The active ingredient aprepitant is used to prevent and suppress nausea. This can be triggered, for example, in the aftermath of surgery as well as by chemotherapy in the patient. The drug is almost invariably administered in conjunction with other remedies.
What is aprepitant?
The active ingredient aprepitant is used to prevent and suppress nausea. This can be triggered, for example, in the aftermath of surgery as well as by chemotherapy in the patient. Aprepitant, which is obtained from a chemical process, is intended for oral administration. In this respect, it is regularly prescribed in the form of capsules and tablets. The application is to take place already before the intervention – operation or cancer treatment. Only in this way can the feared nausea and the usually occurring nausea be suppressed or at least inhibited. It is therefore a preventive agent. However, it is not one that is used in the case of acute indisposition. In dosages ranging from 40 to 125 milligrams, aprepitant can target different types of nausea. On average, the duration of action of the drug is ten hours – a value that is likely to vary in individual cases, however.
Pharmacologic effect
During any intensive medical intervention, various biochemical processes take place in the organism of the affected person. Some of them are triggered directly by the drugs administered. Others follow indirectly from the metabolic functions that have already begun. In the course of an operation as well as in the fight against tumors, messenger substances are regularly released. Among others, the neurotransmitter substance P is affected. It is considered to be the cause of negative sensations such as pain, discomfort, nausea or vomiting. This messenger substance is usually released from the nervous system into the brain. However, the aprepitant attaches itself to the receptors in the brain stem. Substance P can now no longer dock to them. The negative feelings and symptoms are suppressed in this way. It is advisable to use the drug before the operation. This is the only way to ensure that all receptors are actually occupied. Complete occupation by the aprepitant can last about 30 to 60 minutes. In this respect, the drug is usually administered with other pain-relieving and sedative agents before the medical intervention. Only rarely is it used alone.
Medical application and use
Aprepitant is used in preparation for surgery and chemotherapy. There, it is intended to suppress the nausea that occurs in the aftermath, as well as the expected nausea. However, the drug is regularly combined with other active ingredients. In this way, the patient is calmed, his pain sensation decreases, his perception slows down, and physical discomfort is avoided. Depending on the dosage of the individual ingredients, the drug should have its effect for about eight to ten hours after the procedure. However, it must always be analyzed on a case-by-case basis with regard to the patient’s health condition and any intolerances, which remedies are to be used. The aprepitant could otherwise lead to ineffectiveness of one or more of the available preparations. Therefore, the administration should be done with the utmost care. Further, the aprepitant should not be used against acutely occurring symptoms. In these cases, the receptors in the brainstem would already be occupied by substance P. An effect by the aprepitant could no longer set in here.
Risks and side effects
However, for its part, aprepitant is not only effective in preventing nausea and vomiting. It has a reputation for causing some fatigue, headache, decreased cognition and loss of appetite. In addition, in a few cases, increased activity of the liver can also be observed. This symptom can lead to serious health consequences if the organ is already damaged. Likewise, the general constitution of the patient must be considered before administration. Women in pregnancy or during lactation, as well as people with a weakened body, should rather take an alternative remedy instead of aprepitant. The interplay between aprepitant and other prescribed medications is also complex. In this case, it should be decided in advance with the attending physician which medication should be avoided immediately before the procedure.Otherwise, the two agents could inhibit each other’s effects.
