Osmitrol Side Effects

Generic Name: Mannitol

Please note - some side effects for Osmitrol may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/ or 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Side Effects of Osmitrol - for the consumer

Osmitrol

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Osmitrol:

Increased urination; nausea; runny nose; vomiting.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision; chest pain; chills or fever; confusion; decreased alertness; difficulty urinating; extreme dizziness; extreme thirst or dry mouth; fast or irregular heartbeat; headache; muscle cramps; pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site; weakness.

For the professional

Osmitrol

Extensive use of mannitol over the last several decades has produced recorded adverse events, in a variety of clinical settings, that are isolated or idiosyncratic in nature. None of these adverse reactions have occurred with any great frequency nor with any security in attributing them to mannitol.

The inability to clearly exclude the drug related nature of such events in these isolated reports prompts the necessity to list the reactions that have been observed in patients during or following mannitol infusion. In this fashion, patients have exhibited nausea, vomiting, rhinitis, local pain, skin necrosis and thrombophlebitis at the site of injection, chills, dizziness, urticaria, hypotension, hypertension, tachycardia, fever and angina-like chest pains.

Of far greater clinical significance is a variety of events that are related to inappropriate recognition and monitoring of fluid shifts. These are not intrinsic adverse reactions to the drug but the consequence of manipulating osmolarity by any agency in a therapeutically inappropriate manner. Failure to recognize severe impairment of renal function with the high likelihood of nondiuretic response can lead to aggravated dehydration of tissues and increased vascular fluid load. Induced diuresis in the presence of preexisting hemoconcentration and preexisting deficiency of water and electrolytes can lead to serious imbalances. Expansion of the extracellular space can aggravate cardiac decompensation or induce it in the presence of latent heart failure. Pulmonary congestion or edema can be seriously aggravated with the expansion of the extracellular and therefore intravascular fluid load. Hemodilution and dilution of the extracellular fluid space by osmotic shift of water can induce or aggravate preexisting hyponatremia.

If unrecognized, such fluid and/or electrolyte shift can produce the reported adverse reactions of pulmonary congestion, acidosis, electrolyte loss, dryness of mouth, thirst, edema, headache, blurred vision, convulsions and congestive cardiac failure.

These are not truly adverse reactions to the drug and can be appropriately prevented by evaluation of degree of renal failure with a test dose response to mannitol when indicated; evaluation of hypervolemia and hypovolemia; sodium and potassium levels; hemodilution or hemoconcentration; and evaluation of renal, cardiac and pulmonary function at the onset of therapy.

More resources:

Osmitrol

Osmitrol

Mannitol

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive and should not be utilized as a reference resource beyond the date hereof. This information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients, or recommend therapy. This drug information is a reference resource designed as supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill , knowledge, and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug of drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Drugs.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided. 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.