Dronabinol

Dronabinol is used to treat

• nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy
• loss of appetite and weight loss in people who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Dronabinol is in a class of medications called cannabinoids. It works by affecting the area of the brain that controls nausea, vomiting, and appetite.

Dronabinol comes as a capsule and as a solution (liquid) to take by mouth. When taking to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, take 1 to 3 hours before chemotherapy and then every 2 to 4 hours after chemotherapy, for a total of 4 to 6 doses a day. Take the first dose 30 minutes before eating and the following doses with or without food. When taking to increase appetite, take twice a day, about an hour before lunch and supper. Take dronabinol exactly as directed.

Swallow the capsules whole; do not chew or crush them.

Swallow the dronabinol solution with a full glass of water (6 to 8 ounces).

Always use the oral dosing syringe that comes with dronabinol solution to measure your dose. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about how to measure your dose of dronabinol solution.

Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of dronabinol and may gradually increase your dose. Your doctor may also decrease your dose if you experience side effects that do not go away after 1 to 3 days. Be sure to tell your doctor how you are feeling during your treatment with dronabinol.

Dronabinol may be habit-forming. Do not take a larger dose, take it more often, or take it for a longer period of time than prescribed by your doctor. Call your doctor if you find that you want to take extra medication.

Dronabinol will control your symptoms only as long as you take the medication. Continue to take dronabinol even if you feel well. Do not stop taking dronabinol without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking dronabinol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness, hot flashes, sweating, runny nose, diarrhea, hiccups, and loss of appetite.

Before taking dronabinol,

• tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to this medication, any part of this medication, or any other medications, foods or substances. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about the allergy and what symptoms you had.
• tell your doctor if you are taking disulfiram or metronidazole or if have stopped taking these medications within the past 14 days. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take dronabinol solution if you are taking one or more of these medications. If you stop taking dronabinol solution, you should wait 7 days before you start to take disulfiram or metronidazole.
• some medications should not be taken with dronabinol. Other medications may cause dosing changes or extra monitoring when taken with dronabinol. Make sure you have discussed any medications you are currently taking or plan to take before starting dronabinol with your doctor and pharmacist. Before starting, stopping, or changing any medications while taking dronabinol, please get the advice of your doctor or pharmacist.
• tell your doctor if you use or have ever used marijuana or other street drugs and if you drink or have ever drunk large amounts of alcohol. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart disease, high blood pressure, seizures, dementia (a brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking, and everyday activities), or a mental illness such as mania (high energy, feels very excited or irritable, and may act or think in ways that are not typical), depression (feeling hopeless, loss of energy and/or loss of interest in doing previously enjoyable activities), or schizophrenia (a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking and strong or inappropriate emotions).
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking dronabinol, call your doctor immediately.
• do not breastfeed while you are taking dronabinol capsules or solution. If you are taking dronabinol solution for nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, do not breastfeed during your treatment and for 9 days after your final dronabinol dose.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking dronabinol.
• you should know that dronabinol may make you drowsy and may cause changes in your mood, thinking, memory, judgment, or behavior, especially at the beginning of your treatment. You will need to be supervised by a responsible adult when you first begin taking dronabinol and whenever your dose is increased. Do not drive a car, operate machinery or do any other activity that requires mental alertness until you know how this medication affects you.
• do not drink alcoholic beverages while you are taking dronabinol. Alcohol can make the side effects from dronabinol worse.
• you should know that dronabinol may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This may be more common when you first start taking dronabinol. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.

Talk to your doctor or nutritionist and read the manufacturer's information for the patient to find out about ways to encourage yourself to eat when your appetite is poor and about which types of foods are the best choices for you.

Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking dronabinol oral solution.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Dronabinol may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• weakness
• stomach pain
• nausea, vomiting
• memory loss
• anxiety, confusion, difficulty concentrating; dizziness; unsteady walking
• sleepiness
• feeling like you are outside of your body
• ''high'' or elevated mood
• hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist); strange or unusual thoughts; depression
• headaches; vision problems; feeling lightheaded

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• seizures
• fast or pounding heartbeat
• fainting

Dronabinol may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store capsules in a cool place (between 46-59 °F, 8-15 °C) or in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the capsules. Store the unopened dronabinol solution in the container in the refrigerator. Once opened, the dronabinol solution can be stored at room temperature for up to 28 days. Keep medication away from heat, direct light, and moisture.

Store dronabinol in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose. Keep track of how many capsules and solution are remaining so you will know if any medication is missing.

Keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant. Always lock safety caps. Place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. https://www.upandaway.org

Dispose of unneeded medications in a way so that pets, children, and other people cannot take them. Do not flush this medication down the toilet. Use a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist about take-back programs in your community. Visit the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website https://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for more information.

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• drowsiness
• inappropriate happiness; sharper senses than usual; changed awareness of time
• red eyes; dry mouth; fast heartbeat
• feeling that you are outside of your body; mood changes
• difficulty urinating
• constipation
• decreased coordination; memory problems; dizziness or fainting when standing up too fast
• extreme tiredness
• difficulty speaking clearly

Keep all appointments with your doctor.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Your dronabinol prescription may be refilled only a limited number of times.

If you are taking dronabinol, it is not refillable. Be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor so that you do not run out of dronabinol if you are to take this medication on a regular basis.

Keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements you are taking. Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital. You should carry the list with you in case of emergencies.

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