Aponvie (aprepitant) is an injectable medication used to prevent nausea and vomiting from surgery. It's given by a healthcare provider intravenously (IV), which means the medication is delivered directly into your vein. Typically you'll receive Aponvie (aprepitant) before surgery. Common side effects of this medication include constipation and low energy.
Prevention of nausea and vomiting after surgery
Aponvie (aprepitant) is an antiemetic called NK1 receptor antagonists. It works by blocking certain chemicals in the brain that can cause nausea and vomiting. In doing so, Aponvie (aprepitant) helps ease acute and delayed nausea and vomiting.
Source: DailyMed
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
Can use in people who have liver or kidney problems
Might work well for people who didn’t see benefits with other antiemetics
Starts working within 5 minutes after injection
Only prevents nausea and vomiting, can't treat nausea and vomiting if you already have symptoms
Not clear whether it's safe or works well in children
Can't be taken with pimozide, a medication for Tourette syndrome
You'll typically receive Aponvie (aprepitant) before your surgery. It takes about 30 seconds to receive the full dose of this medication.
Aponvie (aprepitant) can sometimes cause severe allergic reactions. Your provider will monitor you for symptoms such as trouble breathing, swelling of your face, flushing, rash, hives, and dizziness during and after injection.
Don't use this medication if you're pregnant since it contains alcohol and can cause harm to your unborn baby. If you're pregnant before your surgery, let your provider know.
If you're taking hormonal birth control, make sure to also use non-hormonal birth control (e.g., condoms) as a backup for a month after you've received Aponvie (aprepitant). This is because Aponvie (aprepitant) can cause hormonal birth control to not work as well to prevent pregnancy.
Aponvie (aprepitant) can interact with many medications. Let your provider or pharmacist know what medications you're taking, including over-the-counter products and supplements, before you start Aponvie (aprepitant). Talk with your provider or pharmacist if you have any questions about interactions with this medication.
Aponvie (aprepitant) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk factor: Allergic to aprepitant
In some rare cases, Aponvie (aprepitant) can cause allergic reactions, which can be life-threatening. Your risk is higher if you've been allergic to medications with aprepitant (e.g., Emend, Cinvanti) in the past. Your provider will monitor you for serious allergic reactions during and after your injection to make sure this medication is safe for you. Watch out for signs and symptoms, such as wheezing, eye swelling, flushing, itching, and rash. Let your provider know right away if you have any of these allergic reactions.
Aponvie (aprepitant) interacts with many medications. Before you receive it, make sure your provider is aware of all the other medications, vitamins, and supplements you're currently taking. They can help you check for any serious medication interactions.
Certain medications, like ketoconazole, can raise the amount of Aponvie (aprepitant) in your body. Taking them together can make it more likely for you to experience Aponvie (aprepitant) side effects, such as diarrhea and fatigue. On the other hand, taking certain medications like rifampin (Rifadin) can lower the amount of Aponvie (aprepitant) in your body and cause the medication to not work as well.
Aponvie (aprepitant) can also cause your body to absorb less warfarin (Coumadin), which can raise your risk of blood clots. Your provider will monitor your blood work (INR blood test), 7 to 10 days after your injection of Aponvie (aprepitant), to make sure warfarin (Coumadin) is working well for you.
Finally, Aponvie (aprepitant) might cause certain hormonal birth controls to work less well. If you're taking hormonal birth control, make sure to also use a back-up birth control, like condoms, for at least a month after your injection of Aponvie (aprepitant).
Aponvie (aprepitant) is usually given in a hospital setting by a healthcare provider.
Adults: The typical dose of Aponvie (aprepitant) is 32 mg injected through the veins before you receive anesthesia for a surgery.
Taking pimozide
Prevention of nausea and vomiting due to cancer medications (chemotherapy) or radiation therapy
Prevention of nausea and vomiting after surgery
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Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions.
Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (2022). Heron Therapeutics announces U.S. FDA approval of APONVIE™ (HTX-019) for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). PRNewswire.
Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (2023). Aponvie- aprepitant emulsion [package insert]. DailyMed.
Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (2023). Aponvie (aprepitant) injectable emulsion: Product monograph.
Wang, D. S., et al. (2021). Effect of aprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in women: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.
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