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Generic Name: dolasetron mesylate
Product Name: Anzemet
Indication: What Anzemet is used for
Anzemet tablets contain the active ingredient dolasetron mesylate, which belongs to a group of medicines called antiemetics. Antiemetics are used to help stop nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (being sick).
Anzemet tablets are used to help you stop feeling or being sick after surgery.
Anzemet tablets should only be taken for the nausea and vomiting for which they have been prescribed.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about why it has been prescribed for you.
This medicine is only available with a doctor’s prescription.
Action: How Anzemet works
It is thought that chemotherapeutic agents produce nausea and vomiting by releasing serotonin from the enterochromaffin cells of the small intestine, and that the released serotonin then activates 5-HT3 receptors located on vagal efferents to initiate the vomiting reflex. Dolasetron mesylate and its active metabolite, hydrodolasetron, are selective serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonists.
Anzemet 50 mg contains 50 mg of the active ingredient dolasetron mesylate per tablet.
The tablets also contain the inactive ingredients lactose, pregelatinised maize starch, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, carnauba wax, white beeswax, opadry pink YS-1-14555-A, and opacode black S-1-8093.
Dose advice: How to use Anzemet
Before you take it
When you must not take it
Do not take Anzemet tablets if you:
- Are pregnant or might be pregnant;
- Are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed.
Do not take it if you are allergic to it or any of the ingredients listed here.
Do not give Anzemet tablets to a child or adolescent under the age of 18 years.
Do not take it after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack. If you take it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
Do not take it if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking Anzemet tablets, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients listed here.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Like most medicines of this kind, Anzemet tablets are not recommended to be used during pregnancy. Your doctor or pharmacist will discuss the risks and benefits of taking it if you are pregnant.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is not recommended for women receiving Anzemet tablets.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you plan to have surgery.
If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them before you take Anzemet tablets.
How to take it
How much to take
The standard dose of Anzemet tablets for adults who are going to have an operation is 50 mg taken as a single dose before the start of the anaesthetic for the operation.
Your doctor may have prescribed a different dose.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure of the correct dose for you. They will tell you exactly how many to take.
Follow the instructions they give you. If you take the wrong dose, Anzemet tablets may not work as well and your problem may not improve.
How to take it
Swallow the tablets whole with a little water.
When to take it
You may take them with or without food.
If you are not sure when to take it, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
How long to take it
Do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to, even if you feel better.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how long to take the medicine for.
If you forget to take it
Ask your doctor or pharmacist what to do.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else may have taken too many Anzemet tablets. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
While you are taking it
Things you must do
Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Anzemet tablets.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking Anzemet tablets.
If you plan to have surgery that needs a general anaesthetic, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medicine.
If you become pregnant while you are taking this medicine, stop taking it and tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Things you must not do
Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor or pharmacist tells you to.
Do not stop taking Anzemet tablets, or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor.
Do not stop taking your tablets because you are feeling better, unless advised by your doctor or pharmacist.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.
After taking it
If you have any queries about any aspect of your medicine, or any questions regarding the information here, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist.
Storage
Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the box or the blister pack they may not keep well.
Keep the medicine in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom, near a sink, or on a windowsill. Do not leave it in the car. Heat and damp can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor or pharmacist tells you to stop taking Anzemet tablets, or it has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that are left over.
Return any unused medicine to your pharmacist.
Schedule of Anzemet
Anzemet is a Schedule 4 (prescription only) medicine.
Side effects of Anzemet
All medicines have some unwanted side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not. Your doctor has weighed the risks of using this medicine against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Anzemet tablets. It helps most people stop feeling or being sick, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- Headache;
- Dizziness;
- Constipation;
- Diarrhoea.
These are mild side effects of this medicine and usually short-lived.
Tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
- Disturbances of your heart rhythm (for example, palpitations or a pounding heart).
This may be a serious side effect of Anzemet tablets. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are uncommon.
Other serious side effects that have been reported include:
- Changes in liver enzymes in the blood;
- Changes in the amount of red or white blood cells;
- Low blood pressure.
Serious side effects are rare.
If any of the following happen, stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:
- Swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing.
These are very serious side effects. If you have them, you may have had a serious allergic reaction to Anzemet tablets. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
These side effects are very rare.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may occur in some consumers.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
For further information talk to your doctor.
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