Acupuncture to reduce nausea during chemotherapy treatment of rheumatic diseases

Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg and 1Institute of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.

Correspondence to: A. Josefson, Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Sahlgrenska, S-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden. E-mail: annika.josefson@vgregion.se

Objective. To study if acupuncture, combined with ondansetron treatment, reduces nausea and vomiting associated with cyclophosphamide infusion in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Methods. Thirty-nine patients were treated with acupuncture at point PC 6 and/or in the ear to decrease nausea and vomiting. The patients reported the severity of nausea and number of bouts of vomiting at the start of chemotherapy and after 4, 8, 24, 48 and 72 h.

Results. Compared with ondansetron treatment alone, the combined acupuncture–ondansetron treatment significantly decreased both the severity of nausea and the number of bouts of vomiting 24 and 48 h after the subjects had received acupuncture at the first treatment session (nausea: P < 0.0001; vomiting: P < 0.0035). Nearly the same results were seen 48 and 72 h after the subjects had had their last treatment of acupuncture (nausea P < 0.0080). Similar results were found after 24 to 48 h, when a comparison was made between two sessions close in time (nausea: P < 0.0001 after 24 h, P < 0.0003 after 48 h; vomiting: P < 0.0007).

Conclusions. Our results clearly indicate that combined treatment with acupuncture and ondansetron reduces the severity and the duration of chemotherapy-induced nausea as well as the number of bouts of vomiting as compared with ondansetron therapy alone, in patients with rheumatic diseases.