Dexmedetomidine (Intravenous route)

Pronunciation:

dex-me-de-TOE-mi-deen hye-droe-KLOR-ide

Brand Names:

Precedex

Dosage Forms:

Solution

Classifications:

Therapeutic—

Sedative

Pharmacologic—

Dexmedetomidine

Uses of This Medicine:

Dexmedetomidine injection is used to help you sleep (sedate) before or during surgery or other medical procedures. This medicine is also used to sedate intubated and mechanically ventilated patients during treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).

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

Before Using This Medicine:

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.

Children—

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of dexmedetomidine injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Older adults—

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dexmedetomidine injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have serious unwanted effects (eg, low blood pressure, slow heartbeat), which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.

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.

Other 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.

Bepridil
Cisapride
Dronedarone
Mesoridazine
Pimozide
Piperaquine
Saquinavir
Sparfloxacin
Terfenadine
Thioridazine
Ziprasidone

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
Alfentanil
Alfuzosin
Alprazolam
Amiodarone
Amisulpride
Amitriptyline
Amobarbital
Anagrelide
Anileridine
Apomorphine
Aripiprazole
Aripiprazole Lauroxil
Arsenic Trioxide
Asenapine
Astemizole
Atazanavir
Azithromycin
Baclofen
Bedaquiline
Benperidol
Benzhydrocodone
Bromazepam
Bromopride
Buprenorphine
Buserelin
Buspirone
Butabarbital
Butorphanol
Calcium Oxybate
Cannabidiol
Cannabis
Carbinoxamine
Carisoprodol
Carphenazine
Ceritinib
Cetirizine
Chloral Hydrate
Chlordiazepoxide
Chloroquine
Chlorpromazine
Chlorzoxazone
Ciprofloxacin
Citalopram
Clarithromycin
Clobazam
Clofazimine
Clomipramine
Clonazepam
Clorazepate
Clothiapine
Clozapine
Codeine
Crizotinib
Cyclobenzaprine
Dabrafenib
Daridorexant
Dasatinib
Degarelix
Delamanid
Desipramine
Deslorelin
Deutetrabenazine
Diacetylmorphine
Diazepam
Dichloralphenazone
Difenoxin
Dihydrocodeine
Diphenhydramine
Diphenoxylate
Disopyramide
Dofetilide
Dolasetron
Domperidone
Donepezil
Doxepin
Doxylamine
Droperidol
Ebastine
Efavirenz
Encorafenib
Enflurane
Entrectinib
Eribulin
Erythromycin
Escitalopram
Esketamine
Estazolam
Eszopiclone
Ethchlorvynol
Ethopropazine
Ethylmorphine
Famotidine
Felbamate
Fentanyl
Fexinidazole
Fingolimod
Flecainide
Flibanserin
Fluconazole
Flunitrazepam
Fluoxetine
Fluphenazine
Flurazepam
Fluspirilene
Formoterol
Foscarnet
Fosphenytoin
Fospropofol
Gabapentin
Gabapentin Enacarbil
Galantamine
Gatifloxacin
Gemifloxacin
Glasdegib
Gonadorelin
Goserelin
Granisetron
Halazepam
Halofantrine
Haloperidol
Halothane
Hexobarbital
Histrelin
Hydrocodone
Hydromorphone
Hydroquinidine
Hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxyzine
Ibutilide
Iloperidone
Imipramine
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
Iobenguane I 131
Isoflurane
Itraconazole
Ivabradine
Ivosidenib
Ketamine
Ketazolam
Ketobemidone
Ketoconazole
Lacosamide
Lapatinib
Lefamulin
Lemborexant
Lenvatinib
Leuprolide
Levocetirizine
Levofloxacin
Levorphanol
Lofexidine
Lorazepam
Loxapine
Lumefantrine
Macimorelin
Magnesium Oxybate
Meclizine
Mefloquine
Melperone
Meperidine
Mephobarbital
Meprobamate
Meptazinol
Metaxalone
Methadone
Methdilazine
Methocarbamol
Methohexital
Methotrimeprazine
Methylene Blue
Metoclopramide
Metronidazole
Midazolam
Mifepristone
Mizolastine
Mobocertinib
Molindone
Moricizine
Morphine
Morphine Sulfate Liposome
Moxifloxacin
Nafarelin
Nalbuphine
Nelfinavir
Nicomorphine
Nilotinib
Nitrazepam
Nitrous Oxide
Norfloxacin
Octreotide
Ofloxacin
Olanzapine
Oliceridine
Ondansetron
Opium
Opium Alkaloids
Orphenadrine
Osilodrostat
Osimertinib
Oxaliplatin
Oxazepam
Oxycodone
Oxymorphone
Paliperidone
Panobinostat
Papaveretum
Papaverine
Paregoric
Paroxetine
Pasireotide
Pazopanib
Pentamidine
Pentazocine
Pentobarbital
Perampanel
Perazine
Periciazine
Perphenazine
Phenobarbital
Pimavanserin
Pipamperone
Piperacetazine
Pipotiazine
Piritramide
Pitolisant
Ponesimod
Posaconazole
Potassium Oxybate
Prazepam
Pregabalin
Primidone
Probucol
Procainamide
Prochlorperazine
Promazine
Promethazine
Propafenone
Propofol
Protriptyline
Quazepam
Quetiapine
Quinidine
Quinine
Ramelteon
Ranolazine
Remifentanil
Remimazolam
Remoxipride
Ribociclib
Risperidone
Ritonavir
Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b-njft
Scopolamine
Secobarbital
Selpercatinib
Sertindole
Sertraline
Sevoflurane
Siponimod
Sodium Oxybate
Sodium Phosphate
Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
Solifenacin
Sorafenib
Sotalol
Sufentanil
Sulpiride
Sultopride
Sunitinib
Suvorexant
Tacrolimus
Tamoxifen
Tapentadol
Telaprevir
Telavancin
Telithromycin
Temazepam
Tetrabenazine
Thiethylperazine
Thiopental
Thiopropazate
Tilidine
Tizanidine
Tolonium Chloride
Tolterodine
Topiramate
Toremifene
Tramadol
Trazodone
Triazolam
Triclabendazole
Trifluoperazine
Trifluperidol
Triflupromazine
Trimeprazine
Trimipramine
Triptorelin
Vandetanib
Vardenafil
Vemurafenib
Venlafaxine
Vilanterol
Vinflunine
Voclosporin
Voriconazole
Vorinostat
Zaleplon
Zolpidem
Zopiclone
Zotepine
Zuclopenthixol
Zuranolone

Other interactions—

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. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other medical problems—

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Diabetes or
Heart disease (eg, heart block), severe or
Heart rhythm problems or
Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
Hypotension (low blood pressure) or
Hypovolemia (low blood volume) or
Liver problems—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

Proper Use of This Medicine:

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

Precautions While Using This Medicine:

It is very important that your doctor check your progress closely while you are receiving this medicine to make sure this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

This medicine may cause hypotension (low blood pressure). Check with your doctor right away if you have blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position, sweating, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Check with your doctor right away if you have chest pain or discomfort, lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting, slow or irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, or unusual tiredness. These may be symptoms of bradycardia (slow heartbeat).

This medicine may cause hyperthermia (high body temperature). Check with your doctor right away if you have dizziness, fast, shallow breathing, fast, weak heartbeat, muscle cramps, pale, clammy skin, thirst, or extremely high fever or body temperature.

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.

Side Effects of This Medicine:

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; coughing; dizziness; dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting suddenly up from a lying or sitting position; headache; irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing; nervousness; pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin; pounding in the ears; slow or fast heartbeat; sweating; trouble breathing; unusual tiredness or weakness

Less common: Bleeding gums; bloody urine; coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum; coughing up blood; drowsiness; dry mouth; extremely high fever or body temperature; fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse; fever; flushed, dry skin; fruit-like breath odor; increased hunger; increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding; increased thirst; increased urination; loss of appetite; lower back or side pain; mood or mental changes; muscle cramps in the hands, arms, feet, legs, or face; muscle spasms or twitching seizures; nausea; nosebleeds; numbness and tingling around the mouth, fingertips, or feet; pale, clammy skin; paralysis; prolonged bleeding from cuts; red or black, tarry stools; red or dark brown urine; seizures; stomach cramps; swelling of face, fingers, legs, or ankles; tremor; unexplained weight gain or loss; vomiting

Incidence not known: Chest tightness; confusion as to time, place, or person; frequent urination; holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by fact; increased volume of pale, dilute urine; irritability; no blood pressure; pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck; restlessness; seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there; shakiness; sleepiness; slow to respond; slurred speech; stomach pain; stopping of the heart; unconsciousness; unusual excitement, nervousness, or restlessness; weakness or heaviness of the legs; yellow eyes or skin

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: Anxiety; constipation; shaking

Incidence not known: Hives, itching, rash; redness of the skin; seeing flashes or sparks of light

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.

Last Updated: 4/24/2024

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