Sevoflurane Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 8, 2024.

Applies to sevoflurane: inhalation liquid.

Precautions

Your doctor will check you closely after receiving this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Hyperkalemia may occur rarely after receiving this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have confusion, irregular heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or legs, or trouble breathing after receiving this medicine.

This medicine may cause malignant hyperthermia (high body temperature). Check with your doctor right away if you have fast heartbeat, high fever, or rigid muscles.

Check with your doctor right away if you have black, tarry stools, chills, dark urine, dizziness, fever, general tiredness or weakness, headache, itching, light-colored stools, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, upper right stomach pain, vomiting of blood, or yellow eyes and skin. These may be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you had a heart rhythm problem, including QT prolongation.

This medicine may cause severe bradycardia (slow heartbeat) in patients with Down syndrome. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child has chest pain or discomfort, lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting, slow or irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, or unusual tiredness.

General anesthetics may cause some people to feel drowsy, tired, or weak. They may also cause problems with coordination and one's ability to think. Therefore, after receiving a general anesthetic, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Serious side effects of sevoflurane

Along with its needed effects, sevoflurane may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking sevoflurane:

Other side effects of sevoflurane

Some side effects of sevoflurane may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to sevoflurane: inhalation liquid.

General adverse events

The most common adverse events were nausea, vomiting, hypotension, agitation, and cough.^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Nausea (25%), vomiting (18%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Increased salivation
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dry mouth^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Very common (10% or more): Hypotension (11%), bradycardia
• Common (1% to 10%): Tachycardia, hypertension
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Arrhythmia, ventricular extrasystoles, supraventricular extrasystoles, complete AV block, bigeminy, inverted T wave, atrial fibrillation, atrial arrhythmia, second degree AV block, S-T depressed, extrasystoles
• Frequency not reported: QT prolongation, torsade de pointes
• Postmarketing reports: Cardiac arrest^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Very common (10% or more): Cough increased (11%),
• Common (1% to 10%): Laryngospasm, airway obstruction, breath holding, apnea, respiratory disorder
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Sputum increased, hypoxia, wheezing, bronchospasm, hyperventilation, pharyngitis, hiccup, hypoventilation, dyspnea, stridor, hypoxia, asthma
• Postmarketing reports: Pulmonary edema^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Very common (10% or more): Agitation (up to 15%)
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Crying, nervousness, confusion, insomnia, confusional state^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Common (1% to 10%): Somnolence, dizziness, movement
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Syncope, hypertonia, taste perversion
• Postmarketing reports: Seizures, dystonia^[Ref]

Other

• Common (1% to 10%): Shivering, fever, hypothermia, headache, blood fluoride increased
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Asthenia, pain, fluorosis,
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Malignant hyperthermia^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Common (1% to 10%): White blood cell count abnormal
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hemorrhage, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia
• Postmarketing reports: Transient elevations in white blood cell count^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Common (1% to 10%): Liver function test abnormal
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increases in AST, increases in ALT, bilirubinemia
• Postmarketing reports: Hepatic dysfunction, hepatitis, jaundice, hepatic necrosis, hepatic failure, transient elevations in liver function tests^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Common (1% to 10%): Blood glucose abnormal
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increases in LDH, increases in alkaline phosphatase, hypophosphatemia, acidosis, hyperglycemia
• Postmarketing reports: Transient elevations in glucose^[Ref]

Renal

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increases in BUN, increases in creatinine, glycosuria, albuminuria,
• Frequency not reported: Mild impairment of renal concentrating ability
• Postmarketing reports: Acute renal failure^[Ref]

Ocular

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Amblyopia, conjunctivitis^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Urination impaired, urine abnormality, urinary retention, oliguria^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Pruritus, rash^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Postmarketing reports: Allergic reactions, urticaria, bronchospasm, anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reaction, hypersensitivity (including contact dermatitis, rash, dyspnea, wheezing, chest discomfort, swelling face, or anaphylactic reaction)^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Postmarketing reports: Muscle twitching^[Ref]

See also:

Further information

Sevoflurane side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer