[Usefulness of perospirone for the prevention of nausea related to opioid administration].

PURPOSE In our department, prochlorperazine, a D2 receptor antagonist, was previously administered to prevent nausea related to the introduction of opioids. However, we always had to consider extrapyramidal symptoms. Since August 2006, perospirone has been administered to all patients who have commenced oral opioid therapy, to prevent nausea. In this study, we investigated its usefulness in the prevention of nausea. METHODS Perospirone (4 or 8 mg, once a day) was combined in all patients in whom opioid therapy was introduced with oxycodone at 10 mg/day. We retrospectively examined the presence or absence of nausea within 1 week. RESULTS Oxycodone-related nausea occurred in 1 of 25 patients. There were no adverse reactions such as extrapyramidal symptoms. CONCLUSION These results suggest the usefulness of perospirone for the prevention of nausea related to the intro- duction of opioids.