Drug interactions
Fentanyl + Succinylcholine
Severity: Moderate
Fentanyl and Succinylcholine: 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
Fentanyl can add to bradycardia caused by succinylcholine, and high-dose opioids may cause chest wall rigidity that complicates ventilation. The pair is used together in anesthesia, but the effects need anticipation.
What this interaction means in plain words
Fentanyl and Succinylcholine 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.
Fentanyl belongs to Musculoskeletal; Succinylcholine belongs to Musculoskeletal.
Why it happens
Additive vagotonic effects of the opioid and the depolarizing muscle relaxant; the pharmacodynamic interaction is not a true sedative synergy.
What to do
Use only with airway control and ventilatory support available, and monitor heart rate. Have an anticholinergic such as atropine ready if bradycardia develops.
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 Fentanyl
- Alvimopan + Fentanyl Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Fentanyl Major
Other interactions of Succinylcholine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Fentanyl with Succinylcholine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Fentanyl and Succinylcholine 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. Fentanyl can add to bradycardia caused by succinylcholine, and high-dose opioids may cause chest wall rigidity that complicates ventilation. The pair is used together in anesthesia, but the effects need anticipation.
How serious is the interaction between Fentanyl and Succinylcholine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use only with airway control and ventilatory support available, and monitor heart rate. Have an anticholinergic such as atropine ready if bradycardia develops.
What other medicines interact with Fentanyl?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Fentanyl with, for example, Alvimopan, Isocarboxazid, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Fentanyl page.
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