Drug interactions
Desflurane + Hydrocodone
Severity: Moderate
Desflurane and Hydrocodone: 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
Opioids reduce the anaesthetic requirement of desflurane but add to its respiratory depression and hypotension. Co-use is routine in anaesthesia but needs careful titration.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desflurane and Hydrocodone 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; Hydrocodone belongs to Musculoskeletal.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression and vasodilation from opioid and volatile anaesthetic effects.
What to do
Have the anaesthesia team adjust anaesthetic depth and opioid dosing with continuous monitoring of ventilation and blood pressure. Tell the anaesthetist about recent hydrocodone use.
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 Hydrocodone
- Alvimopan + Hydrocodone Contraindicated
- Bupropion-naltrexone + Hydrocodone Contraindicated
- Hydrocodone + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Hydrocodone + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Hydrocodone + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Hydrocodone Major
Other interactions of Desflurane
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Desflurane with Hydrocodone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desflurane and Hydrocodone 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. Opioids reduce the anaesthetic requirement of desflurane but add to its respiratory depression and hypotension. Co-use is routine in anaesthesia but needs careful titration.
How serious is the interaction between Desflurane and Hydrocodone?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Have the anaesthesia team adjust anaesthetic depth and opioid dosing with continuous monitoring of ventilation and blood pressure. Tell the anaesthetist about recent hydrocodone use.
What other medicines interact with Hydrocodone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Hydrocodone with, for example, Alvimopan, Bupropion-naltrexone, Isocarboxazid. The full list is on the Hydrocodone page.
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