Drug interactions
Desflurane + Yohimbine
Severity: Moderate
Desflurane and Yohimbine: moderate interaction.
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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
Yohimbine is an alpha-2 antagonist that increases sympathetic outflow and can cause hypertension and tachycardia. Under volatile anesthesia, which sensitizes the myocardium to catecholamines, this may lead to marked blood pressure swings and arrhythmias.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desflurane and Yohimbine 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
Yohimbine's alpha-2 blockade increases noradrenergic activity, which may combine with anesthetic effects on hemodynamics and myocardial excitability; the interaction is not well characterized.
What to do
Stop yohimbine before elective surgery where feasible and monitor blood pressure and ECG closely during anesthesia. Treat hypertension or tachyarrhythmia promptly with standard agents.
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 Yohimbine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desflurane and Yohimbine 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. Yohimbine is an alpha-2 antagonist that increases sympathetic outflow and can cause hypertension and tachycardia. Under volatile anesthesia, which sensitizes the myocardium to catecholamines, this may lead to marked blood pressure swings and arrhythmias.
How serious is the interaction between Desflurane and Yohimbine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Stop yohimbine before elective surgery where feasible and monitor blood pressure and ECG closely during anesthesia. Treat hypertension or tachyarrhythmia promptly with standard agents.
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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