Granisetron is an antiemetic drug that belongs to the class 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists and is effective against nausea and vomiting.  It was approved by the FDA on  25 July 1

Granisetron is indicated to prevent nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeated courses of emetogenic (a substance that causes vomiting) chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is also used to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting in adults that may occur after surgery.  

Granisetron is a prescription generic drug available as an injectable solution, extended-release subcutaneous injection, transdermal patch, tablet, and oral solution. The oral dose is given 1 hour before chemotherapy, followed by 12 hours after chemotherapy to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The recommended injection dose is 10 mcg/kg intravenously 30 minutes before chemotherapy. Your doctor will decide the dose, frequency, and dosage based on the severity of the condition. To prevent radiation-induced nausea and vomiting, the recommended dose is given orally 1 hour before radiation therapy. To prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting, the recommended dose is given intravenously before induction of anesthesia. To treat postoperative nausea and vomiting, the recommended dose is given intravenously.

The common side effects of granisetron are headache, weakness, excessive sleepiness, fever, diarrhea, sedation, drowsiness, and constipation. Other serious side effects are breathing difficulties, chest pain, abnormal heartbeat, and swelling of eyes, hands, and ankles. There may be side effects during the drug infusion, such as itching in the skin, redness at the site of administration, and shortness of breath. Inform your physician if you face any of the symptoms. 

Granisetron may cause QT prolongation. Inform your doctor about heart disease, arrhythmias, or other cardiac conduction disorders that you have. Hypersensitivity reactions are noted after administration. Inform your physician if you have trouble breathing, chest pain, rashes in the skin, swelling in the face or other parts of the body, or bleeding. The drug may likely cause serotonin syndrome when administered with another 5-HT3 receptor antagonist; inform your healthcare provider about the medications that you are taking and if you have any symptoms of mental status changes (agitation, hallucinations, delirium, and coma), autonomic instability (tachycardia, labile blood pressure, dizziness, diaphoresis, flushing, hyperthermia), neuromuscular symptoms (tremor, rigidity, myoclonus, hyperreflexia, incoordination), seizures. 

The drug may cause allergic reactions; notify your doctor if you see any signs of rash, itchy skin, redness in the skin, Swelling of your lips or tongue, sudden cough, and low blood pressure.  Inform your physician if you have any heart disease, gastrointestinal disease, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease, blood/bleeding problems, or infection and about all the other prescribed, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, or herbal medications you take. The safety and effectiveness of granisetron have not yet been established in pregnant and lactating mothers. It is advisable to talk with your doctor if you are pregnant, to breastfeed, or planning to get pregnant. 

Store the tablets at a controlled room temperature; keep them away from children and pets. Store the single-use vials and multi-use vials at 25°C. This drug may make you dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness until you can do it safely.

1. HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/020239s021,020305s014,021238s007lbl.pdf (Accessed on 21 December 2022)
2. DailyMed - SUSTOL- granisetron injection. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed December 22, 2022. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=f7c7ffdd-8270-4030-bc1e-a1cb28a6de56&audience=consumer#section-5
3. Granisetron: MedlinePlus Drug Information. medlineplus.gov. Accessed December 22, 2022. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601211.html
4. Tripathi KD. Essentials of Medical Pharmacology. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2019: 716-717. Accessed December 21, 2022. file:///C:/Users/BIS/Downloads/Essentials%20of%20Medical%20Pharmacology%20(%20PDFDrive%20).pdf
5. Minami M. Granisetron: is there a dose-response effect on nausea and vomiting? Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2003 Aug;52(2):89-98. doi: 10.1007/s00280-003-0652-6. Epub 2003 May 29. PMID: 12783208.
6. Granisetron: Package Insert / Prescribing Information. Drugs.com. Published February 1, 2022. Accessed December 22, 2022. https://www.drugs.com/pro/granisetron.html

The drug information on this page is not a substitute for medical advice. It is meant for educational purposes only. For further details, consult your doctor about your medical condition to know if you can receive this treatment.