Aprepitant Dosing

To help prevent nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, within an hour before therapy, the recommended dosage of aprepitant is 125 mg. Dosing for the next two days is 80 mg once daily in the morning. For the prevention of nausea and vomiting due to surgery, the recommended aprepitant dosing is 40 mg within three hours before the start of surgery.

 

Aprepitant Dosage: An Introduction

The dose of aprepitant (Emend®) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Whether you are having surgery or chemotherapy
  • Other medications you may be taking
  • Other medical conditions you may have.
     
As is always the case, do not adjust your aprepitant dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Aprepitant Dosing for Chemotherapy

The recommended aprepitant dose for the prevention of nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy is aprepitant 125 mg by mouth one hour before chemotherapy (day 1), then 80 mg by mouth once daily in the morning for the next two days (on days 2 and 3). If desired, the first dose of aprepitant before chemotherapy can be given by IV, instead of by mouth. In this case, the recommended dose is 115 mg by IV (instead of 125 mg by mouth).
 
When used for chemotherapy, aprepitant should always be used with other nausea and vomiting medications. Preferably, it should be used with a corticosteroid, such as methylprednisolone (Medrol®) or dexamethasone (Decadron®), and a 5-HT3 antagonist, such as:
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;