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dolasetron (injection)

Pronunciation: doe LAY se tron

What is the most important information I should know about dolasetron injection?

donot You should not use dolasetron if you are allergic to it.
emt Dolasetron can cause serious heart rhythm problems. You should not use this medication if you have a history of Long QT syndrome. Tell your doctor if anyone in your family has ever had this condition.

Before receiving dolasetron injection, tell your doctor if you kidney disease, heart disease, congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or low potassium or magnesium levels in your blood.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use. There are many other medicines that can increase your risk of heart rhythm problems if you use them together with dolasetron.

emt Call your doctor at once if you have fast, slow, or uneven heartbeats, or if you feel like you might pass out.

What is dolasetron?

Dolasetron blocks the actions of chemicals in the body that can trigger nausea and vomiting.

Dolasetron injection is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by surgery.

Dolasetron injection may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving dolasetron injection?

donot You should not receive dolasetron if you are allergic to it.
emt Dolasetron can cause serious heart rhythm problems. You should not use this medication if you have a history of Long QT syndrome. Tell your doctor if anyone in your family has ever had this condition.

To make sure you can safely receive dolasetron injection, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

  • kidney disease;
  • a serious heart condition such as "sick sinus syndrome";
  • a heart rhythm disorder such as slow heartbeats, or atrial fibrillation (fast, irregular heart rhythm);
  • a blockage in your coronary artery;
  • congestive heart failure; or
  • an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood).

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

nobrfeed It is not known whether dolasetron passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is dolasetron injection given?

For adults, dolasetron is injected into a vein through an IV. For children, the medicine may be mixed with apple juice and given orally (by mouth). You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting before or during surgery.

In most cases, only one dose of dolasetron is given while you are still under anesthesia, or as soon as you have symptoms of nausea or vomiting.

donot Dolasetron injection is not for preventing nausea or vomiting that is caused by chemotherapy or factors other than surgery.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since dolasetron injection is usually given as single dose by a healthcare professional, you will not be on a frequent dosing schedule.

What happens if I overdose?

emt Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include depression, tremors, or seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid after receiving dolasetron injection?

dizzy This medication may cause blurred vision and may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly.

What are the possible side effects of dolasetron injection?

emt Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
donot Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
  • fast, slow, or uneven heartbeats;
  • feeling like you might pass out;
  • urinating less than usual or not at all; or
  • headache with chest pain and severe dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeats.

Less serious side effects may include:

  • drowsiness, mild dizziness;
  • pain;
  • diarrhea;
  • headache; or
  • fever.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect dolasetron injection?

There are many other medicines that can increase your risk of heart rhythm problems if you use them together with dolasetron.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

  • arsenic trioxide (Trisenox);
  • cimetidine (Tagamet);
  • tacrolimus (Prograf);
  • tramadol (Ultram);
  • verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan, Tarka);
  • an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater), or pentamidine (NebuPent, Pentam);
  • an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Vanatrip, Limbitrol), clomipramine (Anafranil), or desipramine (Norpramin);
  • anti-malaria medications such as chloroquine (Aralen) or mefloquine (Lariam);
  • cancer medicines (chemotherapy) such as daunorubicin (Cerubidine, Daunoxome), doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Doxil), epirubicin (Ellence), idarubicin (Idamycin), mitoxantrone (Novantrone), and others;
  • a diuretic (water pill);
  • heart rhythm medicine such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), dofetilide (Tikosyn), disopyramide (Norpace), dronedarone (Multaq), flecainide (Tambocor), ibutilide (Corvert), procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl), propafenone (Rythmol), quinidine (Quin-G), or sotalol (Betapace);
  • HIV medicines such as indinavir (Crixivan), saquinavir (Invirase), ritonavir (Norvir), or nelfinavir (Viracept).
  • medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (FazaClo, Clozaril), haloperidol (Haldol), pimozide (Orap), thioridazine (Mellaril), or ziprasidone (Geodon);
  • migraine headache medicine such as sumatriptan (Imitrex, Treximet) or zolmitriptan (Zomig);
  • narcotic medication such as methadone (Methadose, Diskets, Dolophine);
  • other medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting such as ondansetron (Zofran) or droperidol (Inapsine); or
  • seizure medicine such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), or phenobarbital (Luminal).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with dolasetron injection. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about dolasetron injection.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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