Shock After Administration of Prochlorperazine in Patient With Pheochromocytoma

Severe hypotension after administration of chlorpromazine is not common. Conventional doses may sometimes induce a moderate fall in blood pressure, but this is not usually sufficient to cause symptoms. 1 I have recently observed the sudden development of shock after administration of 10 mg. of prochlorperazine (Compazine) ethane disulfonate intramuscularly to a patient with a subsequently proved pheochromocytoma. This episode was followed by loss of function of the tumor. The purpose of this case report is to suggest that patients with pheochromocytomas may be unusually susceptible to the hypotensive effects of phenothiazine derivatives and that the occurrence of shock in this patient may have precipitated the degeneration of the tumor. Report of a Case An 18-year-old girl was admitted to Duke Hospital on July 25, 1958, for evaluation of recurrent abdominal pain. She had had headaches for six months, induced by exertion and relieved soon after lying down. Four weeks