Droperidol is a sedative, tranquilizer, and anti-nausea medication.
Droperidol is used to reduce nausea and vomiting caused by surgery or other medical
procedures.
Droperidol may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking droperidol?
You should not be given this medication if you are allergic to droperidol, or have a
personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome."
Before you receive droperidol, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you
have:
heart disease;
heart rhythm disorder;
congestive heart failure;
high blood pressure;
an electrolyte imbalance (such as low potassium);
liver or kidney disease;
adrenal gland cancer (pheochromocytoma); or
a history of alcohol abuse.
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to receive
droperidol, or you may need a dose adjustment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby.
Before you receive droperidol, tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
It is not known whether droperidol passes into breast milk or if it could harm a
nursing baby. Before you receive this medication, tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a
baby.
How should I take droperidol?
Droperidol is given as an injection through a needle placed into a muscle or a vein. You
will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting prior to and/or during your surgery or
medical procedure.
What happens if I miss a dose of droperidol?
Since droperidol is given as needed by a healthcare professional, it is not likely that you
will miss a dose.
Where can I get more information about droperidol?
Your pharmacist has information about droperidol written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of droperidol?
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 at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
feeling like you might pass out;
dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat, fluttering in
your chest;
chest tightness and trouble breathing;
fever, stiff muscles, confusion, sweating, fast or uneven
heartbeats;
confusion, hallucinations;
tremor (uncontrolled shaking); or
restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or
neck.
Less serious side effects include:
drowsiness, dizziness; or
feeling restless or anxious.
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 droperidol?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to droperidol, or have a
personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome."
Before you receive droperidol, tell your doctor if you have heart disease, high blood
pressure, a heart rhythm disorder, low potassium, liver or kidney disease, adrenal gland cancer, or
a history of alcohol abuse.
Before you receive droperidol, tell your doctor if you have been taking any medications to
treat high blood pressure, a heart rhythm disorder, malaria, infections, a prostate disorder,
depression or mental illness, or if you are using a narcotic pain medication.
What should I avoid while taking droperidol?
Cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle
relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by
droperidol. Tell your doctor if you have been taking any of these other medicines before you
receive droperidol.
What other drugs will affect droperidol?
The following drugs can interact with droperidol. Tell your doctor if you are using any of
these:
arsenic trioxide (Trisenox);
a diuretic (water pill);
a laxative;
a drug to treat a psychiatric disorder;
an anti-malaria medication;
heart or blood pressure medications (Cartia XT, Procardia,
Covera, Isoptin, Verelan and others);
heart rhythm medication such as amiodarone (Cordarone,
Pacerone), disopyramide (Norpace), quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinaglute), sotalol (Betapace),
and others;
drugs to treat high blood pressure or a prostate disorder,
such as doxazosin (Cardura), or prazosin (Minipress);
an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan),
phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine
(Parnate);
a narcotic pain medication such as hydrocodone (Lortab,
Vicodin), morphine (MS Contin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), propoxyphene (Darvocet,
Darvon), and others; or
an antibiotic such as azithromycin (Zithromax),
clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Erythrocin, Ery-Tab), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact
with droperidol. 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
licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not
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
Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug
interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse
or pharmacist.
Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 11/10/2009