Nausea relief…

Hey all – The pill you’re referring to is called Marinol (dronabinol) – it is essentially delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. It is made by Solvay Pharmaceuticals, which recently became a wholly owned subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. Solvay acquired Marinol in 1999 when it purchased Unimed Pharmaceuticals of Deerpark, IL.

Marinol has two indications: It is indicated for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

It is usually a second or third line antiemetic and used when the 5HT3 antagonists like Zofran, Kytril or Anzimet fail to achieve effect. One of the side benefits of the drug is an increase in appetite, which is why it is popular in patients suffering from cachexia.

While Solvay/Abbott is not actively promoting the product to physicians, it is still being manufactured and available, often by special order at the pharmacy. The good news is that it is now a class III product and does not require special prescription writing limitations.

Here’s a link to the product website:

http://www.abbottgrowth-us.com/products/productgroups/productdetails/0,,8944-2-0,00.htm

Hope that helps!

Nothing worked for me during my last chemo. Nausea was almost constant. I’ve never heard of a marijuana pill. Is this legal in the US or are you in another country?

Kathy