any 1 know effect of dexamethasone as antiemittic action?

Answer 1

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682792.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexamethasone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-emetic


Dexamethasone given in low dose at the onset of a general anaesthetic for surgery is an effective anti-emetic. The specific mechanism of action is not fully understood.

Edit: Hey, my only experiences with this drug was in paramedic school, where I learned it was a corticosteriod, used for inflammation. That's why I cited my sources, so people could verify what I wrote:

Here's a website, just for you Doc8: http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nausea/HealthProfessional/page6/print#Section_169
and here's an excerpt from it:

Corticosteroids

Steroids are sometimes used as single agents against mild to moderately emetogenic chemotherapy, but are more often used in antiemetic drug combinations.[58-60] Their antiemetic mechanism of action is not fully understood, but they may affect prostaglandin activity in the brain. Clinically, steroids quantitatively decrease or eliminate episodes of nausea and vomiting and may improve patients’ mood, thus producing a subjective sense of well-being or euphoria (although they also can cause depression and anxiety). In combination with high-dose metoclopramide, steroids may mitigate adverse effects, such as the frequency of diarrheal episodes.

Steroids are often given IV before chemotherapy and may or may not be repeated. Dosages and administration schedules are selected empirically. Dexamethasone is often the treatment of choice in treating nausea and vomiting in patients receiving radiation to the brain, as it also reduces cerebral edema. It is administered orally, IM, or IV in the dose range of 8 to 40 mg (pediatric dose: 0.25–0.5 mg/kg).[61-65] Methylprednisolone is also administered orally, IM, or IV at doses and schedules that vary from 40 to 500 mg every 6 to 12 hours for up to 20 doses.[60,66]

Dexamethasone is also used orally for delayed nausea and vomiting. Long-term corticosteroid use, however, is inappropriate and may cause substantial morbidity, including immunosuppression, proximal muscle weakness (especially involving the thighs and upper arms), aseptic necrosis of the long bones, cataract formation, hyperglycemia and exacerbation of preexisting diabetes or escalation of subclinical diabetes to clinical pathology, adrenal suppression with hypocortisolism, lethargy, weight gain, GI irritation, insomnia, anxiety, mood changes, and psychosis. A study that examined chemotherapy in a group of patients with ovarian cancer found that short-term use of glucocorticoids as antiemetics had no negative effects on outcomes (i.e., overall survival, efficacy of chemotherapy).[67] As had previously been shown with metoclopramide, numerous studies have demonstrated that dexamethasone potentiates the antiemetic properties of 5-HT3 blocking agents.[68-72] If given IV, dexamethasone should be given over 10 to 15 minutes, since rapid administration may cause sensations of generalized warmth, pharyngeal tingling or burning, or acute transient perineal and/or rectal pain.[64,73-75]

Answer 2

Dexamethasone is actually a very useful antiemetic. Although most studies of its action is usually in the setting of a 5HT3 antagonist AND in the setting of chemotherapy related nausea. When combined w/ a 5HT3 antagonist (Kytril, Anzemet, etc), it is effective in reducing chemotherapy induced nausea. It is thought to exert its action through centrally mediated pathways.

Answer 3

The Butterfly Effect has nothing to do with people- this is pop culture nonsense. The Butterfly Effect is a mathematical concept used to describe deviation of the structure of a complex system from initial trajectory. It was originally conceptualized for weather, but is unrelated to humans as we make choices- we don't have a future trajectory. Since there is no set course or future for humankind, there is no "timeline" to affect with our choices and therefore no way to skew it.

Answer 4

I give chemotherapy to cancer pts. The Oncologist always orders 3 days of Dexamethazone and Metoclopramide following the chemo. He says the action of the Dexamethazone is not well understood, but it stops the nausea.

Answer 5

no haven't heard of that. it's for swelling.
check on physicians desk referance-it says nothing about nausea. If they're giving it for a gastrointestinal problem like colitis or something with infllamation, it might help, but its action is for anitinflamatory-look it up

Answer 6

Decadron(dexemethasone) is a steroid. It is used to decrease swelling. It is also iused as an anti-emetic.

Answer 7

it is used with other drugs in chemo sometimes...I know it is used with AC chemo...I think as a cortisone drug it decreases inflammation due to the irritation of chemo drugs, and in that way it may help with nausea...they usually put other anti-nausea drugs in the IV too...

Not directly anti-metic, I don't think so...maybe indirectly anti-nausea..

It probably helps with increasing appetite with chemo too...

Answer 8

It is an anti-inflammatory, adrenal corticol type drug and has no antiemetic effect in my experience.