I live in Bulgaria. In recent years, the pharmacies here are increasingly better supplied with good medicines. But I’m looking for a drug that can’t be found here. It is for a woman who has cancer and has had several chemotherapy treatments. The problem is, she spits out whatever she eats. My husband and I would like to help that woman find a good medicine that will stimulate her appetite and prevent vomiting. We also want to know if this medicine can be sent by courier (DHL or TNT) to our address in Bulgaria after payment.
Woman (35)
Bulgaria
Pouria Salimi Gilani, Pharmacist:
Nausea and vomiting are frequent in cancer patients and have a major impact on quality of life. It is important that the treating physician searches for the possible causes as well as possible. Insight into pathophysiological backgrounds as well as drug treatment (eg chemotherapy) are needed to be able to choose the most suitable causal treatment. Therefore, I refer you to a specialist.
In general, various drug treatments are possible. In case of nausea due to delayed gastric emptying, one can choose from the prokinetics metoclopramide and domperidone.
In case of nausea and vomiting due to radiotherapy or within 24 hours after chemotherapy, the first choice is a 5HT 3 antagonist such as Kytril (Granisetron), Zofran (ondansetron), Novaban (tropisetron) or possibly in combination with dexamethasone.
Haloperidol or metoclopramide can be given for (other) chemical and metabolic causes, for example nausea as a result of opioids or renal insufficiency. One in three patients require combination therapy. When combining antiemetics, it is best to choose agents that act on different receptors.
You may be able to present this (or have it presented) to the treating specialist.
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