Sustol

Sustol is a prescription medication used to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy treatment. Sustol belongs to a group of drugs called serotonin (5-HT3) receptor antagonists, which block serotonin, a natural chemical in the body, from causing nausea and vomiting.

This medication comes in an injectable form and is injected under the skin by a healthcare provider.

Common side effects of Sustol include trouble sleeping or falling asleep, indigestion, weakness, and heartburn. Sustol can also cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Sustol affects you.

Sustol is a prescription medication used to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy (cancer treatment).

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Sustol. See the "Sustol Precautions" section.

Common side effects of Sustol include the following:

• Injection site reactions: infections, bruising, swelling that is caused by blood that collects under the skin, bleeding, pain and tenderness, and small bumps at the injection site.
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Stomach-area pain
• Trouble sleeping or falling asleep
• Indigestion
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Heartburn

This is not a complete list of Sustol side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

medications that could lead to serotonin syndrome such as citalopram(Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), nefazodone (Serzone), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), trimipramine (Surmontil), isocarboxazid (Marplan), amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl), protriptyline (Vivactil), and clomipramine (Anafranil), and linezolid (Zyvox)

This is not a complete list of Sustol drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Sustol including the following:

• Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of: 
  • Injection Site Reactions
    • Infections
    • Bruising
    • Swelling that is caused by blood that collects under the skin
    • Bleeding
    • Pain and tenderness
    • Small bumps at the injection site
  • Stomach and intestinal problems
    • Constipation
  • Serious allergic reactions. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:
    • Hives
    • Trouble breathing
    • Swollen face
    • Chest pain
  • Serotonin Syndrome
    • Agitation, seeing things that are not there, confusion, or coma
    • Fast heartbeat or unusual and frequent changes in your blood pressure
    • Dizziness, sweating, flushing, or fever
    • Tremors, stiff muscles, muscle twitching, overactive reflexes, or loss of coordination
    • Seizures
    • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Sustol can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Sustol affects you.

Do not take Sustol if you are allergic to granisetron or any of the ingredients in Sustol.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Sustol, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Sustol, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to granisetron or any of the ingredients in Sustol
• are allergic to any other 5-HT3 receptor antagonist medicine used to help prevent nausea and vomiting
• are taking other medications that work on serotonin such as medications used to treat depression (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs))
• have constipation
• have had recent stomach-area surgery
• have kidney problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and on-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. 

There are no well-controlled studies that have been done in pregnant women. Sustol should be used during pregnancy only if the possible benefit outweighs the possible risk to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Sustol crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Sustol.

Receive Sustol exactly as prescribed.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given under the skin by a healthcare professional. 

It will be given to you by an injection under the skin in the back of your upper arm or in your stomach-area. It is usually given about 30 minutes before the start of cancer treatment on Day 1. 

You should not receive Sustol more often than 1 time every 7 days.

Receive this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your kidney function
• your age

The recommended dose of Sustol for the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy treatment is 10mg. 

For those who kidney does not work as well, Sustol will be given less often. 

If Sustol is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if an overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.