Rocuronium is used to relax the muscles. It works by blocking the signals between your nerves
and your muscles.
Rocuronium is given before general anesthesia in preparing you for surgery. Rocuronium helps
keep your body still during surgery. It also relaxes your throat so a breathing tube can be more easily
inserted before the surgery.
Rocuronium may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking rocuronium?
You should not receive this medication if you are allergic to rocuronium.
If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special care to safely receive
this medication. Before you receive rocuronium, tell your doctor if you have:
myasthenia gravis;
cirrhosis or other liver disease;
a history of kidney disease;
heart disease;
a history of "Long QT Syndrome";
problems with circulation; or
if you have ever had an allergic reaction to another
anesthetic medication.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether rocuronium is
harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during
treatment.
It is not known whether rocuronium passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing
baby. Before receiving rocuronium, tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take rocuronium?
Rocuronium is given as an injection through a needle placed into a vein. You will receive this
injection in a hospital or surgical setting.
Your caregivers will monitor your heart function, blood pressure, and breathing while you are
under the effects of rocuronium.
It may take you longer to recover from the effects of rocuronium if you have cirrhosis or other
liver disease.
What happens if I miss a dose of rocuronium?
Since rocuronium is usually given just for anesthesia, you are not likely to be on a dosing
schedule.
Where can I get more information about rocuronium?
Your pharmacist has information about rocuronium written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of rocuronium?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Tell your caregivers right away if you have any of these serious side effects:
fast or uneven heart rate;
noisy breathing, feeling short of breath;
ongoing muscle weakness; or
inability to move your muscles.
Less serious side effects may include:
nausea, vomiting;
swelling or discomfort where the medicine was injected;
feeling sleepy or light-headed; or
mild itching or skin rash.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your
doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about rocuronium?
Before receiving rocuronium, tell your doctor if you have myasthenia gravis, cirrhosis or other
liver disease, a history of kidney disease, heart disease, a history of "Long QT Syndrome," problems
with circulation, or if you have ever had an allergic reaction to another anesthetic medication.
Before you receive rocuronium, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
There may be other drugs that can interact with rocuronium, especially seizure medication,
certain antibiotics, lithium, procainamide, or magnesium. Tell your doctor about all your prescription
and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other
doctors.
It may take you longer to recover from the effects of rocuronium if you have cirrhosis or other
liver disease.
Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity after you
recover from anesthesia.
What should I avoid while taking rocuronium?
Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity after you
recover from anesthesia.
What other drugs will affect rocuronium?
Before receiving rocuronium, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
procainamide (Procan, Procanbid, Pronestyl);
seizure medication;
an antacid or mineral supplement that contains
magnesium;
steroids such as prednisone, fluticasone (Advair),
mometasone (Asmanex, Nasonex), dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol) and others;
a tetracycline antibiotic such as Brodspec, Panmycin,
Sumycin, Tetracap, demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Oracea,
Vibramycin), or minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, Solodyn, Vectrin); or
an antibiotic such as amikacin (Amikin), bacitracin
(Baci-IM), gentamicin (Garamycin), kanamycin (Kantrex), neomycin (Mycifradin, Neo-Fradin,
Neo-Tab), netilmicin (Netromycin), polymyxin (Colistin), colistimethate (Coly-Mycin),
streptomycin, tobramycin (Nebcin, Tobi), or vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
rocuronium. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins,
minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication
without telling your doctor.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share
your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate,
up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum
information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not
warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does
not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist
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a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or
drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any
given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information
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interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse
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Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 11/10/2009