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Promethazine overdose
Phenergan overdose
Promethazine is a medicine used to treat nausea and vomiting. Promethazine overdose occurs when someone takes too much of this medicine.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual overdose . DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with overdoses, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Overdose
An overdose is when you take more than the normal or recommended amount of something, usually a drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful sym...
Poisonous Ingredient
Promethazine
Where Found
Promethazine may be sold under the following brand names:
- Anergan
- Fargan
- Phenergan
- Promahist
- Promethegan
- V-Gan
Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.
Symptoms
Bladder and kidneys
- Urinary hesitancy
- Inability to urinate
Heart and blood vessels
-
Rapid heartbeat
Rapid heartbeat
Palpitations are feelings or sensations that your heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. You may:Have an unpl...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Weakness from low blood pressure
Nervous system
-
Coma
Coma
Decreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness. A coma is a state of decreased alertness from which a person cannot be awakened. A long-term co...
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Delirium
Delirium
Delirium is sudden severe confusion due to rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.
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Depression
Depression
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Disorientation
-
Drowsiness
Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate...
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Excitation
Excitation
Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal. An agitated person may feel stirred up, excited, tense, confused, or irritable.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Fever
- Hallucinations
- Nervousness
-
Unsteadiness
Unsteadiness
Walking abnormalities are unusual and uncontrollable walking patterns. They are usually due to diseases or injuries to the legs, feet, brain, spinal...
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- Tremor (unintentional trembling)
Other
-
Flushed skin
Flushed skin
Skin blushing or flushing is a sudden reddening of the face, neck, or upper chest.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Large (dilated) pupils with vision difficulty
- Muscle stiffness in face or neck
Before Calling Emergency
The following information is helpful for emergency assistance:
- The person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of product (as well as the ingredients and strength, if known)
- The time it was swallowed
- The amount swallowed
- If the medicine was prescribed for the person
However, DO NOT delay calling for help if this information is not immediately available.
Poison Control
Your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Local poison center
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the pill container with you to the hospital, if possible.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
The health care provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The person may receive:
- Activated charcoal
- Airway support, including oxygen, breathing tube through the mouth (intubation),and ventilator (breathing machine)
- Blood and urine tests
- Chest x-ray
- EKG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing)
- Fluids through the vein (intravenous or IV)
- Laxative
- Medicines to treat symptoms
Outlook (Prognosis)
If the person survives the first 24 hours, recovery is likely. People who experience heart rhythm irregularities and seizures are at highest risk for a serious outcome. Few people actually die from promethazine overdose.
References
Goldfrank LR, ed. Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies . 8th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2006.
Velez LI, Seng Y-F. Anticholinergics. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014:chap 150.
Review Date: 1/17/2015
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
