promethegan

What is Promethegan?

From the FDA label:Each rectal suppository contains 50 mg promethazine HCl with ascorbyl palmitate and polysorbate 80 in a specially blended base of saturated vegetable fatty acids. Promethazine HCl Suppositories, USP are for rectal administration only. Promethazine HCl is a racemic compound; the empirical formula is C 17 H 20 N 2 S•HCl and its molecular weight is 320.88. Promethazine HCl, a phenothiazine derivative, is designated chemically as 10 H -Phenothiazine, 10-ethanamine, N,N α -trimethyl-, monohydrochloride, (±)- with the following structural formula: Promethazine HCl occurs as a white to faint yellow, practically odorless, crystalline powder, which slowly oxidizes and turns blue on prolonged exposure to air. It is freely soluble in water and soluble in alcohol. structural formula

How to use

Side effects

FDA Boxed Warning (the FDA’s most serious warning)

Who should not take Promethegan

Overdose — what happens if you take too much

Interactions

How long does Promethazine Hydrochloride stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of promethazine hydrochloride is about 9 to 16 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. Kinetics are linear (no saturable/dose-dependent behavior). The FDA label reports a plasma half-life of 9-16 hours after IV dosing and a mean of 9.8 ± 3.4 hours after IM dosing; the oral tablet label omits a numeric half-life but describes the same disposition. Duration of clinical effect (about 4-6 hours, occasionally up to 12) is shorter than the elimination half-life, so sedation can wear off well before the drug clears. Promethazine is metabolized in the liver to sulfoxides of promethazine and N-desmethylpromethazine (the main urinary metabolites); the label does not characterize these as clinically active or as outlasting the parent. Not a prodrug. Because clearance is hepatic, impaired liver function may prolong the half-life; the label gives no specific age- or kidney-based half-life values.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: Promethazine Hydrochloride Injection, USP — FDA label (DailyMed).

Frequently asked questions

What does Promethegan treat?

Promethegan (Promethazine Hydrochloride) may be used to treat anaphylaxis, allergic conjunctivitis, motion sickness, nausea, pain, postoperative complications, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How is Promethegan rated?

pharmaranks gives Promethegan a composite score of 3.5 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Promethegan cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $1.53 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Promethegan?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Promethegan. To pay less, Promethegan is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Promethegan?

Promethegan is marketed by Cosette. You can see Cosette's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Promethegan a brand-name or generic drug?

Promethegan is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Promethazine Hydrochloride. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Promethegan available over the counter?

No. Promethegan is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Promethegan come in?

Promethegan is currently marketed as suppository, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Promethegan?

Promethegan is classified as phenothiazine, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Promethegan FDA-registered?

Promethegan is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA087165. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Promethegan been recalled by the FDA?

Promethegan has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Promethegan safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Promethegan a recall-safety score of 70/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.

What are the side effects of Promethegan?

Promethegan's side effects are taken directly from its FDA label. From the label: Central Nervous System Drowsiness is the most prominent CNS effect of this drug. Sedation, somnolence, blurred vision, dizziness; confusion, disorientation, and extrapyramidal symptoms such as oculogyric crisis, torticollis, and tongue protrusion; lassitude, tinnitus, incoordination, fatigue,… Both common and serious reactions are documented in full on this page. This is general reference from the FDA, not medical advice — always consult a professional.