Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

1. Precedex

Descriptions

Dexmedetomidine injection is used to help you sleep (sedate) before or during surgery or other medical procedures. This medicine is also used to sedate intubated and mechanically ventilated patients during treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).

This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

• Solution

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of dexmedetomidine injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dexmedetomidine injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have serious unwanted effects (eg, low blood pressure, slow heartbeat), which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Bepridil
• Cisapride
• Dronedarone
• Mesoridazine
• Pimozide
• Piperaquine
• Saquinavir
• Sparfloxacin
• Terfenadine
• Thioridazine
• Ziprasidone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Acepromazine
• Alfentanil
• Alfuzosin
• Alprazolam
• Amiodarone
• Amisulpride
• Amitriptyline
• Amobarbital
• Anagrelide
• Anileridine
• Apomorphine
• Aripiprazole
• Aripiprazole Lauroxil
• Arsenic Trioxide
• Asenapine
• Astemizole
• Atazanavir
• Azithromycin
• Baclofen
• Bedaquiline
• Benperidol
• Benzhydrocodone
• Bromazepam
• Bromopride
• Buprenorphine
• Buserelin
• Buspirone
• Butabarbital
• Butorphanol
• Calcium Oxybate
• Cannabidiol
• Cannabis
• Carbinoxamine
• Carisoprodol
• Carphenazine
• Ceritinib
• Cetirizine
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chlordiazepoxide
• Chloroquine
• Chlorpromazine
• Chlorzoxazone
• Ciprofloxacin
• Citalopram
• Clarithromycin
• Clobazam
• Clofazimine
• Clomipramine
• Clonazepam
• Clorazepate
• Clothiapine
• Clozapine
• Codeine
• Crizotinib
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Dabrafenib
• Daridorexant
• Dasatinib
• Degarelix
• Delamanid
• Desipramine
• Deslorelin
• Deutetrabenazine
• Diacetylmorphine
• Diazepam
• Dichloralphenazone
• Difenoxin
• Dihydrocodeine
• Diphenhydramine
• Diphenoxylate
• Disopyramide
• Dofetilide
• Dolasetron
• Domperidone
• Donepezil
• Doxepin
• Doxylamine
• Droperidol
• Ebastine
• Efavirenz
• Encorafenib
• Enflurane
• Entrectinib
• Eribulin
• Erythromycin
• Escitalopram
• Esketamine
• Estazolam
• Eszopiclone
• Ethchlorvynol
• Ethopropazine
• Ethylmorphine
• Famotidine
• Felbamate
• Fentanyl
• Fexinidazole
• Fingolimod
• Flecainide
• Flibanserin
• Fluconazole
• Flunitrazepam
• Fluoxetine
• Fluphenazine
• Flurazepam
• Fluspirilene
• Formoterol
• Foscarnet
• Fosphenytoin
• Fospropofol
• Gabapentin
• Gabapentin Enacarbil
• Galantamine
• Gatifloxacin
• Gemifloxacin
• Glasdegib
• Gonadorelin
• Goserelin
• Granisetron
• Halazepam
• Halofantrine
• Haloperidol
• Halothane
• Hexobarbital
• Histrelin
• Hydrocodone
• Hydromorphone
• Hydroquinidine
• Hydroxychloroquine
• Hydroxyzine
• Ibutilide
• Iloperidone
• Imipramine
• Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
• Iobenguane I 131
• Isoflurane
• Itraconazole
• Ivabradine
• Ivosidenib
• Ketamine
• Ketazolam
• Ketobemidone
• Ketoconazole
• Lacosamide
• Lapatinib
• Lefamulin
• Lemborexant
• Lenvatinib
• Leuprolide
• Levocetirizine
• Levofloxacin
• Levorphanol
• Lofexidine
• Lorazepam
• Loxapine
• Lumefantrine
• Macimorelin
• Magnesium Oxybate
• Meclizine
• Mefloquine
• Melperone
• Meperidine
• Mephobarbital
• Meprobamate
• Meptazinol
• Metaxalone
• Methadone
• Methdilazine
• Methocarbamol
• Methohexital
• Methotrimeprazine
• Methylene Blue
• Metoclopramide
• Metronidazole
• Midazolam
• Mifepristone
• Mizolastine
• Mobocertinib
• Molindone
• Moricizine
• Morphine
• Morphine Sulfate Liposome
• Moxifloxacin
• Nafarelin
• Nalbuphine
• Nelfinavir
• Nicomorphine
• Nilotinib
• Nitrazepam
• Nitrous Oxide
• Norfloxacin
• Octreotide
• Ofloxacin
• Olanzapine
• Oliceridine
• Ondansetron
• Opium
• Opium Alkaloids
• Orphenadrine
• Osilodrostat
• Osimertinib
• Oxaliplatin
• Oxazepam
• Oxycodone
• Oxymorphone
• Paliperidone
• Panobinostat
• Papaveretum
• Papaverine
• Paregoric
• Paroxetine
• Pasireotide
• Pazopanib
• Pentamidine
• Pentazocine
• Pentobarbital
• Perampanel
• Perazine
• Periciazine
• Perphenazine
• Phenobarbital
• Pimavanserin
• Pipamperone
• Piperacetazine
• Pipotiazine
• Piritramide
• Pitolisant
• Ponesimod
• Posaconazole
• Potassium Oxybate
• Prazepam
• Pregabalin
• Primidone
• Probucol
• Procainamide
• Prochlorperazine
• Promazine
• Promethazine
• Propafenone
• Propofol
• Protriptyline
• Quazepam
• Quetiapine
• Quinidine
• Quinine
• Ramelteon
• Ranolazine
• Remifentanil
• Remimazolam
• Remoxipride
• Ribociclib
• Risperidone
• Ritonavir
• Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b-njft
• Scopolamine
• Secobarbital
• Selpercatinib
• Sertindole
• Sertraline
• Sevoflurane
• Siponimod
• Sodium Oxybate
• Sodium Phosphate
• Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
• Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
• Solifenacin
• Sorafenib
• Sotalol
• Sufentanil
• Sulpiride
• Sultopride
• Sunitinib
• Suvorexant
• Tacrolimus
• Tamoxifen
• Tapentadol
• Telaprevir
• Telavancin
• Telithromycin
• Temazepam
• Tetrabenazine
• Thiethylperazine
• Thiopental
• Thiopropazate
• Tilidine
• Tizanidine
• Tolonium Chloride
• Tolterodine
• Topiramate
• Toremifene
• Tramadol
• Trazodone
• Triazolam
• Triclabendazole
• Trifluoperazine
• Trifluperidol
• Triflupromazine
• Trimeprazine
• Trimipramine
• Triptorelin
• Vandetanib
• Vardenafil
• Vemurafenib
• Venlafaxine
• Vilanterol
• Vinflunine
• Voclosporin
• Voriconazole
• Vorinostat
• Zaleplon
• Zolpidem
• Zopiclone
• Zotepine
• Zuclopenthixol
• Zuranolone

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Diabetes or
• Heart disease (eg, heart block), severe or
• Heart rhythm problems or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Hypotension (low blood pressure) or
• Hypovolemia (low blood volume) or
• Liver problems—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

Proper Use

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress closely while you are receiving this medicine to make sure this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

This medicine may cause hypotension (low blood pressure). Check with your doctor right away if you have blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position, sweating, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Check with your doctor right away if you have chest pain or discomfort, lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting, slow or irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, or unusual tiredness. These may be symptoms of bradycardia (slow heartbeat).

This medicine may cause hyperthermia (high body temperature). Check with your doctor right away if you have dizziness, fast, shallow breathing, fast, weak heartbeat, muscle cramps, pale, clammy skin, thirst, or extremely high fever or body temperature.

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.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine 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:

More common

1. Blurred vision
2. chest pain or discomfort
3. confusion
4. coughing
5. dizziness
6. dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting suddenly up from a lying or sitting position
7. headache
8. irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing
9. nervousness
10. pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin
11. pounding in the ears
12. slow or fast heartbeat
13. sweating
14. trouble breathing
15. unusual tiredness or weakness

Less common

1. Bleeding gums
2. bloody urine
3. coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
4. coughing up blood
5. drowsiness
6. dry mouth
7. extremely high fever or body temperature
8. fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
9. fever
10. flushed, dry skin
11. fruit-like breath odor
12. increased hunger
13. increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding
14. increased thirst
15. increased urination
16. loss of appetite
17. lower back or side pain
18. mood or mental changes
19. muscle cramps in the hands, arms, feet, legs, or face
20. muscle spasms or twitching seizures
21. nausea
22. nosebleeds
23. numbness and tingling around the mouth, fingertips, or feet
24. pale, clammy skin
25. paralysis
26. prolonged bleeding from cuts
27. red or black, tarry stools
28. red or dark brown urine
29. seizures
30. stomach cramps
31. swelling of face, fingers, legs, or ankles
32. tremor
33. unexplained weight gain or loss
34. vomiting

Incidence not known

1. Chest tightness
2. confusion as to time, place, or person
3. frequent urination
4. holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by fact
5. increased volume of pale, dilute urine
6. irritability
7. no blood pressure
8. pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
9. restlessness
10. seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
11. shakiness
12. sleepiness
13. slow to respond
14. slurred speech
15. stomach pain
16. stopping of the heart
17. unconsciousness
18. unusual excitement, nervousness, or restlessness
19. weakness or heaviness of the legs
20. yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects 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:

More common

1. Anxiety
2. constipation
3. shaking

Incidence not known

1. Hives, itching, rash
2. redness of the skin
3. seeing flashes or sparks of light

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024

Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/dexmedetomidine-intravenous-route/description/drg-20537766