Drug interactions
Desflurane + Fentanyl
Severity: Moderate
Desflurane and Fentanyl: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Fentanyl lowers the volatile anesthetic requirement, and the combination increases the risk of respiratory depression and hypotension. This is a standard anesthetic practice but needs controlled monitoring.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desflurane and Fentanyl can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Desflurane belongs to Central Nervous System; Fentanyl belongs to Musculoskeletal.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and cardiorespiratory depression.
What to do
Use only in a monitored anesthetic setting with ventilatory support, titrating desflurane concentration to effect and watching blood pressure and heart rate.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Fentanyl
- Alvimopan + Fentanyl Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Fentanyl Major
Other interactions of Desflurane
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Desflurane with Fentanyl?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desflurane and Fentanyl can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Fentanyl lowers the volatile anesthetic requirement, and the combination increases the risk of respiratory depression and hypotension. This is a standard anesthetic practice but needs controlled monitoring.
How serious is the interaction between Desflurane and Fentanyl?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use only in a monitored anesthetic setting with ventilatory support, titrating desflurane concentration to effect and watching blood pressure and heart rate.
What other medicines interact with Fentanyl?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Fentanyl with, for example, Alvimopan, Isocarboxazid, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Fentanyl page.
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