Alfentanil

Generic name: Alfentanil
Drug class: Opioids (narcotic analgesics)

Usage of Alfentanil

Alfentanil injection is given together with other medicines to relieve pain during surgery. It is also used as a primary anesthesia (numbing medicine) for patients undergoing general surgery.

This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of a doctor.

Alfentanil side effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Blurred vision

chest pain or discomfort

confusion

difficult or troubled breathing

dizziness

dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position

fainting

fast, slow, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse

headache

irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing

lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting

nervousness

not breathing

pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin

pounding in the ears

sweating

trouble breathing

unusual tiredness or weakness

Rare

Cough

noisy breathing

rigid muscles of the neck, arms, and legs

tightness in the chest

Incidence not known

Agitation

cough

darkening of the skin

diarrhea

difficulty with swallowing

fainting

fever

hives, itching, or skin rash

loss of appetite

nausea

overactive reflexes

poor coordination

puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue

restlessness

shivering

sweating

talking or acting with excitement you cannot control

trembling or shaking

twitching

vomiting

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Drowsiness

sleepiness

Rare

False or unusual sense of well-being

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Alfentanil

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of alfentanil injection in children 12 years of age and older. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children younger than 12 years of age.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of alfentanil injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients may be more sensitive to the effects of alfentanil injection than younger adults, and are more likely to have age-related kidney or lung problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving alfentanil injection.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

Levoketoconazole

Nalmefene

Naltrexone

Safinamide

Samidorphan

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Acepromazine

Adagrasib

Alefacept

Almotriptan

Alprazolam

Amifampridine

Amineptine

Amiodarone

Amitriptyline

Amitriptylinoxide

Amobarbital

Amoxapine

Amphetamine

Amprenavir

Anileridine

Aprepitant

Aripiprazole

Armodafinil

Asciminib

Asenapine

Atazanavir

Avacopan

Baclofen

Belzutifan

Benperidol

Benzhydrocodone

Benzphetamine

Berotralstat

Boceprevir

Bosentan

Bromazepam

Bromopride

Brompheniramine

Buprenorphine

Bupropion

Buspirone

Butalbital

Butorphanol

Calcium Oxybate

Cannabidiol

Cannabis

Carbamazepine

Carbinoxamine

Carisoprodol

Carphenazine

Ceritinib

Cetirizine

Chloral Hydrate

Chlordiazepoxide

Chlorpheniramine

Chlorpromazine

Chlorzoxazone

Ciprofloxacin

Citalopram

Clarithromycin

Clobazam

Clomipramine

Clonazepam

Clopidogrel

Clorazepate

Clozapine

Cobicistat

Cocaine

Codeine

Conivaptan

Crizotinib

Cyclobenzaprine

Cyclosporine

Dabrafenib

Daridorexant

Darunavir

Delavirdine

Desflurane

Desipramine

Desmopressin

Desvenlafaxine

Dexamethasone

Dexmedetomidine

Dextroamphetamine

Dextromethorphan

Dezocine

Diazepam

Dibenzepin

Dichloralphenazone

Difenoxin

Dihydrocodeine

Diltiazem

Diphenhydramine

Diphenoxylate

Dolasetron

Donepezil

Doxepin

Doxylamine

Dronedarone

Droperidol

Duloxetine

Duvelisib

Efavirenz

Eletriptan

Eluxadoline

Enflurane

Enzalutamide

Erdafitinib

Erythromycin

Escitalopram

Esketamine

Eslicarbazepine Acetate

Estazolam

Eszopiclone

Ethchlorvynol

Ethopropazine

Ethylmorphine

Etravirine

Fedratinib

Fenfluramine

Fentanyl

Fexinidazole

Flibanserin

Fluconazole

Fluoxetine

Fluphenazine

Flurazepam

Fluspirilene

Fluvoxamine

Fosamprenavir

Fosaprepitant

Fosnetupitant

Fosphenytoin

Fospropofol

Frovatriptan

Furazolidone

Gabapentin

Gabapentin Enacarbil

Gepirone

Granisetron

Halazepam

Haloperidol

Halothane

Hexobarbital

Hydrocodone

Hydromorphone

Hydroxytryptophan

Hydroxyzine

Idelalisib

Imatinib

Imipramine

Indinavir

Iproniazid

Isocarboxazid

Isoflurane

Itraconazole

Ivacaftor

Ivosidenib

Ketamine

Ketazolam

Ketobemidone

Ketoconazole

Lacosamide

Lanreotide

Larotrectinib

Lasmiditan

Lefamulin

Lemborexant

Lenacapavir

Levocetirizine

Levomilnacipran

Levorphanol

Linezolid

Lisdexamfetamine

Lithium

Lofepramine

Lofexidine

Lomitapide

Lopinavir

Lorazepam

Lorcaserin

Lorlatinib

Loxapine

Lumacaftor

Magnesium Oxybate

Mavacamten

Meclizine

Melitracen

Melperone

Meperidine

Mephobarbital

Meprobamate

Meptazinol

Mesoridazine

Metaxalone

Methadone

Methamphetamine

Methdilazine

Methocarbamol

Methohexital

Methotrimeprazine

Methoxyflurane

Methylene Blue

Metoclopramide

Mibefradil

Midazolam

Mifepristone

Milnacipran

Mirtazapine

Mitapivat

Mitotane

Mobocertinib

Moclobemide

Modafinil

Molindone

Moricizine

Morphine

Morphine Sulfate Liposome

Nafcillin

Nalbuphine

Naratriptan

Nefazodone

Nelfinavir

Netupitant

Nevirapine

Nialamide

Nicomorphine

Nilotinib

Nitrazepam

Nitrous Oxide

Nortriptyline

Octreotide

Olanzapine

Olutasidenib

Omaveloxolone

Ondansetron

Opipramol

Opium

Opium Alkaloids

Orphenadrine

Oxazepam

Oxcarbazepine

Oxycodone

Oxymorphone

Ozanimod

Pacritinib

Palbociclib

Palonosetron

Papaveretum

Paregoric

Paroxetine

Pazopanib

Pentazocine

Pentobarbital

Perampanel

Perazine

Periciazine

Perphenazine

Phenelzine

Phenobarbital

Phenytoin

Pimozide

Piperacetazine

Pipotiazine

Piritramide

Pirtobrutinib

Posaconazole

Potassium Oxybate

Prazepam

Prednisone

Pregabalin

Primidone

Procarbazine

Prochlorperazine

Promazine

Promethazine

Protriptyline

Quazepam

Quetiapine

Ramelteon

Ranitidine

Ranolazine

Rasagiline

Remifentanil

Remimazolam

Remoxipride

Ribociclib

Rifabutin

Rifampin

Rifapentine

Ritlecitinib

Ritonavir

Rizatriptan

Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b-njft

Saquinavir

Scopolamine

Secobarbital

Selegiline

Selpercatinib

Sertindole

Sertraline

Sevoflurane

Sibutramine

Sodium Oxybate

Sotorasib

St John's Wort

Sufentanil

Sulpiride

Sumatriptan

Suvorexant

Tapentadol

Taurursodiol

Telaprevir

Telithromycin

Temazepam

Thiethylperazine

Thiopental

Thiopropazate

Thioridazine

Tianeptine

Tilidine

Tizanidine

Tocilizumab

Tolonium Chloride

Toloxatone

Topiramate

Tramadol

Tranylcypromine

Trazodone

Triazolam

Trifluoperazine

Trifluperidol

Triflupromazine

Trimeprazine

Trimipramine

Trofinetide

Tryptophan

Tucatinib

Venlafaxine

Verapamil

Vilazodone

Voriconazole

Vortioxetine

Voxelotor

Zaleplon

Ziprasidone

Zolmitriptan

Zolpidem

Zopiclone

Zotepine

Zuranolone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Propofol

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Relate drugs

How to use Alfentanil

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a hospital. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins.

Warnings

Your doctor will check your progress closely while you or your child are receiving this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to receive it.

This medicine may cause allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you or your child have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth while you are using this medicine.

Check with your doctor before using this medicine with alcohol or other medicines that affect the central nervous system (CNS). The use of alcohol or other medicines that affect the CNS with alfentanil may worsen the side effects of this medicine, such as dizziness, poor concentration, drowsiness, unusual dreams, and trouble with sleeping. Some examples of medicines that affect the CNS are antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicines, medicine for depression, medicine for anxiety, prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics.

This medicine may cause sleep-related breathing problems (eg, sleep apnea, sleep-related hypoxemia). Your doctor may decrease your dose if you have sleep apnea (stop breathing for short periods during sleep) while using this medicine.

This medicine may make you dizzy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. Sit or lie down if you feel dizzy. Stand up carefully.

Tell your doctor if you or your child have stiffness in the muscles of your neck, chest, hands, or legs after receiving this medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there. These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body.

This medicine may be habit-forming. If you feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use more than your prescribed dose. Call your doctor for instructions.

Using narcotics for a long time can cause severe constipation. To prevent this, your doctor may direct you to take laxatives, drink a lot of fluids, or increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Be sure to follow the directions carefully, because continuing constipation can lead to more serious problems.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant may cause neonatal withdrawal syndrome in your newborn babies. Tell your doctor right away if your baby has an abnormal sleep pattern, diarrhea, a high-pitched cry, irritability, shakiness or tremors, weight loss, vomiting, or fails to gain weight.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

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