Ondansetron is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, anesthesia, and surgery.
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How to use
Ondansetron comes as a tablet and in an injectable form. The tablets may be taken with or without food. The first dose of ondansetron usually is taken in a hospital or clinic 30 minutes before chemotherapy is begun. The second dose is taken 4 hours after the first dose, and the third dose is taken 8 hours after the first dose. Your doctor also may want you take one tablet every 8 hours for 1 or 2 days after chemotherapy. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take ondansetron exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Ondansetron injections are given by qualified health care professionals.
Side Effects
Although side effects from ondansetron are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
diarrhea
headache
constipation
rash
lightheadedness
dry mouth
drowsiness
If you experience either of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
difficulty breathing
chest pain
Over Dose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Notes
DO NOT SHARE THIS MEDICINE with others for whom it was not prescribed. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE for other health conditions. KEEP THIS MEDICINE out of the reach of children.
