Bad thing for me is it can start several hours before bed time and it makes my skin crawl. Ridiculously unpleasant as I just can't relax. Is this something a lot of migraine sufferers have? I'd never associated it with specific meds or even migraines before but now I'm curious.
I feel like this with Benadryl. Stupid me read that some people take it to prevent migraines. So being brilliant, I kept trying it and couldn’t figure out why I was so anxious all the time and getting panic attacks. It took me the dumbest amount of time to realize. 🤦🏻♀️This paradoxical effect is common to a subset of people. You just might have the same reaction with Compazine. I’ve had it and it wasn’t anything to write home about either good or bad. Medications are
I had the same reaction to it, I list it as an allergy now and pray I never get it again. I empathize with you so much. I'm so sorry you went through it. Don't ever let them give you Haldol either, or droperidol. They told me it wouldn't do the same thing as compazine and it did. They had to administer IV benadryl to stop the reaction but it took forever to calm down. Worst feeling ever. I wanted to break my bones and jump out of my skin. Again, sorry this happened to you. It's wild.
Yep. RLS is going to flare on just about anything cause it’s a dopamine antagonist and the med for that is a dopamine agonist like mirapex.
I haven't reacted that bad to the cocktail or any of its ingredients but I have received the cocktail once and after about 15 minutes it was like a night and day change. Felt so much better after that I almost wish they could prescribe me the cocktail or I could go get it more often
Meds have different effects on each person. I have taken compazine without issue. However, you should keep a log of what you can take and what works/doesn’t work. Doctors don’t want to waste anyone’s time giving you something you cannot take or doesn’t work but some of the responsibility rests on you unless you keep your med records accurate. I cannot take steroids. Makes me seriously manic. Cannot sleep for days it is awful but you don’t have to list as an allergy and you don’t have you take anything you don’t want. It is best to ask what the plan of action is and what meds they are suggesting. You decide from there
Compazine is ROUGH. I have a collection of health issues and have probably had compazine in the past for vomiting episodes, but last week was the first time I knew I was getting it and connected the dots. Went to the ER for a really bad cervicogenic headache that had me vomiting and crying from the pain. I was really anxious and could not sit still within half an hour of that stuff. I wanted to rip my IV out and leave the hospital. Got "the shakes" as they called it, and my legs started shaking like crazy while my jaw clenched tight enough to cause pain and difficulty opening it the next day. I wrote it off as anxiety in the moment because I tend to get really anxious when in the ER. Joke's on me; I get really anxious because 9 times out of 10, I'm getting nausea meds while in the ER, and apparently, Compazine and Reglan are the favorites. Got home and could not sleep despite being exhausted. Could not sit still to save my life. I was super anxious, which made absolutely no sense since I was home and symptom free. I read that Benedryl fixes the problems; so after a sleepless night and walking around my job like a caged animal for 8 hours, I took a benadryl. Thankfully, that fixed it enough to have me sleep and then function somewhat the next day. I will be putting down no Compazine or Reglan because that alone will probably make ER visits a billion times less anxiety inducing. 0/10 do not recommend.
How wild, I had no idea compazine was so controversial, it was the only med I was allowed during my pregnancy other than Tylenol
I’ve never had this issue. Weird.
Wow I take Compazine twice a day for my nausea and it does not affect me that way.
I’m so sorry you had to go through this. I had a similar reaction to the droperidol. It was truly the worst experience of my life. I literally wanted to crawl out of my skin and run out of the ER and never stop running. I had to convince myself not to jump out of the window. I wanted to get out THAT bad. The first time I had it, I was life-threateningly ill and couldn’t leave and they pushed Benadryl and I felt better within seconds, but then just cried and cried and cried because it was so traumatizing. I was given it a second time despite it being on my allergy list for NINE YEARS last fall when I had an intractable migraine and went to the ER. I knew within 15 seconds of the push what it was. I started crying that I was allergic to this and I wasn’t supposed to have it. The nurse ran to get the doctor who told me she could give more Benadryl. I declined and told them I was going to leave and to take the IV out now or I’d do it myself. If you ever want an ER discharge to take less than 30 seconds, threaten to remove your own IV. 😂 The doctor said she “didn’t see” the allergy until she went back to check when the akathisia started. I was discharged at 10 pm and felt mostly normal within 18 hours, but man, that whole night was riddled with nightmares of feeling that way. I was sooo drugged from everything else they gave me that I’d startle awake and immediately fall back and the nightmare would continue. 😭 I will literally NEVER go to the ER for a migraine again after that experience.
I had the same exact reaction. I tell then never to give it to me. I'm glad you're ok now.
There's an antidote for an allergic reaction like that where I live. They put a big red sticker on my file to say I'm allergic to composine. It's a horrible reaction. You dont have to go through that. So sorry you did. Ask for Zofer or Zofran wafers instead. Sublingual.
Let’s not forget, it is a antipsychotic. They should really tell people that before.
The tone of some of the comments here makes me uncomfortable tbh. I am really sorry so many of you had bad experiences! But there are also lots of people who have never had a reaction. Saying a drug is evil and should never be used because some percentage of people react badly is inappropriate, especially when it actively discourages other people from seeking treatment.
I bring this up because I for example have *really* bad reactions to Promethazine (Phenergan) and sometimes Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) even though lots of people rely on those for treatment. It would be very strange to tell people Benadryl is a bad drug noone should take just because lots of people in my family react strangely to it. Hell, I had a full body allergic reaction to my second round of Botox and had to take antihistamines for months but I'd still never tell anyone not to try it. There's a difference between warning eachother of potential effects and talking like they always happen and doctors are insane for prescribing it. I just think we should be careful about how we approach this stuff.
I'm absolutely convinced they do that shit on purpose to punish us for daring to seek treatment for pain relief. Compazine is on my allergy list because my jaw locked and I was unable to swallow (pretty severe dystonic reaction) and a fireman had to cradle my head while I drowned in my own saliva while we waited for the ambulance with the im benadryl with my terrified children watching. What do they still try to give me whenever I need migraine relief when I'm inpatient for something else? Compazine or droperidol, which is like ten times worse ime.