Antiemetic combination for cisplatin-induced emesis. Results from a controlled study

Thirty-six patients suffering from disseminated epithelial tumors under treatment with Cisplatin alone or in combination with Vindesine entered a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study comparing the antiemetic activity of low-dose IV Metoclopramide (total dose: 0.8 mg/kg) with that of a combination of Metoclopramide (same schedule) plus Nortriptyline (2 X 50 mg PO) plus Thiethylperazine (3 X 10 mg IV). This combination was designed in an attempt to act simultaneously on gastrointestinal motility and neuroreceptors at central emetic pathways (Dopamine D-2, Histamine H-1 and muscarinic cholinergic). The antiemetic combination significantly reduces the median number of emetic episodes (p less than 0.01), the median volume of vomiting (p less than 0.01) and the median time of emesis (p less than 0.01) when compared with Metoclopramide alone and was also preferred by a significant number of patients (p = 0.0001) after passing through both antiemetic treatment arms being compared.