Medical Questions » Other Problems Questions » Question No. 759
| Question: | My daughter recently had the most terrifying experience of an oculogyric crisis after taking medication for vomiting. Can you please warn people about this problem? |
| Answer: | An oculogyric crisis may be caused in several different ways. It may be a very rare complication of using the medication prochlorperazine (Stemetil), or due to encephalitis (a brain inflammation) and some types of Parkinson' s disease. In 30 years of general practice I have never seen a case.
Stemetil is a widely used, very safe, and effective medication for the treatment of nausea, vomiting and dizziness. It has been on the market for nearly 40 years.
The effect can occur after just one tablet of Stemetil, or may be associated with an overdose.
An oculogyric crisis can vary in severity from a mild abnormal twitching of the eyes, to a constant upward gaze, inability to move the eyes in their sockets, and extension of the neck to the point where the back of the head almost touches the back of the chest due to spasm of the muscles in the neck.
In extreme cases, where medical attention is not available, it can cause difficulty in breathing due to the extreme neck extension.
The crisis is easily and rapidly treated by giving an injection of a drug (benztropine) into a vein to reverse the muscle spasm.
Your daughter was extraordinarily unlucky to suffer from such a reaction, and she should make all doctors she comes in contact with in the future aware that she should never use Stemetil again. As this medication is so widely used, wearing a charm or bracelet with this information may be appropriate.
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