Nabilone-oral

This drug is taken by mouth, usually twice a day or as directed by your doctor. Dosage is based on your response to treatment. The first dose may be taken the night before the chemotherapy treatment. On the day you receive chemotherapy, you should take nabilone 1-3 hours before chemotherapy begins. If required, this drug can be continued until 48 hours after the cancer drug treatment.Use this medication regularly throughout your treatment cycle to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day. This medication should not be taken on an "as needed" basis.This medication may cause withdrawal reactions, especially if it has been used regularly for a long time or in high doses. In such cases, withdrawal symptoms (such as irritability, trouble sleeping, sweating, and diarrhea) may occur if you suddenly stop using this medication. In studies, when nabilone was used for only 5 days for the prevention of nausea and vomiting, this type of withdrawal reaction was not seen. To prevent withdrawal reactions, your doctor may reduce your dose gradually. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details, and report any withdrawal reactions immediately.Rarely, abnormal drug-seeking behavior (addiction) is possible with this medication. Do not increase your dose, take it more frequently, or use it for a longer time than prescribed. Properly stop the medication when so directed.Tell your doctor if your symptoms worsen or do not improve.

Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: anticholinergic drugs (e.g., atropine, scopolamine), naltrexone, theophylline.Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you take recreational or "street" drugs (e.g., "uppers" such as amphetamines, cocaine) because they may cause serious interactions with this medication.Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine), barbiturates (e.g., secobarbital), medicine for sleep or anxiety (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., chlorpromazine, risperidone, amitriptyline, trazodone).Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness, including alcohol. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely.This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Do not share this medication with others. It is against the law.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

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Reviewed on 4/16/2014 References

Before taking nabilone, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to marijuana or related products; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, mental/mood conditions (such as mania, depression, schizophrenia), personal or family history of a substance use disorder (such as overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol).

This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Avoid alcoholic beverages.

Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).

Children may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially mental/mood changes.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially dizziness, lightheadedness, and mental/mood changes.

This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm an unborn baby. Consult your doctor for more details.

It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. However, similar drugs pass into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Breast-feeding while using this drug is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.