Drug interactions
Ketamine + Sevoflurane
Severity: Moderate
Ketamine and Sevoflurane: 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
Ketamine given during sevoflurane anesthesia adds to the depth of anesthesia and reduces the volatile agent requirement. Combined use can also cause greater cardiovascular and respiratory depression, and delayed emergence in some patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ketamine and Sevoflurane 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.
Ketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Sevoflurane belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive central nervous system depressant effects through different receptor targets (NMDA antagonism and GABA-A potentiation).
What to do
Titrate sevoflurane concentration to anesthetic depth monitoring (e.g. MAC or processed EEG) and reduce the dose accordingly.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Ketamine and Sevoflurane, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 14 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Sevoflurane
Other interactions of Ketamine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ketamine with Sevoflurane?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ketamine and Sevoflurane 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. Ketamine given during sevoflurane anesthesia adds to the depth of anesthesia and reduces the volatile agent requirement. Combined use can also cause greater cardiovascular and respiratory depression, and delayed emergence in some patients.
How serious is the interaction between Ketamine and Sevoflurane?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Titrate sevoflurane concentration to anesthetic depth monitoring (e.g. MAC or processed EEG) and reduce the dose accordingly.
What other medicines interact with Sevoflurane?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Sevoflurane with, for example, Amiodarone, Amisulpride, Arsenic trioxide. The full list is on the Sevoflurane page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
