adverse reactions
ADVERSE REACTIONS Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting Over 3700 patients have received granisetron hydrochloride tablets in clinical trials with emetogenic cancer therapies consisting primarily of cyclophosphamide or cisplatin regimens. In patients receiving granisetron hydrochloride tablets 1 mg bid for 1, 7 or 14 days, or 2 mg qd for 1 day, adverse experiences reported in more than 5% of the patients with comparator and placebo incidences are listed in Table 4 . Other adverse events reported in clinical trials were: Gastrointestinal: In single-day dosing studies in which adverse events were collected for 7 days, nausea (20%) and vomiting (12%) were recorded as adverse events after the 24-hour efficacy assessment period. Hepatic: In comparative trials, elevation of AST and ALT (>2 times the upper limit of normal) following the administration of granisetron hydrochloride tablets occurred in 5% and 6% of patients, respectively. These frequencies were not significantly different from those seen with comparators (AST: 2%; ALT: 9%). C ardiovascular : Hypertension (1%); hypotension, angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation, and syncope have been observed rarely. Central Nervous System : Dizziness (5%), insomnia (5%), anxiety (2%), somnolence (1%). One case compatible with, but not diagnostic of, extrapyramidal symptoms has been reported in a patient treated with granisetron hydrochloride tablets. Hypersensitivity : Rare cases of hypersensitivity reactions, sometimes severe (eg, anaphylaxis, shortness of breath, hypotension, urticaria) have been reported. Other: Fever (5%). Events often associated with chemotherapy also have been reported: leukopenia (9%), decreased appetite (6%), anemia (4%), alopecia (3%), thrombocytopenia (2%). Over 5000 patients have received injectable granisetron hydrochloride in clinical trials. Table 5 gives the comparative frequencies of the five commonly reported adverse events (≥ 3%) in patients receiving granisetron hydrochloride injection, 40 mcg/kg, in single-day chemotherapy trials. These patients received chemotherapy, primarily cisplatin, and intravenous fluids during the 24-hour period following granisetron hydrochloride injection administration. In the absence of a placebo group, there is uncertainty as to how many of these events should be attributed to granisetron hydrochloride, except for headache, which was clearly more frequent than in comparison groups. Radiation-Induced Nausea and Vomiting In controlled clinical trials, the adverse events reported by patients receiving granisetron hydrochloride tablets and concurrent radiation were similar to those reported by patients receiving granisetron hydrochloride tablets prior to chemotherapy. The most frequently reported adverse events were diarrhea, asthenia, and constipation. Headache, however, was less prevalent in this patient population.