Anti-sickness medications
To overcome any sickness caused by your chemotherapy you may be given anti-sickness tablets. If you experience any problems with sickness (for example, you are unable you take the tablets, or your sickness persists during or after the tablets), contact the hospital for advice.
Your doctor will chose one or more anti-sickness treatments which will be appropriate for your chemotherapy. They are used when a chemotherapy drug has a high chance of causing nausea or sickness. Some commonly prescribed anti-sickness medications are listed below.
- Granisetron (otherwise known as Kytril)
- Ondansetron (otherwise known as Zofran)
- Tropisetron (otherwise known as Novoban).
Your doctors will advise you about the appropriate dose. Sometimes a single dose is given by injection with the chemotherapy and no further treatment with this group of drugs is needed. This group of drugs has a tendency to cause constipation.
- Dexamethasone This steroid medication has strong anti-sickness effects. It is usually given for between one and four days after chemotherapy, in a gradually reducing dose. It may cause some difficulty with sleeping, particularly on the first night after chemotherapy. Some patients experience heartburn with this treatment, which should be discussed with your doctor.
- Metoclopramide 10 mg (1 tablet) four times a day as necessary, for sickness or nausea. These tablets can be taken in addition to the medication described above. They can be taken whenever you are feeling sick, to a maximum of eight tablets a day
- Domperidone One or two tablets every six to eight hours. Like metoclopramide, these tablets can be taken in addition to the medications descrived above. They can be taken whenever you are feeling sick, up to a maximum of eight tablets a day.
