How to use Zofran
Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take Zofran as follows:
- Take this medication as ordered by your physician. Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
- Take the medication dose one hour before chemotherapy or scheduled surgery. If zofran is being continued after the therapy or the surgical procedure, to be taken on a daily basis, take it at the same time, every day, for the duration prescribed, can help avoid forgetting the intake of medication. Also, taking it at bedtime can help avoid the risk of daytime drowsiness with zofran.
- Zofran can induce some dizziness and make one drowsy. Starting the medication at a low dose and carefully adjusting the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. If the dizziness becomes bothersome, report it to your physician and other health care personnel, for any change in plan of care to be considered. Stay away from activities, such as, driving and operating heavy machinery, until you are used to the side effects caused by zofran.
- Do not take zofran with alcohol or opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, as these products can add to the confusion caused by zofran. A number of OTC cough medications, antihistamines, and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the confusion caused by zofran and so, must be avoided taking along with zofran.
- Notify your doctor of any unresolved and worsening nausea and vomiting, and dizziness or other continuing unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
- Take the tablet as a whole. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the whole tablet, you may cut the tablet and swallow it in pieces with a glass of water. You may also crush the tablet and sprinkle the powder on a spoonful of soft jelly or applesauce and swallow the jelly or sauce along with the medication.
- Zofran is also available as an orally disintegrating tablet, which absorbs moisture from the atmosphere around rapidly and can start to dissolve. So, remove only one dose from the blister package at a time, just when it is time for intake of the dose. Make sure the hands are dry before getting the tablet out of the package. Any moisture on the hands can start to dissolve the tablet, thus compromising the therapeutic benefit of the medication. This orally disintegrating tablet must be placed on the tongue, allowed to dissolve in the mouth for one minute, before swallowing the remnants in the mouth with saliva. Do not chew on this tablet and do not swallow it as a whole, which can compromise the therapeutic benefit of the medication.
- Zofran is also available as an orally soluble film, which absorbs moisture from the atmosphere around rapidly and can start to dissolve. So, remove only one dose from the package at a time, just when it is time for intake of the dose. Make sure the hands are dry before getting the film out of the package. Any moisture on the hands can start to dissolve the film, thus compromising the therapeutic benefit of the medication. This orally disintegrating film must be placed on the tongue, allowed to dissolve in the mouth for one minute, before swallowing the remnants in the mouth with saliva. Do not chew on this film and do not swallow it as a whole, which can compromise the therapeutic benefit of the medication.
- When taking zofran as an oral syrup, use a measuring spoon/cup to measure the correct dose being taken, in order to avoid risk for over/under dosing. Also, do not forgot to shake the suspension well before you use it.
- Zofran use can result in bloating, abdominal pain, and severe constipation. Discuss with your physician regarding your history of chronic constipation, abdominal distension, and intestinal block, if any, and your safety with zofran use. Report to your physician and other healthcare personnel regarding any acute slowing of bowels, absence of bowel movement in 2 days after zofran use, abdominal discomfort with distension and bloating, for any active measures for relief of constipation and abdominal discomfort to be considered. Dose change or discontinuation on zofran, with an alternative plan of care, could be considered to avoid the unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms with zofran.
- Zofran interacts with a lot of other medications, thus influencing their function. If you are being newly started on zofran, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with zofran. Also, notify your physician regarding any current zofran intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with zofran.
- Zofran can interact with many antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics, antiarrhythmic medications, antidepressants, and antipsychotic medications, resulting in development or aggravation of underlying cardiac arrhythmias, leading to debility and sudden cardiac death. Discuss with your physician regarding your history of cardiac arrhythmias, if any, if you are newly started on zofran. If you are newly diagnosed with any cardiac arrhythmias or started on any antiarrhythmic medications, discuss with your physician upon your safety with regards to continuing on zofran, if you have been using this medication for long.
- Low blood levels of potassium and magnesium ions and medications influencing the levels of these ions in the blood, such as, diuretics, can also result in cardiac arrhythmias, which can be seriously aggravated with simultaneous use of zofran, leading to debility and sudden cardiac death. Report to your physician regarding any worsening signs and symptoms of arrhythmias, such as, frequent episodes of fatigue, lightheadedness, near fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, and/or pounding heartbeat, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised or alternative plan considered.
- Zofran can interact with some antidepressants, especially medications acting by inhibiting the uptake of serotonin, such as citalopram. This can result in very high levels of serotonin, leading to a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome. Individuals can present with mania, excitement, hallucinations, agitation, pounding heartbeat, very rapid heart rate, overactive reflexes, and diarrhea. Discuss with your physician regarding your history of intake of antidepressant medications, if any, and your safety with zofran.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication.
- Do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the desired result immediately after taking the medication.
- While using zofran, periodical evaluation of various electrolytes and ions could be performed, to avoid any serious side-effects from developing. Observe compliance with any labs and evaluations ordered.
- Your physician could change the dose of zofran, based on the relief obtained or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to update on the relief from symptoms. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Continue taking zofran as ordered, even if your symptoms are under control. Abrupt discontinuation on zofran intake can result in precipitating the symptoms back again. Discontinuing the medication should only be on your physician’s recommendation.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
