ABH Mystery medication

Nurses General Nursing

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i am new to the nursing world, just recently graduated in may, and i have become very interested in a medication my mother received while receiving chemotherapy. it was handwritten labeled abh capsules, take one pill q6h for nausea. now, i have found out that, i believe, it is ativan, benadryl, and haldol, however, what is confusing me is that all the information that i have found (which is very little) has been on hard and soft troches and gel or cream...not capsules, and my mom was told to swallow it like a pill (not to let it disolve like a troche). if anyone has any information, please let me know, as i am most curious. it could have been a research drug at the time, and if that is the case, she never signed informed consent either. please help! i know all you oncology and hospice nurses might have an idea! i'd appreciate any direction you can give me! :) :p

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
i am new to the nursing world, just recently graduated in may, and i have become very interested in a medication my mother received while receiving chemotherapy. it was handwritten labeled abh capsules, take one pill q6h for nausea. now, i have found out that, i believe, it is ativan, benadryl, and haldol, however, what is confusing me is that all the information that i have found (which is very little) has been on hard and soft troches and gel or cream...not capsules, and my mom was told to swallow it like a pill (not to let it disolve like a troche). if anyone has any information, please let me know, as i am most curious. it could have been a research drug at the time, and if that is the case, she never signed informed consent either. please help! i know all you oncology and hospice nurses might have an idea! i'd appreciate any direction you can give me! :) :p

yes, abh comes in the capsule form. you are correct that it is ativan, benadryl and haldol.

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thank you very much siri! do you know where i can find information on it? i've tried researching it in every way possible, but it doesn't seem to come up with hardly anything about it! :o

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
thank you very much siri! do you know where I can find information on it?

MD Anderson hospital/institute first compounded this in capsule and suppository form for their patients with chemo-related nausea. I imagine you can do a search on their website regarding this.

Community Drug Compounding Center at:

http://www.communitydrug.com

Do a search on transdermal gel, too:

meeting.jco.org/cgi/content/abstract/23/16_suppl

I think those sites will help you with this drug/s

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Ativan, benedryl and haldol have been out for a very long time, and are used to prevent nausea. They are neither a research drug nor chemotherapy and do not require an informed consent. They are the same drugs used in regular med/surg...just all combined in one med. Many patients take them routinely to prevent nausea (even noncancer patients).

These drugs would have been covered routinely in your nursing Pharm. class and/or Medsurg class as they are quite common.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Singularly, these 3 drugs are not primarily given for nausea. Ativan and haldol can be given as an adjunct (added to other medications) to prevent nausea and vomiting usually in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Neither haldol or ativan are indicated for nausea, but, they do offer antiemetic benefits.

Compounded, they offer adequate antinauasea/antiemetic control.

ABH is formulated as, cancer aid (specifically chemo-related nausea, hospice/pallative care, AIDS-related nausea.

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Singularly, these 3 drugs are not primarily given for nausea. Ativan and haldol can be given as an adjunct (added to other medications) to prevent nausea and vomiting usually in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Neither haldol or ativan are indicated for nausea, but, they do offer antiemetic benefits.

Compounded, they offer adequate antinauasea/antiemetic control.

ABH is formulated as, cancer aid (specifically chemo-related nausea, hospice/pallative care, AIDS-related nausea.

Thank you guys so much for the information...I have really been having a touch time trying to find anything on it! Thanks again. :wink2:

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MD Anderson hospital/institute first compounded this in capsule and suppository form for their patients with chemo-related nausea. I imagine you can do a search on their website regarding this.

Community Drug Compounding Center at:

http://www.communitydrug.com

Do a search on transdermal gel, too:

meeting.jco.org/cgi/content/abstract/23/16_suppl

I think those sites will help you with this drug/s

Sloan Kettering used siomething for chemo related nausea they called a

"bromptons cocktail", all liquid, the amount of a shot glass full. Do you remember the three drugs that were in there? I just cant recall.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Sloan Kettering used siomething for chemo related nausea they called a

"bromptons cocktail", all liquid, the amount of a shot glass full. Do you remember the three drugs that were in there? I just cant recall.

Yes, this mixture was morphine, cocaine, chlorpromazine, alcohol and syrup with flavoring added. If I am not mistaken, this was first used in patients experiencing post thoracotomy pain. Heroin was sometimes used in this mixture as well.

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Yes, this mixture was morphine, cocaine, chlorpromazine, alcohol and syrup with flavoring added. If I am not mistaken, this was first used in patients experiencing post thoracotomy pain. Heroin was sometimes used in this mixture as well.

Thanks!

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Thanks!

You are most welcome. :balloons:

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(late entry....just because i just joined the forum today!)

we use this a lot for our patients with severe n/v...however, ours is compounded with an additional ingredient...

ABHR...

ativan/benedryl/haldol/and....Reglan!

works like a charm!

my best,

laura

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