Daily Medication Pearl: Dronabinol (Syndros)

Author(s):

Saro Arakelians, PharmD

Dronabinol (Syndros) is a cannabinoid indicated in adults for the treatment of: anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

Medication Pearl of the Day: Dronabinol (Syndros)

Indication: Dronabinol (Syndros) is a cannabinoid indicated in adults for the treatment of: anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

Insight:

Dosing: The recommended starting dosage is 2.1 mg up to 4.2 mg orally twice daily depending on the indication.
Dosage forms: Oral solution 5 mg/ mL
Adverse events: Most common adverse reactions are dizziness, euphoria, paranoid reaction, somnolence, thinking abnormal, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Mechanism of action: Dronabinol is an orally active cannabinoid, which has complex effects on the central nervous system, including central sympathomimetic activity. Cannabinoid receptors have been discovered in neural tissues and may play a role in mediating the effects of dronabinol.

Source: LABEL (fda.gov)