Drug interactions
Esketamine + Ethosuximide
Severity: Moderate
Esketamine and Ethosuximide: 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
Ethosuximide commonly causes drowsiness, and esketamine causes sedation and dissociation, so impairment may be greater with both. The effect is usually manageable.
What this interaction means in plain words
Esketamine and Ethosuximide 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.
Esketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Ethosuximide belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depressant effects.
What to do
Monitor for excessive sedation after esketamine dosing and counsel patients to avoid driving or hazardous activity until the next day.
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 Esketamine
Other interactions of Ethosuximide
- Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen + Ethosuximide Major
- Buprenorphine long-acting + Ethosuximide Major
- Buprenorphine subdermal implant + Ethosuximide Major
- Buprenorphine transdermal + Ethosuximide Major
- Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Ethosuximide Major
- Ethosuximide + Fentanyl intranasal Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Esketamine with Ethosuximide?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Esketamine and Ethosuximide 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. Ethosuximide commonly causes drowsiness, and esketamine causes sedation and dissociation, so impairment may be greater with both. The effect is usually manageable.
How serious is the interaction between Esketamine and Ethosuximide?
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 for excessive sedation after esketamine dosing and counsel patients to avoid driving or hazardous activity until the next day.
What other medicines interact with Esketamine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Esketamine with, for example, Alfentanil, Amobarbital, Belladonna and opium. The full list is on the Esketamine page.
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