nabilone at a glance
Medicine class
Synthetic cannabinoid antiemetic.
Licensed use
Chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting not adequately controlled by conventional anti-sickness treatment.
Driving
It can cause sleepiness, dizziness, confusion and poor coordination. Do not drive if affected.
Legal status
Nabilone is a Schedule 2 controlled drug and Class B substance.
What is nabilone used for?
The selected product is licensed for adults only.
Control of nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy when conventional antiemetics have not provided an adequate response.
How does nabilone work?
Nabilone is a laboratory-made cannabinoid with central effects similar to THC. Its anti-sickness action is not fully understood, but it appears to influence brain pathways involved in nausea and vomiting.
nabilone preparations and strengths
Capsule
Route: Oral
Strengths: 0.25 mg, 1 mg
How to take nabilone
Take nabilone exactly as instructed by the prescribing team.
Swallow the capsule with water.
Do not combine it with alcohol.
Early administrations may require close observation because psychological, cardiovascular and coordination-related effects can be unpredictable.
nabilone side effects
Common or expected effects
- Sleepiness
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Poor coordination or unsteady movement
- Headache
- Feeling unusually happy or irritable
- Sleep disturbance
- Visual disturbance
- Low blood pressure
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
Get urgent medical advice
- Hallucinations, psychosis or severe behavioural change
- Marked confusion or disorientation
- Fainting or symptomatic low blood pressure
- Fast heartbeat with concerning symptoms
- Breathing depression, coma or unresponsiveness after overdose
nabilone in pregnancy
Human pregnancy experience is absent or very limited, and animal studies found reproductive toxicity. The product information does not recommend nabilone during pregnancy. Discuss pregnancy or pregnancy plans with the specialist team.
nabilone while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether nabilone enters human milk, and a risk to a breastfed child cannot be excluded. The product information advises stopping breastfeeding during treatment; plan this with the specialist team.
nabilone interactions
Nabilone can interact with medicines and substances that affect the brain, circulation or autonomic nervous system.
Alcohol
May increase sedation, impaired coordination and other central nervous system effects; do not take it with nabilone.
Benzodiazepines, barbiturates and sleeping medicines
May add to central nervous system depression, sleepiness and impairment.
Opioids, including codeine
May add to sedation and other central nervous system effects.
Sedating antihistamines, anticholinergics and muscle relaxants
Common questions about nabilone
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is nabilone used for?
It is licensed for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in adults when conventional anti-sickness treatments have not worked adequately.
Is nabilone made from cannabis?
No. It is a synthetic cannabinoid made to produce effects similar to some actions of THC; it is not extracted from the cannabis plant.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.