A category of medications employed to alleviate the symptoms of nausea and vomiting commonly linked to motion sickness, vertigo, Ménière’s disease, radiotherapy, and specific pharmaceuticals is known as antiemetics. However, antiemetics are typically not administered for the treatment of food poisoning since the body requires the elimination of harmful substances.
Antihistamines and anticholinergic drugs are utilized to diminish vomiting related to vertigo by suppressing the vomiting reflex, which involves the contraction of stomach muscles to expel its contents. This reflex is triggered by nerve activity in the balance center of the inner ear. On the other hand, motility stimulants function by increasing the movement within the gastrointestinal tract. In cases of nausea and vomiting induced by radiotherapy or anticancer drugs, the most potent antiemetics are employed. These include serotonin antagonists like ondansetron and nabilone, which act on neurotransmitters in the brain.