Ketamine, Injection

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is given by IV to cause relaxation or sleep before and during surgery or diagnostic procedures.
• You may get infections more easily when you are taking this medicine.
• Keep all appointments for tests to see how this medicine affects you.
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: anesthetic

Generic and brand names: ketamine, injection; Ketalar

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injection to cause relaxation or sleep before and during surgery or diagnostic procedures.

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), or head injury
• Glaucoma
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Lung disease or breathing problems
• Problems with alcohol abuse

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

This medicine is given by a healthcare provider trained in the use of anesthesia. This medicine may be given as a shot into a muscle or as a short IV infusion (in a vein).

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may cause lightheadedness, dizziness, drowsiness, or numbness. Do not drive or operate machinery for at least 24 hours.

Follow your healthcare provider's instructions about diet, alcohol, and activity after receiving this medicine.

This medicine may cause you to have unusual behavior or thoughts after the surgery or procedure. These may include seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations), confusion, or feeling very excited or like you are dreaming while you are awake. If you have any of these side effects for more than 24 hours, contact your healthcare provider.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat), seizures.

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Irregular, slow, or rapid heartbeat: trouble breathing, seizures, unusual tiredness or weakness, severe dizziness or fainting; severe confusion, nervousness, or hallucinations that last longer than 24 hours; trouble urinating.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abnormal dreams, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred or double vision, restlessness, pain or redness at site of injection.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• Antianxiety medicines such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide, clonazepam (Klonopin), clorazepate (Gen-Xene, Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and oxazepam
• Antidepressants such as amitriptyline, amoxapine, citalopram (Celexa), clomipramine, desipramine (Norpramin), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), nefazodone, nortriptyline (Pamelor), sertraline (Zoloft), trazodone, venlafaxine (Effexor), vilazodone (Viibryd), and vortioxetine (Trintellix)
• Antihistamines such as azelastine (Astelin, Astepro), brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), clemastine (Tavist), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), hydroxyzine (Vistaril), and meclizine (Dramamine)
• Antipsychotic medicines such as aripiprazole (Abilify), asenapine (Saphris), chlorpromazine, clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo), fluphenazine, haloperidol (Haldol), iloperidone (Fanapt), olanzapine (Zyprexa), paliperidone (Invega), perphenazine, pimozide (Orap), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), thioridazine, trifluoperazine, and ziprasidone (Geodon)
• Antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), primidone (Mysoline), tiagabine (Gabitril), topiramate (Qudexy, Topamax, Trokendi), and valproic acid (Depacon, Depakene, Depakote)
• Barbiturates such as butabarbital (Butisol), pentobarbital (Nembutal), phenobarbital, and secobarbital (Seconal)
• Bupropion (Aplenzin, Forfivo, Wellbutrin, Buproban, Zyban)
• Doxepin (Silenor)
• Muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Gablofen, Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Amrix), dantrolene (Dantrium), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• Narcotic pain medicines such as codeine, fentanyl (Abstral, Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora, Sublimaze), hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Norco, Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone), oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet, Roxicet), and pentazocine (Talwin)
• Natural remedies such as gotu kola, kava, St. John's wort, and valerian
• Nausea medicines such as prochlorperazine (Compro) and promethazine
• Paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva)
• Sleeping pills such as eszopiclone (Lunesta), temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo)

Do not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours after receiving this medicine or as instructed by your healthcare provider.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.