Adults may experience nausea and vomiting within 24 hours or up to a few days after having specific cancer chemotherapy treatments. Aprepitant injection and fosaprepitant injection are used to treat this condition, along with other drugs. Children 6 months and older can also utilise the fosaprepitant injectable. The injections of aprepitant and fosaprepitant are not used to alleviate existing nausea and vomiting. Antiemetics are a group of drugs that includes aprepitant and fosaprepitant injections. They function by preventing the effects of neurokinin, a brain chemical that naturally induces nausea and vomiting.

Both aprepitant and fosaprepitant injections are available as liquid emulsions that must be mixed with fluids before being administered intravenously (into a vein) by a physician or nurse in a healthcare setting. On day 1 of a chemotherapy treatment cycle, aprepitant or fosaprepitant injection is typically administered as a single dose, ending around 30 minutes before chemotherapy begins. Oral aprepitant may also be administered on days 2 and 3 of the chemotherapy treatment cycle for adolescents, teenagers, and adults undergoing fosaprepitant with specific chemotherapy regimens.

An adverse reaction to an injection of aprepitant or fosaprepitant may occur during or immediately after the injection. If you have any of the following symptoms during or soon after receiving treatment, let your doctor know right away: swelling around your eyes, rash, hives, itching, redness, flushing, difficulty breathing or swallowing, feeling faint or dizzy, or a quick or pounding heartbeat. The infusion will likely be stopped by your doctor, who may also administer other medications to treat the reaction.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before using aprepitant or fosaprepitant injection,

• If you have any allergies, including to any of the substances in aprepitant injection or fosaprepitant injection, notify your doctor and pharmacist right away. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Informing your physician that you are taking pimozide (Orap). If you are taking this medicine, your doctor will probably advise you not to use aprepitant or fosaprepitant injection.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: drugs that prevent clotting (also known as “blood thinners”); some antifungals such itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), and ketoconazole; anticoagulants (also known as “blood thinners”); benzodiazepines such midazolam (Xanax), alprazolam (Halcion), and triazolam (Halcion); several cancer chemotherapy drugs like vinblastine (Velban), vincristine (Marqibo), and ifosfamide (Ifex); carbamazepine (Tegretol, Teril); clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac); and diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Diltzac, others); nefazodone, steroids like dexamethasone and methylprednisolone (Depo-medrol, Medrol, Solu-medrol), phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), and rifampin are some HIV protease inhibitors. Examples include nelfinavir (Viracept) and ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra, Technivie, and Viekira Pa (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, Rifater). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects. Aprepitant and fosaprepitant may also interact with many other drugs, so be sure to let your doctor know about all the drugs you’re taking even those not on this list.
• If you have liver illness now or previously, let your doctor know.
• If you are breastfeeding a child or intend to become pregnant, let your doctor know. If you are taking hormonal birth control during your treatment with aprepitant or fosaprepitant (pills, patches, rings, implants, or injections), you should also use an additional nonhormonal method of birth control (spermicide, condom), in order to prevent pregnancy both during treatment with aprepitant or fosaprepitant and for one month after your final dose. See your doctor about effective birth control options for you. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking an injection of aprepitant or fosaprepitant.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

Do not share your medication with anybody else. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.