Drug interactions
Ketamine + Lorazepam
Severity: Major
Ketamine and Lorazepam: 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
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, and with lorazepam it produces additive sedation. Benzodiazepines may reduce emergence reactions but increase the risk of respiratory depression and prolonged recovery.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ketamine and Lorazepam 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.
Ketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Lorazepam belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression from GABA-A potentiation and NMDA receptor antagonism.
What to do
Use only where airway and respiratory monitoring are available, and titrate doses carefully. Monitor oxygen saturation and level of consciousness.
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 Lorazepam
Other interactions of Ketamine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ketamine with Lorazepam?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Ketamine and Lorazepam 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. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, and with lorazepam it produces additive sedation. Benzodiazepines may reduce emergence reactions but increase the risk of respiratory depression and prolonged recovery.
How serious is the interaction between Ketamine and Lorazepam?
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 where airway and respiratory monitoring are available, and titrate doses carefully. Monitor oxygen saturation and level of consciousness.
What other medicines interact with Lorazepam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Lorazepam with, for example, Alfentanil, Alprazolam, Amobarbital. The full list is on the Lorazepam page.
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