Drug interactions
Esketamine + Methohexital
Severity: Major
Esketamine and Methohexital: major 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
Methohexital is a short-acting barbiturate anesthetic, and esketamine causes sedation and dissociation. Together they can intensify CNS depression and impair airway reflexes.
What this interaction means in plain words
Esketamine and Methohexital can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Esketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Methohexital belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression through GABA-A potentiation and NMDA antagonism.
What to do
Use only in a monitored setting with airway support available. Reduce doses and observe sedation and respiration.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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Other interactions of Esketamine
Other interactions of Methohexital
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Esketamine with Methohexital?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Esketamine and Methohexital can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Methohexital is a short-acting barbiturate anesthetic, and esketamine causes sedation and dissociation. Together they can intensify CNS depression and impair airway reflexes.
How serious is the interaction between Esketamine and Methohexital?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use only in a monitored setting with airway support available. Reduce doses and observe sedation and respiration.
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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