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Stemetil - Beware

Stemetil (Prochlorperazine) - Beware!

Here is actual experience with the drug Stemetil (Prochlorperazine) - if you have been prescribed this then you may want to read on.

Monday last week we took the children to a local Health Centre after our youngest son seemed to be suffering from a lingering virus. We took the other two as they also had similar symptoms.

At the end of the visit the doctor prescribed some antibiotics for the youngest boys and for Felipe, the eldest, he was given Stemetil and Paracetamol probably because he complained of lingering headaches. The dosage of Stemetil was the minimal amount (As I understand it: 5mg) three times a day 30 minutes before meals. I did not verify the drug, I thought it was some kind of antibiotic, that is the last time I will presume what a doctor prescribes my children.

From the first day of Felipe taking Stemetil he was very sleepy. By the second day we noticed that instead of getting better he seemed to be always tired. We later learned that Stemetil basically is an anti-psychotic drug and makes you drowsy. By the third day he was calling me to massage him because he said his muscles were hurting him. Originally, I thought it was because he was sleeping in a bad position. He got some relief and then right after he started to twist and contort his head and back in strange positions. If you have ever seen any of these horror movies where the person is possessed and they start to move in strange ways then this was just how Felipe looked - He was having seizures! His head and neck were literally moving out of his control and I had to help him keep it up. Sometimes his jaw would lock shut and he could not talk. The doctors in the emergency room told us this was due to Stemetil sending signals to do all these things. Just imagine when he vomited he had to vomit up in the air because he could not bend his head to vomit down! What a frightening experience for him as well as us. We went by ambulance to the hospital where they pumped him with a number of drugs to flush the Stemetil out of him. The doctors were surprised that the prescribing doctor would give Stemetil to a child - its just something they don't do. He was kept overnight for observation and then released the next day with Valium to continue to flush the Stemetil out of his system and help his muscles relax. Today he is very fearful of an attack again but the doctors have assured us that with their 'cocktails' will remove any of the Stemetil from his body.

Other names this drug goes by: Prochlorperazine (Compazine, Stemzine, Buccastem, Stemetil, Phenotil)

Beware Stemetil

This drug especially when given to children should be talked about thoroughly. This an antinausea medication which is extraordinarily powerful. Not a bad drug but it can be dangerous if not used correctly. If this drug is to be given to a child you must tell the physician if your child has ever had chickenpox or the measles or some sort of stomach virus or if they have some sort of infection of their brain or spinal cord. And if your child becomes drowsy or listless or confused or have seizures or any sort of flulike symptoms they can't take it

So sorry your child had to go through this. I am sure he's terrified that this is going to happen again. The value which is anxiety medication should help him with anxiety and fear.

It is given to children especially if they are undergoing chemotherapy or are taking other medications that will make them extraordinarily nauseous.

Edited: mdg on 5th Dec, 2013 - 2:01am

Stemetil - Beware Health & Special Psychology

What a terrible experience. A hard way to learn about checking out anything the doc prescribes. I will be more inquisitive about anything I take from the pharmacist from now on. JB, did you go back to the first doctor to tell him what happened?

Beware Stemetil

Mdg, that's the thing the doctor casually recommended the drug to 'help' Felipe without asking any questions, or stating the side effects. We did not ask either because earlier the only question he asked was if the children were allergic to penicillin, so we figured all the drugs were anti-biotics and not an anti-psychotic! We were really angry about this.

ILoveSMF, we do plan to do some followup on it to the authorities but the system here is so messed up I doubt anything will come from it.

Rather off topic, but...
Interestingly enough, the anti-biotic my two youngest sons were taking had them better quickly but we noticed the prolonged 'recommended' use which was (One week) seemed to be bringing back many of the flu like symptoms they experience - we stopped that too. This is one of the reasons I am never interested in rushing to the doctors.

Felipe and his brothers are recovered now and everything is back as it once was before they were all sick.

Beware Stemetil

So Felipe complains about lingering headaches and the doctor prescribes this drug? Just weird. If he had flu like symptoms why didn't he just address that instead since the headaches were probably just a side effect. Good everyone is better though.