Droperidol, Injection droh-PER-i-dole

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antiemetic (antinausea)

Generic and brand names: droperidol, injection; Inapsine

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injection to prevent nausea and vomiting. It is used in surgical or diagnostic procedures.

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

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• abnormal heart rhythm
• heart disease or heart failure
• hypokalemia (too little potassium in the blood)
• hypomagnesemia (too little magnesium in the blood)
• liver or kidney disease
• long QT syndrome (problems with electrical activity in the heart muscle)
• mental illness such as depression or schizophrenia
• Parkinson's disease
• pheochromocytoma (a tumor of the adrenal gland)
• problems with alcohol abuse
• seizures

Tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take.

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

How do I use it?

This medicine is given by your healthcare provider. You may receive the shot in a vein (intravenous) or in a muscle (intramuscular).

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may cause serious abnormal heartbeats and a drop in blood pressure. You may have an electrocardiogram to check your heartbeat and be given IV fluids to help prevent problems.

This medicine may cause dizziness or drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery until you are fully alert.

You may feel dizzy or faint when you get up quickly after sitting or lying down. Getting up slowly may help.

Adults over the age of 65 may be at greater risk for side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about this. If you need emergency care, surgery, 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).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Pounding or irregular heartbeat; fainting; shaking; stiffness; body movements that are hard to control; fever; shortness of breath; hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that are not there); anxiety.

Other: Drowsiness, hyperactivity, depression, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation.

What products might interact with this medicine?

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

• antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (Ery-Tabs, E.E.S.), and moxifloxacin (Avelox)
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline, doxepin, imipramine (Tofranil), and nortriptyline (Pamelor)
• antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• antimalarial medicines such as halofantrine (Halfan) and mefloquine (Lariam)
• antipsychotic medicines such as pimozide (Orap), risperidone (Risperdal), thioridazine, and ziprasidone (Geodon)
• antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and primidone (Mysoline)
• barbiturates such as butabarbital (Butisol), pentobarbital (Nembutal), and phenobarbital
• calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem), felodipine, isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin)
• diuretics (water pills) such as bumetanide, furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Hyzaar), metolazone (Diulo, Zaroxolyn), and torsemide (Demadex)
• heart medicines such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), bepridil (Vascor), disopyramide (Norpace), dofetilide (Tikosyn), flecainide (Tambocor), mexiletine (Mexitil), procainamide (Procan SR), propafenone (Rythmol), quinidine, sotalol (Betapace), and tocainide (Tonocard)
• natural remedies such as gotu kola, kava, St. John's wort, and valerian
• MAO inhibitor antidepressants such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take this medicine and an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of each other.)
• muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), dantrolene Dantrium), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• narcotic analgesics (painkillers) such as codeine, fentanyl (Duragesic, Actiq), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone (OxyContin), oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet, Tylox), and pentazocine (Talwin)
• sleeping pills such as eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien)
• tranquilizers such as chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene, Gen-XENE), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan)

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.

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 medicines in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.