Table 1.
Efficacy of Various Exogenous Cannabinoids to Alleviate Acute Nausea in Humans
| Compound | References | Efficacy | Dose | Nausea-evoking agent | Sample details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THC | Chang et al.10 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Smoked THC (1.93% THC ∼17.4 mg), oral THC (10 mg/m2) | Methotrexate (250 mg/kg) | 15 patients (10 males, 5 females; 15–49 years old) |
| Ekert et al.11 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonists:• More effective | Oral THC (10 mg/m2) | Various chemotherapy agents | 33 patients (22 males, 11 females; 5–19 years old) | |
| Frytak et al.12 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Oral THC (15 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 116 patients (70 males, 46 females; 21–70+ years old) | |
| Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | |||||
| • As effective | |||||
| Kluin-Neleman et al.13 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Oral THC (10 mg/m2), | Chlormethine (6 mg/m2) and vincristine (1.4 mg/m2) with procarbazine (100 mg/m2) and prednisone (40 mg/m2) | 11 patients (10 males, 1 female; 21–53 years old) | |
| Lucas and Laszlo14 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist:• More effective | Oral THC (15 mg/m2, or 4 mg/m2) | Details not provided | 53 patients | |
| McCabe et al.15 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist:• More effective | Oral THC (15 mg/m2) | Various chemotherapy agents | 36 patients (9 males, 27 females; 18–69 years old) refractive to antiemetics | |
| Neidhart et al.16 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral THC (10 mg) | Cisplatinum, nitrogen mustard, or doxorubicin | 73 patients (42 males, 31 females | |
| • As effective | |||||
| Orr et al.17 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Oral THC (7 mg/m2) | Various chemotherapy agents | 55 patients (28 males, 51 females; 22–71 years old) refractive to antiemetics | |
| Compared to D2 receptor antagonist:• More effective | |||||
| Orr and McKernan18 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Oral THC (7 mg/m2), | Various chemotherapy agents | 79 patients (22–71 years old) refractive to anti-emetics | |
| Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | |||||
| • More effective | |||||
| Dronabinol (Marinol®) | Lane et al.22 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist:• As effective | Oral dronabinol (10 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 62 patients (29 males, 33 females; (20–68 years old) |
| Meiri et al.23 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Oral dronabinol (2.5, 5 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 61 patients (24 males, 37 females; 24–81 years old) | |
| Compared to 5-HT3 receptor antagonist: • As effective | |||||
| Nabilone (Cesamet®) | Ahmedzai et al.24 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist:• More effective | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Cyclophosphamide (1g/m2), adriamycin (40 mg/m2), and etoposide (100 mg/m2) | 34 patients (19 males, 15 females; 27–72 years old) |
| Dalzell et al.26 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (1–3 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 18 patients (14 males, 4 females; 0–17 years old) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Einhorn et al.27 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 80 patients (15–74 years old) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Herman et al.30 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 152 patients (126 men, 26 women; 15–70 years old) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Johansson et al.31 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Cisplatinum (50 mg/m2), adriamycin (40 mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) | 26 patients (18–70 years old) refractive to antiemetics | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Jones et al.32 | Compared to placebo: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 54 patients (35 men, 19 women; 38–57 years old) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Levitt28 | Compared to placebo:• More effective | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 36 patients (12 men, 24 women; 17–78 years old) | |
| Niederle et al.34 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Cisplatin (20 mg/m2) and adriamycin (600 mg/m2) | 20 patients (male; 19–45) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Niiranen and Mattson35 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (1 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 24 patients (20 males, 4 females; 48–78 years old) | |
| • As effective | |||||
| Pomeroy et al.36 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (1 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 38 patients (23 males, 15 females; 21–66 years old) | |
| • As effective | |||||
| Steele et al.37 | Compared to D2 receptor antagonist: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 37 patients (19–65 years old) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Wada et al.38 | Compared to placebo: | Oral nabilone (2 mg) | Various chemotherapy agents | 114 patients (47 males, 67 females; 18–81 years old) | |
| • More effective | |||||
| Sativex® | Duran et al.39 | Compared to standard antiemetic treatment (corticosteroid/5-HT3 receptor antagonist or D2 receptor antagonist: | Oromucosal spray (2.7 mg THC +2.5 mg CBD/spray) | 16 patients (1 male, 15 females; 34–76 years old) refractive to antiemetics | |
| • As effective |
CBD, cannabidiol; 5-HT3, 5-hydroxytryptamine 3; THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.