How the Medication EMEND� (aprepitant) Works

About EMEND

How EMEND works

2 parts of your body play a role in nausea and vomiting—your stomach and your brain

EMEND is a preventive medicine that helps block nausea and vomiting signals from the brain.

EMEND is always taken with other preventive medicines, including a 5-HT₃ antagonist and a corticosteroid.
As you can see in the diagram below:
- EMEND helps block nausea and vomiting signals from the brain.
- A 5-HT₃ antagonist blocks nausea and vomiting signals from the stomach.

Blocking nausea and vomiting signals from both the brain and stomach can provide more complete prevention

The only NK₁ antagonist: EMEND

5-HT₃ antagonists

Aloxi (palonosetron)
Kytril (granisetron)
Sancuso (granisetron transdermal system)
Zofran (ondansetron)

More complete prevention starts by including EMEND with other anti–nausea and vomiting medicines.

If you have any questions about how EMEND works, ask your health care team.

NEXT > How to take EMEND

Important Safety Information

Do not take EMEND if you are taking Orap (pimozide), Seldane (terfenadine), Hismanal (astemizole), or Propulsid (cisapride). Taking EMEND with any of these medicines could cause serious or life-threatening problems. Do not take EMEND if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in EMEND.

Before you take EMEND, tell your doctor if you have liver problems.

Before you take EMEND, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant because it is not known if EMEND can harm your unborn baby. Women who use birth control medicines containing hormones (birth control pills, skin patches, implants, and certain IUDs) should also use a backup method of birth control during treatment with EMEND and for up to 1 month after using EMEND to prevent pregnancy.

Before you take EMEND, tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding because it is not known if EMEND passes into your milk and if it can harm your baby.

EMEND may affect how other medicines work, including chemotherapy. Other medicines may affect how EMEND works. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking or plan to take, including prescription or nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.

If you take the blood-thinner medicine warfarin sodium (Coumadin or Jantoven), your doctor may do blood tests after you take EMEND to check your blood clotting.

EMEND may cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions such as hives, rash, itching, and trouble breathing or swallowing. Stop taking EMEND and call your doctor right away if you have any of these signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction.

The most common side effects of EMEND are tiredness, nausea, hiccups, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, headache, and hair loss. These are not all the possible side effects of EMEND.