Ondansetron Side Effects and Uses

Ondansetron was first developed at the Glaxo's laboratories, London, in 1984. It is a serotonin-5HT₃ receptor antagonist. Serotonin is the hormone that causes vomiting and nausea. The basic working mechanism of ondansetron in the human body, is to block the secretion of this hormone. It is generally administered to patients who are about to undergo chemotherapy. This drug is extremely useful in neutralizing nausea or vomiting sensation. But both, the biologists and medical professionals, do not disagree to the fact that ondansetron can have some serious side effects on the patient.

Uses
Ondansetron is administered, not only to patients who are about to undergo chemotherapy, but also to patients who are likely to suffer nausea after going through a radiation therapy or a surgery. The medicine is administered before the various therapies, because it is relatively easier to prevent nausea and vomiting before it starts, rather than treating it once it has started. Ondansetron is thus a preventive drug. Generally, it has been observed that ondansetron has a better capability to prevent vomiting than nausea. The difference between nausea and vomiting is that, in nausea you have a strange feeling in your stomach and you feel like throwing up but you don't actually do so, while in the case of vomiting you actually throw up. Ondansetron, as such, is often prescribed in conjunction with some other medicine to prevent nausea.

The medical history of the patient is taken into account before administering him any medicine to prevent his nausea. Though not practiced very widely, medical practitioners also prescribe ondansetron to treat alcoholism. Ondansetron is also prescribed by many medical practitioners to women, during their pregnancy, for the same basic purpose of preventing nausea and vomiting. The effect of this drug is specifically on the central nervous system. In the early days, just after the development of ondansetron, it was recognized as a valuable treatment for the psychosis that results from Parkinson's disease.

Side Effects
There are certain short living side effects, that patients who take ondansetron, may suffer from. Among the most common are diarrhea, constipation and headaches. The patient may also feel very weak after the therapy and his urination may be less or almost nil . Among the serious side effects that ondansetron may cause, are breathing problems, slow heart beat rate, anxiety, shivering and fever. In case of any of these side effects, a medical professional should be immediately consulted. Ondansetron is one drug, that needs to be consumed exactly in the prescribed amount. An overdose of ondansetron can cause serious problems.

There are various instances in the medical world, where patients who have taken an overdose of ondansetron, have suffered from temporary blindness. In many cases the thinking capability of the patient gets impaired, because of consuming ondansetron. Hence, it is always advised by doctors, to patients who have been administered ondansetron, not to drive or do any such activity that requires them to be alert and active. For a patient with a past medical history of long QT syndrome or liver problems, the drug may have an even worse impact. There are various side effects of this drug that have not been clinically proved and are hence not mentioned in medical books, however it is always advisable to contact your doctor in case of any unusual feeling that you may suffer from, after the consumption of this drug.

Ondansetron is a very useful drug, but you should always consult a medical professional before consuming it. The side effects can get worse for those who have consumed it and are unaware of the fact that they are allergic to it. It is thus very important, to make your doctor aware of your medical history before consuming this drug. The drug is also not suitable for people who are allergic to palonosetron, dolasetron or granisetron.