cisatracurium

Skip to the navigation

Pronunciation: sis AT ra KURE ee um

Brand: Nimbex

What is the most important information I should know about cisatracurium?

To make sure cisatracurium is safe for you, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions.

What is cisatracurium?

Cisatracurium is used to relax the muscles. It works by blocking the signals between your nerves and your muscles.

Cisatracurium is given before general anesthesia in preparing you for surgery. Cisatracurium helps keep your body still during surgery. It also relaxes your throat so a breathing tube can be more easily inserted before the surgery.

Cisatracurium may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving cisatracurium?

You should not receive this medicine if you are allergic to cisatracurium or similar medications used in anesthesia.

To make sure cisatracurium is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • a history of seizures;
  • nerve-muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis;
  • an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood);
  • history of head injury or brain tumor; or
  • history of allergic reaction to any anesthesia medicine.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether cisatracurium will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine.

It is not known whether cisatracurium passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is cisatracurium given?

Cisatracurium is injected into a vein through an IV. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

Your breathing, blood pressure, oxygen levels, kidney function, and other vital signs will be watched closely while you are receiving cisatracurium. Your blood will also need to be tested daily during treatment, and you may also need chest x-rays.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since cisatracurium is used during surgery, it does not have a daily dosing schedule.

What happens if I overdose?

Since this medicine is given by a healthcare professional in a medical setting, an overdose is unlikely to occur.

What should I avoid after receiving cisatracurium?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

What are the possible side effects of cisatracurium?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Common side effects may include:

  • slow heart rate;
  • dizziness; or
  • flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect cisatracurium?

Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with cisatracurium, especially an injected antibiotic such as:

  • amikacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, paromomycin, streptomycin, tobramycin, and others.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with cisatracurium, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about cisatracurium.

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.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.01. Revision date: 4/16/2014.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.