Succinylcholine/Cyclophosphamide
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
When these two drugs are taken together, cyclophosphamide decreases the ability of your body to process succinylcholine.
What might happen:
The paralyzing effect of the succinylcholine will last for a longer time and may prevent you from breathing properly.
What you should do about this interaction:
Succinylcholine is used during surgical procedures or in the hospital. If you are to have either inpatient or outpatient surgery, or are to be admitted to the hospital, make sure that all the healthcare professionals are aware of all the different medications that you are taking. This includes prescription and non-prescription medicine, herbal drugs, and nutraceuticals.Your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of this drug interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
References:
1.Mone JG, Mathie WE. Qualitative defects of pseudocholinesterase activity. Anaesthesia 1967 Jan;22(1):55-68.
2.Gurman GM. Prolonged apnea after succinylcholine in a case treated with cytostatics for cancer. Anesth Analg 1972 Sep-Oct;51(5):761-5.
3.Zsigmond EK, Robins G. The effect of a series of anti-cancer drugs on plasma cholinesterase activity. Can Anaesth Soc J 1972 Jan;19(1):75-82.
4.Walker IR, Zapf PW, Mackay IR. Cyclophosphamide, cholinesterase and anaesthesia. Aust N Z J Med 1972 Aug;2(3):247-51.
5.Dillman JB. Safe use of succinylcholine during repeated anesthetics in a patient treated with cyclophosphamide. Anesth Analg 1987 Apr;66(4):351-3.
