What is Methohexital?
Barbiturate is the term used for a drug that causes you to sleep before surgery.This medication guide does not list all possible uses of methohexital.
Side effects of Methohexital
If you experience any of the following symptoms of an allergy: difficulty breathing, hives, swelling in your lips, face, throat, or tongue
If you:
- The injection site may be swollen or irritated.
- Fast heartbeats;
- A feeling of lightheadedness, as if you could pass out.
- Muscle Twitching
- When coming out of sedation, you may experience confusion or anxiety.
Methohexital side effects may include:
- Drowsiness;
- Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain;
- Chills or shaking
- Coughing, hiccups;
There may be other side effects. For medical advice about side effects, always contact your physician first. Alternatively, report the side effects directly by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.
Similar/related drugs
Fentanyl, lidocaine, ketamine, hydromorphone, hyoscyamine, propofol, and glypyrrolate
Warnings
After you wake up from anesthesia, avoid driving or operating machines for at least 8–12 hours.
Before you take this drug
Methohexital should not be used if:
- Porphyria is a disorder of the genetic enzyme that can cause symptoms in the nervous system or skin.
- An allergy to barbiturates such as butabarbital (pentobarbital), phenobarbital (phenobarbital), secobarbital, and others.
If you've ever:
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD);
- Liver or kidney disease
- Anemia occurs due to insufficient red blood cells being produced.
- An endocrine disorder;
- High or low blood pressure
- Congestive cardiac failure
- Circulation problems
Inform your doctor that you are expecting.Repeated or long surgeries pose higher risks.It may be necessary to use anesthesia for certain situations, such as a medical emergency or surgery performed to correct a defect. You can ask your doctor about the medicines used during surgery.A doctor can tell you if breastfeeding is possible while taking methohexital.
How to take Methohexital?
Methohexital can be injected directly into the muscle or vein. When used on young children, this medication can also be administered rectally.Your healthcare professional will prescribe this medication.If you experience any pain or burning when receiving methohexital, tell your doctor.You should be able to fall asleep quickly with methohexital.You will also be closely monitored as you come out of anesthesia. While you're recovering from anesthesia, your vital signs will be closely monitored.You may feel drowsy for several hours. After receiving methohexital, you will require someone to drive you home.
Details on dosage
Usual Adult Dose for Anesthesia:
Anesthesia Induced:
Administer 1 to 1,5 mg/kg at a rate of about 1 mL per 5 seconds. Gaseous anesthetics and/or skeletal muscle relaxants can be given concurrently.
The induction dose provides anesthesia, usually for a period of 5-7 minutes.
Maintaining Anesthesia
Inject intermittently 20–40 mg of the 0.2% solution IV every 4–7 minutes. OR, administer 3 mL per minute of a continuous infusion of 0.2%.
Individualize the flow rate for each patient.
For longer procedures, it is best to reduce the dosage gradually.
This drug is usually combined with other parenteral analgesics (e.g., narcotics) during long procedures.
Uses:
for the induction of general anesthetics by IV prior to other anesthetics.
This drug can be administered by intermittent injection or infusion for the induction of IV anesthesia and to augment sub-potent anesthetic agents inhaled (e.g., nitrous dioxide in oxygen).
use in conjunction with other analgesics parenterally, such as narcotics. Subpotent anesthetics (e.g., nitrous dioxide in oxygen) can be used for long surgical procedures.
as an anesthesia IV for short, minimally painful surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures.
to induce a state of hypnosis.
The usual pediatric dose of anesthesia is:
A month old or more:
Anesthesia Induction:
Use a solution of 5% to administer 6.6–10 mg/kg.
Rectal: 25 mg/kg with a solution of 1%
Children 1 month and older
for IM induction or rectal anesthesia before the use of any other anesthetic agent.
-for IM induction or for rectal anesthesia, and to be used in conjunction with subpotent anesthetic inhalants during short surgical procedures.
as IM anesthesia or rectal sedation for brief surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures with minimally painful stimuli.
What happens if I miss the dose?
Methohexital does not require a schedule of daily doses.
What happens if I overdose?
A medical environment would treat an overdose quickly.
What should be avoided?
You may be impaired in your reasoning or reaction. After you wake up from anesthesia, do not drive or operate machinery for at least 8–12 hours.Do not drink alcohol within a few hours after methohexital. Side effects can be dangerous.
Interaction with other drug
Notify your physician of all other medications taken, including:
- Phenytoin and other seizure medications
- A blood thinner—warfarin, Coumadin, or Jantoven
- Steroid medicine—prednisone, dexamethasone, prednisolone, and others.
The list below is not exhaustive. Methohexital may be affected by other drugs, such as prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal products. This list does not include all possible drug-drug interactions.
