The Medicines You Go Home With — After Chemotherapy
You finish your infusion and someone hands you a bag of tablets — sometimes five or six — with instructions you are trying to absorb while still in the treatment chair. This page names each medicine and tells you plainly what it is for.
Medically reviewed by Dr. T. Raghavender Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · DM (Medical Oncology) · MD (Radiation Oncology) · Last reviewed September 2026
- These are supportive medicines — They manage the side effects of the infusion. None of them treat the cancer itself.
- Each one has a specific job — Anti-nausea, stomach protection, white blood cell support — your team selected each for a reason.
- Do not stop them early without asking — If a tablet is causing a problem, call your team before you stop taking it.
- Tell your team everything else you take — This includes herbal preparations, vitamins, and medicines bought without a prescription.
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After chemotherapy, you go home with medicines to control the side effects of the infusion — primarily nausea, stomach irritation, and sometimes low white blood cell counts. The most common are an anti-nausea tablet such as ondansetron, a steroid like dexamethasone to reduce nausea and inflammation, and a stomach protector such as pantoprazole.
What is each medicine in your bag for?
Ondansetron — sold as Emeset, Zofran, or Setron — prevents the nausea and vomiting that chemotherapy commonly triggers. It works on the signals in your brain and gut that control the vomiting reflex. It is the most widely prescribed anti-nausea medicine after chemotherapy in India.
Aprepitant — sold as Emend or Aprecap — is a second anti-nausea medicine added when the chemotherapy carries a high risk of delayed nausea: nausea that starts the day after the infusion rather than on the day. Not every patient receives it.
Dexamethasone — sold as Dexona or Decdan — is a steroid. In this context it is prescribed to reduce nausea and the risk of allergic reactions to the infusion, not to treat cancer. If you were not expecting a steroid in your bag, that is why it is there.
Pantoprazole or omeprazole — sold as Pan, Pantodac, or Omez — protects the lining of your stomach. Steroids and some chemotherapy agents increase stomach acid. This tablet reduces that acid before it causes pain or irritation.
Metoclopramide — sold as Perinorm — is an anti-nausea medicine that also helps food and fluid move through your stomach more normally. It is sometimes added alongside ondansetron when nausea is expected to persist.
Filgrastim — sold as Grafeel, Neukine, or Neupogen — is an injection, not a tablet, and not every patient receives it. It stimulates your bone marrow to produce more white blood cells after chemotherapy lowers them. Store it in the refrigerator as soon as you get home.
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How do you know when to take each one?
Your discharge instructions specify the timing for each medicine — some are taken on the day of the infusion, some start the day after, and some continue for several days. The printed sheet your team gave you is the authority on timing for your specific regimen.
If the instructions are unclear, or you have misplaced them, call the centre before the first dose. The order matters — taking an anti-nausea medicine after nausea starts is less effective than taking it on schedule.
If nausea is not controlled even after taking the medicines as directed, call your team. The prescription can be adjusted for your next cycle. Your team cannot make that adjustment if you do not tell them.
Before you leave the centre today
- Count the packets and check every medicine is in the bag before you leave.
- Read the discharge instructions at the centre, while you can still ask a question.
- Note which medicine is for nausea, which is the stomach protector, and which is the steroid.
- If you received a filgrastim injection, confirm it goes straight into the refrigerator at home.
- Write down the number to call if nausea is not controlled or you cannot keep tablets down.
- Tell a family member or carer what each medicine is for, in case you need their help later.
- Confirm with your team whether any regular medicines you take for other conditions should continue.
Explore 74 more Chemotherapy and Supportive Medicines by Name topics
Supportive Medicines by Name
- Acid Blockers (Pantocid, Rantac) During Chemotherapy
- Allopurinol and Tumour Lysis Prevention
- Antibiotics and Antifungals During Chemotherapy
- Aprepitant (Aprecap, Emend) for Delayed Nausea
- Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicines Alongside Chemotherapy
- Cost of Supportive Medicines Across a Course
- Dexamethasone (Dexona) During Chemotherapy
- Emeset and Ondansetron for Chemotherapy Nausea
- Erythropoietin Injections for Low Haemoglobin
- Filgrastim (Grafeel, Neukine) Injections for Low Counts
- Leucovorin: Rescue and Modulation
- Long-Acting Growth Factor (Peg-Grafeel, Neulastim)
- Loperamide (Eldoper) for Chemotherapy Diarrhoea
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Frequently asked questions
Why am I taking a steroid if I do not have inflammation?
Dexamethasone is used here as an anti-nausea medicine and to reduce the risk of allergic reactions to the infusion — not as a cancer treatment. This is standard practice in chemotherapy care across NCCN and ASCO guidelines. The dose is short and supervised. If you have concerns about taking a steroid, raise them with your oncologist rather than stopping it without asking.
What should I do if I cannot keep the tablets down?
Call your team the same day. If you vomit shortly after taking a tablet, you may not have absorbed it, and your team needs to know. There are anti-nausea medicines that work in other ways — some dissolve under the tongue, some can be given as injections. Being unable to swallow tablets is a problem your team can solve, but only if you tell them.
Can I take paracetamol or my regular medicines alongside these?
Some medicines interact with chemotherapy or with the supportive tablets in your bag. Paracetamol is often used alongside chemotherapy, but your team should confirm it is right for your specific regimen. If you take regular medicines for blood pressure, diabetes, or any other condition, confirm at each cycle whether to continue them. Do not assume a medicine is safe because it was safe before chemotherapy started.
Why has my prescription changed from last cycle?
Your team adjusts supportive medicines based on how you responded to the previous cycle. If nausea was severe, an additional medicine may be added. If one tablet caused a problem, it may be swapped. This is normal and reflects your team responding to your experience. If you are unsure why a change was made, ask at the start of your next infusion.
My nausea is not controlled even with the medicines. What should I do?
Call your team today rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit. Tell them how many times you have vomited, whether you can keep fluids down, and which medicines you have taken. Poor nausea control that stops you drinking can lead to dehydration quickly. What you were given at discharge is a starting point — there are additional options, and the prescription can be changed.
Is the filgrastim injection given to everyone after chemotherapy?
No. Filgrastim and similar injections are prescribed only when the chemotherapy regimen carries a meaningful risk of dangerously low white blood cell counts. Whether you need it depends on the specific drugs in your regimen and your blood results. If you are unsure whether you were supposed to receive it, call the centre rather than purchasing it without a prescription.
Can I take Ayurvedic, herbal, or homeopathic medicines alongside these?
Tell your oncology team about everything you are taking, including Ayurvedic preparations, herbal supplements, and homeopathic medicines. Some herbs and plant-based preparations interact with chemotherapy in ways that affect how the drug works in your body. Your team will not discourage a practice that matters to you, but they need to know what you are taking to keep you safe.
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Check the instructions your team gave you — the right answer depends on which medicine you missed and how much time has passed. For anti-nausea medicines especially, timing matters, and doubling up on the next dose is not advisable without asking. If nausea is already starting and you cannot reach your team, call the centre helpline rather than guessing.
Chemotherapy Topics
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