Zofran Injection

Zofran^® (ondansetron hydrochloride) is a prescription medicine often taken for nausea and vomiting due to several causes. It is commonly used for preventing nausea and vomiting associated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.

 

Although Zofran is typically taken by mouth (in the form of tablets, orally disintegrating tablets, and oral solution), it also comes in an intravenous (IV) form your healthcare provider gives to you. The injection (as well as the oral forms of this medication) should be administered 30 minutes before the start of chemotherapy, one to two hours before radiation, and one hour before surgery begins.

 

Nausea (upset stomach) and vomiting are complex processes involving many chemicals in the body and several parts of the body, including the brain and the small intestine. It is likely that Zofran works in the small intestine, but it may also work in the brain.

 

The medication blocks 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. Zofran blocks serotonin at a specific type of receptor (the 5-HT3 receptor).