Drug interactions
Desflurane + Flurazepam
Severity: Moderate
Desflurane and Flurazepam: 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
Flurazepam is a long-acting benzodiazepine whose active metabolites may persist and add to the sedative effect of desflurane. This can deepen anesthesia, delay emergence and increase respiratory depression in the perioperative period.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desflurane and Flurazepam 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.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression through GABA-A potentiation by the benzodiazepine and the volatile anesthetic.
What to do
Titrate desflurane concentration to depth-of-anesthesia monitoring, expecting a lower requirement. Monitor ventilation and recovery closely, particularly in elderly patients.
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 Desflurane
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Desflurane with Flurazepam?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desflurane and Flurazepam 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. Flurazepam is a long-acting benzodiazepine whose active metabolites may persist and add to the sedative effect of desflurane. This can deepen anesthesia, delay emergence and increase respiratory depression in the perioperative period.
How serious is the interaction between Desflurane and Flurazepam?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Titrate desflurane concentration to depth-of-anesthesia monitoring, expecting a lower requirement. Monitor ventilation and recovery closely, particularly in elderly patients.
What other medicines interact with Desflurane?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Desflurane with, for example, Amisulpride, Anagrelide, Arsenic trioxide. The full list is on the Desflurane page.
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