Drug interactions
Desflurane + Trifluoperazine
Severity: Moderate
Desflurane and Trifluoperazine: 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
Trifluoperazine is a phenothiazine antipsychotic that adds sedation to desflurane and can cause hypotension through alpha-blockade. Both drugs can also prolong the QT interval, so arrhythmia risk is higher when electrolytes are disturbed or other QT-prolonging drugs are given.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desflurane and Trifluoperazine 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 and vasodilation, plus additive effects on cardiac repolarization (QT prolongation).
What to do
Monitor ECG, blood pressure and depth of anesthesia perioperatively, and correct potassium and magnesium before surgery. Reduce anesthetic requirements as needed and avoid adding other QT-prolonging drugs.
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 Trifluoperazine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desflurane and Trifluoperazine 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. Trifluoperazine is a phenothiazine antipsychotic that adds sedation to desflurane and can cause hypotension through alpha-blockade. Both drugs can also prolong the QT interval, so arrhythmia risk is higher when electrolytes are disturbed or other QT-prolonging drugs are given.
How serious is the interaction between Desflurane and Trifluoperazine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor ECG, blood pressure and depth of anesthesia perioperatively, and correct potassium and magnesium before surgery. Reduce anesthetic requirements as needed and avoid adding other QT-prolonging drugs.
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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