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Anzemet
Anzemet is a prescription drug that is used for preventing nausea and vomiting due to surgery and chemotherapy. It works by blocking serotonin, a chemical in the body that is associated with nausea and vomiting. The medication comes in tablet form and is usually taken one hour before chemotherapy or two hours before surgery. Potential side effects of the drug include dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea, and headaches.
Anzemet® (dolasetron mesylate) is a prescription nausea and vomiting medication. It is approved to prevent nausea and vomiting due to the following causes:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy.
(Click Anzemet Uses for more information on what the medication is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Anzemet is made by sanofi-aventis.
Nausea (upset stomach) and vomiting are complex processes involving many chemicals in the body and several parts of the body, including the brain and small intestine. It is likely that Anzemet works in the small intestine, but it may also work in the brain.
The medication works by blocking serotonin, a chemical produced by the body that is associated with nausea and vomiting. Serotonin has many effects in the body and has several receptors where it can bind. Anzemet blocks serotonin at a specific type of receptor (the 5-HT3 receptor), which is important for nausea and vomiting. It has no effects on other types of serotonin receptors in the body.
In studies of Anzemet to prevent nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, up to 73 percent of people taking the medicine experienced no vomiting. The medicine also decreased the severity of nausea.
Anzemet was also studied for preventing nausea and vomiting after surgery. Up to 51 percent of people who took it before surgery did not experience any vomiting, compared to just 35 percent of those not taking the medicine. Anzemet also decreased the severity of nausea.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD