Drug interactions
Esketamine + Flurazepam
Severity: Moderate
Esketamine 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 metabolite persists for days, and it can add to the sedation caused by esketamine. This may lead to excessive drowsiness, impaired coordination and respiratory depression, especially in older adults.
What this interaction means in plain words
Esketamine 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 from GABA-A potentiation and NMDA receptor antagonism.
What to do
Monitor sedation and breathing throughout the post-dose observation period and use the lowest effective benzodiazepine dose. Counsel the patient about driving and hazardous tasks.
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
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Esketamine with Flurazepam?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Esketamine 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 metabolite persists for days, and it can add to the sedation caused by esketamine. This may lead to excessive drowsiness, impaired coordination and respiratory depression, especially in older adults.
How serious is the interaction between Esketamine 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: Monitor sedation and breathing throughout the post-dose observation period and use the lowest effective benzodiazepine dose. Counsel the patient about driving and hazardous tasks.
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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