Ginger root

Although ginger is often recommended as a simple remedy for chemotherapy nausea, ginger capsules don’t seem to work any better than a sugar pill to improve the effects of standard nausea drugs.

In a randomized study, 162 patients received either ginger capsules or a placebo for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Neither the patients or their doctors knew which they were getting.  All patients were already receiving an 5-HT₃ inhibitor such as Zofran® or Kytril®.  Some were also being treated with Emend® (aprepitant).

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved an oral formulation of Aloxi® (palonosetron) to prevent nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.  A single 5 milligram capsule reduces the risk of nausea during the first 24 hours after chemotherapy and for up to five days afterwards.  The medicine is taken about an hour before chemotherapy starts. Read the rest of this entry »