Thorazine

Nurses General Nursing

Published

i was surprised when a psychiatrist put my patient on thorazine. i rarely see patient taking this medicine nowdays. do you still give this medication to your patient?

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Specializes in Pulmonary, MICU.

It's an oldie but a goodie.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Thorazine has intense side effects that are expected, not just possible, so it's not used much nowadays. However, it works quickly for schizophrenic symptoms, and is inexpensive. It will put someone who is out of control, behaviorally, to sleep, or calm him/her down, as well. Also, if someone has been on it and it has worked, without bad side effects, it would be silly to switch.

I can't say I've seen it used in the past few years, except for someone who has a history of using it with good effects, and then not much.

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I have seen a doctor give it for hiccups...Has anyone seen this?

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Specializes in LTC?Skilled and dialysis.

Yes we have a patient who had hiccups for a very long time and was prescribed Thorazine and it worked quickly!

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I've seen it given for hiccups too.

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In the old days, we used to call it Vitamin T. You have to monitor closely for side effects and make sure patients don't get overheated during the summer, but for some folks it works wonders.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I'm seeing it a bit more to manage terminal agitation and behavioral dyscontrol in my hospice patients, especially when haldol or ativan seem to be producing paradoxical reactions.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
I have seen a doctor give it for hiccups...Has anyone seen this?

Yes, tried Lorazepam without relieve. Thorazine did the trick.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.

My hospital doesn't even stock it anymore....

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In the peds ED, we used to give it as a sedative,a "DPT" (Demerol, Phenergan and Thorazine), very useful with orthopedic injuries that needed to be reduced prior to casting. There was something for pain, nausea, and a little Thorazine to allow you no memory of the fun reducing procedure. This was 18-20 years ago, and I don't see that protocol being used for sedation any longer.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.

12.5mg IV in the ED for vomiting after zofran and ativan did not help (perf'ed bowel). Not to mention the behavorial benefits in this particular case. We closely montored for EPS.

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