Nabilone

Nabilone is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting. 

• Nabilone is available under the following different brand names: Cesamet 

Common side effects of Nabilone include:

• Headache,
• Dizziness,
• Drowsiness
• Feeling "high",
• Weakness,
• Lack of coordination,
• Depressed mood,
• Dry mouth, and
• Trouble concentrating

Serious side effects of Nabilone include:

• Hives,
• Difficulty breathing,
• Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat,
• Hallucinations,
• Confusion,
• Unusual thoughts or behavior,
• Anxiety,
• Panic,
• Paranoia,
• Extreme fear,
• Fast heart rate, and
• Lightheadedness

Rare side effects of Nabilone include:

• none

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors;
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out.

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Adult dosage

Capsule: Schedule II

• 1 mg

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea/Vomiting

Adult dosage

• 1-2 mg orally every 8-12 hours

Geriatric dosage

• 1-2 mg orally every 8-12 hours; not to exceed 6 mg divided every 8 hours

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first.

• Nabilone has severe interactions with no other drugs.
• Nabilone has serious interactions with the following drugs:
  • calcium/magnesium/potassium/sodium oxybates
  • metoclopramide intranasal
  • ropeginterferon alfa 2b
  • sodium oxybate
• Nabilone has moderate interactions with at least 172 other drugs.
• Nabilone has minor interactions with the following drugs:
  • benazepril
  • captopril
  • eucalyptus
  • sage

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your products. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to cannabinoids
• History of psychotic reactions

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Nabilone?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Nabilone?”

Cautions

• Severe liver impairment
• Give only to patients in whom conventional antiemetics have failed
• Emotionally disturbed patients (non-psychotic)
• Concomitant use of alcohol or other psychoactive substances can potentiate psychotropic effects
• May cause tachycardia and orthostatic hypotension
• May impair the ability to drive or perform hazardous tasks

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Use with caution if the benefits outweigh the risks during pregnancy.

Lactation

• Not recommended