Talk Cancer

Question:

[...] Zofran (note correct spelling) [...]

Well it SHOULD be spelled the way I spelled it. [...] My first chemo doctor would not prescribe the Zofran for me until I had endured much suffering and fought with her about it several times.

Any doctor who does not prescribe Zofran with most chemo regimens should be shot (or perhaps more appropriately forced to take the chemo without Zofran as well). Art

Response:

Zofran (note correct spelling) [...] Well it SHOULD be spelled the way I spelled it.

 As long as we’re being picky, note that the generic name is spelled ondansetron (too much like a Japanese Godzilla-clone for my taste.) Any doctor who does not prescribe Zofran with most chemo regimens should be shot (or perhaps more appropriately forced to take the chemo without Zofran as well).

I’d undoubtedly feel the same way.  Note that the earlier drugs are often successful and are LOADS cheaper, plus, their adverse reactions are well-understood because they’ve been around for a long time, so it’s not entirely without merit to try these first.  (I wouldn’t however… ) — Steve Dyer

Response:

: You might have your friend ask his/her oncologist about a new drug : called ondansetron.  It also has another name, which escapes me, but : I think is something like Novantrone.  It’s a drug which is supposed : to "turn off" the part of your brain that makes you throw up.  I’ve : heard from fellow cancer patients that it works well but is rather : expensive. A Swiss company called Sandoz produces an antiemetic called Novaban (I forget the generic name). Allegedly, it gives 60% of the patients a total absence of vomiting for a day, and I’ve heard some patients say it’s the best antiemetic they used. The most common side effect is headache. It can be taken i.v. or orally, one capsule a day, but it is expensive — something like $15 a capsule. Oiva

Response:

I know the thorazine and phenergan come in pill and/or liquid form. It may be that the atavan and Zophran can only be given iv and not available outside hospital care.  The atavan is so psycho-active that

i believe i was also given zophran during my three cycles of CHOP.  but the chemo nurse gave me to take home three syringes with the medication to be taken at four hour intervals, mixed in either orange or cranberry juice. i was fortunate, i did not seem to have any problems with my therapy. and yes, it is expensive. kg — so what if i am a vegan?  so what if i try to live a cruelty free lifestyle? i’ll tell you what, i sleep better at night knowing that nothing suffers for anything i eat or wear and i try to use products that have not involved animal testing.  

Response:

are two F’s). Please address your replies to him or post them. It may be that the atavan and Zophran can only be given iv and not available outside hospital care.

Zofran (note correct spelling) is now available by prescription in 8 mg. tablets. The generic name is ondonsetron hydrochloride. It is very effective against nausea and vomiting, in my case it eliminates it completely with no side effects. The manufacturer is Glaxo Pharmeceuticals and is quite expensive, the lowest price I could find was about $25 per tablet. Most insurance should cover it. Before I knew about Zofran (I got much information on the IV form of it from this group), I was getting Ativan and Compazine for the nausea. They were not effective and had awful side effects. Before the tablets were available, a few months ago, I would get the Zofran in IV form with chemo and it was effective for several hours. The doctor would give me some of the liquid to take later, but the taste was so bitter that I couldn’t get it down even when diluted with juice. The tablets were really a miracle, (especially when I had to take Procarbazine daily for 2 weeks as part of the COPP regiman.) More recently I have also found it effective against the nausea induced by radiation. Also, having the tablets on hand seems to greatly reduce the psychological triggers of nausea so that I very rarely have the need to actually take the pill. Another piece of advice: don’t assume that your doctor automatically knows all this stuff. My first chemo doctor would not prescribe the Zofran for me until I had endured much suffering and fought with her about it several times.

Response:

  I took ativan, benadryl, reglin, compazine, and marijuana pills   concurrently, as I remember.  Occasionally I was sleepy, don’t remember   hallucinating, and still had vomiting problems.  All the antinausea   drugs probably made me sicker than the chemo alone would have .   —   Mike Kattan / Decision and Information Sciences / University of Houston   == My experience was similar to Mike’s. (I had 3 mos MOPP-BAP and 3 mos ABVD.) I had Reglan once which really made me jumpy so we switched to Zophran. I then took lots of Zophran and compazine, which helped a little, but was still nauseous for about 3 days after treatment.  They gave me syringes of the IV Zophran to mix with juice.  (At hundreds of dollars a pop of course, but it didn’t take long for me to reach my deductable and hence it didn’t matter.) On the otherhand, my officemate claims she used to go out climbing after treatment, so the side effects seem to vary a lot from person to person. Charles Roosen

Response:

You might have your friend ask his/her oncologist about a new drug called ondansetron.  It also has another name, which escapes me, but I think is something like Novantrone.  It’s a drug which is supposed to "turn off" the part of your brain that makes you throw up.  I’ve heard from fellow cancer patients that it works well but is rather expensive.

I think your are talking about Zophran (that the brand name).  It is quite effective (I have only had chemo with Zophran, but I have heard from others who had chemo before Zophran that it makes a tremendous difference).  It seems to be given only during chemo, so perhaps it is only effective at that time.  Or perhaps it is just too expensive to be given other times. Art

Response:

   You might have your friend ask his/her oncologist about a new drug    called ondansetron.  It also has another name, which escapes me, but    I think is something like Novantrone.  It’s a drug which is supposed    to "turn off" the part of your brain that makes you throw up.  I’ve    heard from fellow cancer patients that it works well but is rather    expensive.    I think your are talking about Zophran (that the brand name).  It is    quite effective (I have only had chemo with Zophran, but I have heard    from others who had chemo before Zophran that it makes a tremendous    difference).  It seems to be given only during chemo, so perhaps it is    only effective at that time.  Or perhaps it is just too expensive to    be given other times.    Art Zophran is the commercial name for ondansetron.  Zophran may well be the best on the market today.  There are others that have side-effects and are less effective:         thorazine — a heavy downer that is also an anti-emetic;                 this is the stuff they sedate mental patients with         phenergan — popular anti-emetic that works fairly well                 in most patients         atavan — highly hallucinatory but effective anti-emetic These are sometimes given together with Zophran.  Can have some *ahem* interesting effects. Zophran was only recently approved for children (ages 5 and under).  I suppose tho that the person needing this is not a child.  My daughter was three when she needed to use something besides the atavan, so we were glad when they (the FDA?) finally approved Zophran for children. It did wonders.  She hallucinated too much on the atavan and the phenergan was simply not as effective as she needed.  Thorazine put her to sleep, which is not so bad for a kid going through heavy chemo-therapy.   I know the thorazine and phenergan come in pill and/or liquid form. It may be that the atavan and Zophran can only be given iv and not available outside hospital care.  The atavan is so psycho-active that I wouldn’t be surprised to see its use constrained to in-patients only. By all means, consult a doctor.  Get some advice.  I am not a doctor and nothing I say should be construed as medical advice. — Charles Adams Texas Instruments Voice: (214) 995-5758

Response:

 There are others that have side-effects and are less effective:    thorazine — a heavy downer that is also an anti-emetic;            this is the stuff they sedate mental patients with    phenergan — popular anti-emetic that works fairly well            in most patients    atavan — highly hallucinatory but effective anti-emetic [...]  She hallucinated too much on the atavan and the phenergan was simply not as effective as she needed.

I have had both phenergan and atavan and did not think either was particularily effective.  Most of the time when I was naseous, I would had a short spell and then be OK.  By the time I get either phenergan or atavan it was too late.  Both of these put me to sleep fairly effectively. I know the thorazine and phenergan come in pill and/or liquid form. It may be that the atavan and Zophran can only be given iv and not available outside hospital care.  The atavan is so psycho-active that I wouldn’t be surprised to see its use constrained to in-patients only.

I have taken Zophran orally (the nurse would give me some to take at home in the middle of the day, when I was getting chemo 2 times a day).  However at that time it was the same stuff that was given iv. I have heard rumors about Zophran being available either in a pill or liquid to be taken orally.  I have also had atavan in pill form out of the hospital.  I do not remember any hallucinations from the atavan. Perhaps it has this effect more in children. Art

Response:

<stuff deleted    I have taken Zophran orally (the nurse would give me some to take at    home in the middle of the day, when I was getting chemo 2 times a    day).  However at that time it was the same stuff that was given iv.    I have heard rumors about Zophran being available either in a pill or    liquid to be taken orally.   Well, ask your doctor!  If it’s effective, demand it!  You should not have to put up with a bad stomach.      …I do not remember any hallucinations from the atavan.    Perhaps it has this effect more in children. Perhaps.  I do remember her being very stoned and playing with little imaginary things on the carpet (both comical and pitiable to watch).    Art I take it from your email address you are at the u of texas in austin? What hospital do you attend for chemo?  Are you satisfied with your doctors? Charlie — Charles Adams Texas Instruments Voice: (214) 995-5758

Response:

<stuff deleted   …I do not remember any hallucinations from the atavan.   Perhaps it has this effect more in children. Perhaps.  I do remember her being very stoned and playing with little imaginary things on the carpet (both comical and pitiable to watch).

I took ativan, benadryl, reglin, compazine, and marijuana pills concurrently, as I remember.  Occasionally I was sleepy, don’t remember hallucinating, and still had vomiting problems.  All the antinausea drugs probably made me sicker than the chemo alone would have . — Mike Kattan / Decision and Information Sciences / University of Houston ==

Response:

Could anyone please give me some advice on how to prevent my friend from vomiting. My friend was diagnosed to have bone cancer about 5 years ago. She is now at the stage where she vomits two or three time a day.  This is regardless or eating.  We have tried anti sickness tablets but they do not seem to work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Dawood.

Response:

You might have your friend ask his/her oncologist about a new drug called ondansetron.  It also has another name, which escapes me, but I think is something like Novantrone.  It’s a drug which is supposed to "turn off" the part of your brain that makes you throw up.  I’ve heard from fellow cancer patients that it works well but is rather expensive. — Mike Kattan / Decision and Information Sciences / University of Houston ==

Response: