Ondansetron and Headaches: What Users Say

• Pic...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 20, 2021

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "This medication makes me more nauseous than before taking it. After 3 surgeries and multiple nausea-filled days due to a chronic health condition, I've concluded that this drug makes things worse for me. I kept hoping it was all in my head, but other anti-nausea meds (and even peppermint) work almost immediately, at least to a certain extent. Whereas this always makes me 10x worse to the point of vomiting. It also gives me really bad headaches, and I don't ever get headaches in general. It's the only medication that gives me this side effect. So I think this either works very well for people or makes it worse. I'm wondering if it has to do with brain chemistry since it's a serotonin blocker? I'm severely ADHD with mild OCD and depression. Perhaps certain brain wiring just doesn't benefit. I'd love more research to be done on this since it's the standard anti-nausea treatment given in hospitals."

• Dan...
• August 19, 2019

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "This is the best medicine for vomiting I have ever had. I was on IV antibiotics with a lot of side effects, especially nausea, and the antibiotics could not be changed. I literally could not hold down water. I had to be on them for 3 months, and Zofran (both IV and ODT) helped me immensely. I was able to drink and even eat a little with much less nausea. People have to remember no medication may make symptoms resolve completely every time, but this comes pretty close. When I took it for regular nausea from a virus or something, it worked like 100% nausea gone. For me, there were no side effects, and again people have to remember if you're sick, some of the symptoms may not be side effects. If you're vomiting repeatedly and are dehydrated, of course, you're going to have a headache. But everyone is different, so what works for one may not have the same effects for another. But I'm a health care worker, and whoever is given Zofran usually has relief, so give it a try if your doctor says it's okay! Good luck."

• Kay...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 26, 2016

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Zofran is a miracle drug! I've had this medication for several years on an as-needed basis. With my IBS and anxiety, I tend to get nauseous easily. Whatever the cause of my nausea may be, Zofran works every single time. Now that it's dissolvable, it makes it so much easier to take. The relief happens within 20-30 minutes, and usually 1 tablet is all I need. I do experience 2 side effects each and every time: a painful headache after the drug wears off (6-8 hours after taken) and constipation (practically nonexistent bowel movements) for 2-3 days. For the headache, OTC migraine meds work best. The constipation isn't bothersome enough for me to treat."

• Uni...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2016

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Today I went to the doctor for some common flu symptoms. They prescribed me Zofran for my nausea and upset stomach. About 10-15 minutes after taking it, there was a tremendous relief of everything. It works rapidly and does wonders. I have not experienced any side effects like headaches or nothing yet, so everything's good so far."

• Gar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2019

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I like the Zofran pills when they actually work, but it seems like I have to take a pill, throw up, and then take another for it to be effective. Also, I always wake up with a headache once taken. I do want to note that when I was given Zofran in the hospital through the IV, I had no issues with nausea, it’s only when I take it orally that it does the opposite of what I’d like. All bodies are different, and this is just my reaction. I am on a low dose and have not upped the amount I’m taking. $45 for 15 pills (without insurance), and I’ve puked up half of them. Not worth it, especially when an anti-nausea causes nauseous."

• A g...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2017

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I've been on Zofran multiple times. For nausea and vomiting due to a digestive disorder I had, and when I was pregnant (24/7 sickness for most of the pregnancy). For the pregnancy, it was okay. It took the edge off. Nothing can ever truly 100% help that level of constant nausea, but it kept me from vomiting, so I was able to keep down water and food. For the digestive problem causing sickness, it was a miracle. Gives me a headache but well worth it. Going from feeling so sick to feeling way better. It works wonders."

• car...
• February 2, 2008

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "My doctor prescribed this to me for pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting. All of my pregnancies were horrible with nausea and vomiting. Well, this time I'm about seven weeks pregnant, and I have been taking the generic brand ondansetron orally dissolving tablets, they are small with a minty flavor. It melts quickly, and I must say I have not vomited one time this pregnancy. I have had mild tiredness, headache, dizziness, and much better than nausea and vomiting and being unable to eat."

• Mar...
• April 30, 2016

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I've been dealing with extreme nausea and vomiting for the past 6 months, and it finally got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore and went to the ER. They gave me Zofran through IV and was feeling better in about an hour. After I was released, I was on 4 mg every 8 hours, and for about a week, I was back to my old self. Then things started to go downhill, and they boosted it to 8 mg. Now it doesn't even work anymore and makes me more nauseous than I was before. I also got pretty bad constipation and headaches after taking the medication. Not to mention, if you're taking the tablets, be ready to handle the taste because it is DISGUSTING."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2012

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Whole family in the hospital for stomach virus with severe nausea and vomiting every half hour. This medicine completely stops the nausea within minutes! It definitely gives you headaches and makes you sleepy, but this is a small price to pay to stop the nausea when you are in that situation."

• Gin...
• February 9, 2017

For Nausea/Vomiting "Absolutely a life-saving drug. I am a student in university and have had ongoing undiagnosable stomach problems for four years. I still miss a lot of school, but with this drug, I can put weight on finally. Every now and again, it flares up really bad, and I will take 8 mg at a time. Otherwise, I take 4 mg about twice a day, once when I wake up and once after my midday meal. I rarely get the headaches because I take the tablets and not the ODTs. There's an artificial sugar in the ODT that supposedly causes the headaches. If a sudden bout of nausea occurs, it will go into effect in 30-45 minutes for me."

• Cin...
• June 11, 2021

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I've been using Zofran for a couple of years after it was given to me in the hospital for nausea following surgery. It has always worked beautifully in combating those days when I or a friend have felt nauseated. But the last time I took one, in February, during the night when awakened by stomach pain and nausea, it actually made things worse by adding an immediate headache and extreme heart palpitations that lasted a good half hour, without helping my initial nausea at all. I've been afraid to use it ever since. Turns out I was experiencing a gallbladder attack, and I'm not certain that wasn't the reason the Zofran failed. Today, I'm having one of those icky nauseated days, two doses of Emetrol have not helped, so I took a Zofran and cut it in half, yes, they are already small, but I was nervous. I'm happy to report it seems to have worked. Nausea is nearly gone now. No headache, no increased heart rate. I'm hoping Zofran is once more my friend."

• Ant...
• August 28, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "After being given Maxalon and Stemetil for severe nausea as my gallbladder was failing, didn't help at all. I was first given Zofran wafers at the ER, 4 mg, it was a miracle-nausea was gone almost instantly. I was then prescribed 8 mg of Zofran to be taken 3 times a day as needed. $20 for a week's supply was amazing, but as time went past, I built a tolerance and was taking 32 mg a day (24 mg max allowed) to even scratch the surface. Great for short-term use, but I recommend something else if you need nausea medication for longer than 6 months. Side effects: the occasional headache, although the constipation got quite annoying. In conclusion, amazing for nausea/vomiting. If you can push through it without depending on ondansetron, all the more power to you!"

• mom...
• September 23, 2009

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I take this medicine for severe morning sickness. I would have lost my job if it weren't for this medicine! It's the best! I only have good things to say about it! The only side effects I have are light headaches, anxiety at night sometimes, not often, and constipation, but I will take any of those any day over having to be glued to the toilet and in bed for 3 or more months!"

• Anonymous
• November 4, 2009

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting, Postoperative "Best anti-nausea medication available. Very effective for those undergoing chemotherapy. Also good for conditions when you are nauseous and require a narcotic analgesic - nausea will still subside. If you are allergic to other nausea medications such as Compazine and/or Reglan, like I am (severe panic attacks), Zofran is your safest bet (only side effect I have occasionally noticed is a slight headache). The only real downfall is the price of the orally disintegrating tablet because there is no generic. The non-ODT tablet does have a generic and is also very effective, but if you need relief FAST, ODT is the best way to go."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "I have a horrible stomach virus, and I am 8 weeks pregnant. I wasn't able to keep any fluids down for over 12 hours. I was given IV fluid and 2 doses of Zofran (same thing), and the nausea went away within 10-15 minutes! The doctor prescribed me the tablets that dissolve, and within the same amount of time my nausea goes away. I'm able to drink water, even take a few bites of bread, which is a lot. This is heaven sent. I do get headaches easily, so that's the only downfall, but it's way better than vomiting."

• Juj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2021

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Acute vomiting - was given IV push Zofran. Within minutes, a headache ensued. Massive headache, which I did not know or was told can be a side effect. Released from ER 2 hours later, MASSIVE MASSIVE HEADACHE! Headache got worse and worse over the next 3 days. Had to then take Excedrin for headache and had instant digestive pain - NEVER EVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I HAD DIGESTIVE PAIN! Within 24 hours, had shoulder pain in both shoulders - that radiated down both arms. Nausea gone and vomit gone the next day. Since Tuesday at the ER, I am bedridden still on Saturday with massive headache still - shoulder pain and what feels like an ulcer. I'd have been better off living through the vomit. Especially since at 61 years old - headache, digestive pain, shoulder pain have never ever been an issue for me."

• Oak...
• August 2, 2017

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I take Zofran ODT to relieve the severe medication withdrawal symptoms I experience when I accidentally miss a dose of my prescribed daily medication. Severe medication withdrawal symptoms such as brain zaps, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness."

• gal...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 18, 2022

Ondansetron for Gastroenteritis "I had my gallbladder removed and was diagnosed with gastroenteritis almost 10 years ago now! I never quite got better, I still have nausea and gut discomfort to this day, but I am sure anxiety has a lot to do with my issues. I take 4 mg Zofran when I feel really bad and haven't been able to eat. It really relaxes my stomach and allows me to feel like eating again. I have a pre-existing heart issue, which doesn't seem to be overly reactive when taking Zofran, but I don't take more than a couple pills a week. I also don't feel very dizzy when taking it, and if I did have a headache, it doesn't get worse with Zofran. Generally helps me more than hinders!"

• Tra...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 15, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "I've taken ondansetron for nausea related to Crohn's disease. It only works for my nausea about 20% of the time but causes a horrible side effect of headache 90% of the time. I only take it if I have tried everything else."

• cou...
• September 2, 2009

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Was prescribed this medicine for morning sickness, which lasted the entire first trimester of my pregnancy. Worked great, I was able to function and without feeling dopey or drowsy. The only drawbacks were the terrible headaches and expense of the drug, with insurance, it was $50. The headaches were a welcome trade-off to feeling like death for 90 days."

• Sie...
• July 26, 2014

For Nausea/Vomiting "I'm now about 10 weeks pregnant, horrible sickness. I was in the ER for dehydration. They prescribed me Zofran for the nausea. It works great, it's fast and effective. I just don't like the side effects. I've had horrible headaches and can't go number 2. I'm grateful to have the sickness feeling go away, but I don't know if I can deal with the headaches."

• Sic...
• November 18, 2015

For Nausea/Vomiting "I have endometriosis on my bowel and severe IBS. A lifelong emetophobic, the crippling nausea/vomiting/diarrhea that accompany my endometriosis/IBS cause me great anxiety and keep me from living freely. I was first prescribed Zofran after surgery on my bowel so I could take pain meds without vomiting. Then I was prescribed oral Zofran/ondansetron to manage ongoing nausea. It helps tremendously. If very sick, I may take 8 mg to stop the nausea entirely, but 4 mg usually does the job within 30 min. I also have a prescription for the 4 mg Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODT) version that melt under your tongue. They work fast, within 10-15 min. This med is a lifesaver for me. Side effects of bad constipation and headaches are manageable for me."

• lwa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 8, 2019

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting, Chemotherapy Induced "The brand Zofran worked perfectly. Generics (Mylan, Rising, Glenmark) began coming out 2 years later. These made me sicker and caused headaches. Zofran contains 0.03 mg of aspartame. Generics have 0.51 mg. Naturally, insurance won't cover Zofran. I'm just glad I got it when I first started chemo when I was sickest."

• Des...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "While on this medication, I didn't read into the side effects, so the first day I took it, I don't remember any problems. The second day, I felt like I had the worst headache ever. I took Tylenol and Motrin, but neither helped. The third day, I started feeling sick, my words weren't coming out in the right order here and there (I blamed it on my headache, still not connecting these pills were the cause). Then I saw a warning label on the back that said it could cause headaches. By this time, I was having my whole body shake once or twice, felt like my head was gonna fall off from the pounding, and felt extremely sick. So my husband looked up side effects, and sure enough, I had just about all of them! Worked great for not vomiting, but not worth the side effects."

• Biz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 17, 2014

For Nausea/Vomiting "I get severe nausea and vomiting with my migraines, and this is the only thing that helps. It occasionally leaves me with a small headache, but that's nothing compared to what I had to go through before! Just a 4 mg melt on my tongue, and I'm good to go!"