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Palliative cancer care - nausea & vomiting - Management
How should I treat nausea and vomiting due to anxiety?
- Manage anxiety independently, according to the person's prognosis.
- Consider a benzodiazepine (e.g. lorazepam, 0.5–1 mg sublingually) or levomepromazine (3–6 mg orally or 2.5–6.25 mg by subcutaneous injection). Avoid diazepam.
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on UK specialist palliative care guidelines on the management of nausea and vomiting [Cancer Care Alliance, 2006a].
- Diazepam is not recommended because it has a long plasma half-life and marked individual variation in metabolism. Concurrent administration with other sedative drugs (including strong opioids), old age, debilitation, or hepatic impairment may lead to excessive sedation.
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