Isoflurane Side Effects

During surgical or dental procedures, medical professionals frequently rely upon general anesthetics to place you in a sleep-like state, allowing you to be comfortable and still. A number of anesthetics are available to doctors and dentists, including isoflurane or Forane. You receive isoflurane in vapor form through a mask worn over your nose and mouth prior to the start of your medical procedure. Despite its effectiveness, isoflurane is not for everyone, as it presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

Less Serious Side Effects

• The most common side effects of isoflurane are trembling or shivering and occur most frequently after the procedure is complete. Gastrointestinal side effects of isoflurane include vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Neurological and psychological side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, headache, moodiness and nightmares. You may also experience blurred or double vision when you wake up from your procedure. While uncomfortable, these side effects are only temporary.

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Side Effects

• Some patients experience cardiovascular or respiratory side effects from isolfurane. Arrhythmias or abnormal heart rate sometimes occurs, resulting in chest pain, shortness of breath or lightheadedness. Possible complications of arrhythmia include heart failure, the formation of blood clots and an increased likelihood of stroke. Low blood pressure or hypotension is another possible cardiovascular side effect of isoflurane, which doctors will monitor you for during your medical procedure. A serious respiratory side effect of isoflurane is respiratory depression, a condition that occurs when your brain fails to properly regulate your breathing, sometimes resulting in heart damage or even death.

Other Serious Side Effects

• In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, isoflurane has the potential to cause serious medical complications. The anesthetic can cause an increase in potassium levels in your blood stream. In severe cases, this leads to a condition called hyperkalemia, which can damage or interfere with your heart and cardiovascular system. Some patients also experience a decrease in liver dysfunction or inflammation of the organ, known as hepatitis after receiving isoflurane during a procedure. Effects upon the liver vary in severity from a minor, temporary condition to permanent liver damage or even a fatal shutdown of the organ. Additionally, isoflurane sometimes causes a dangerous drop in body temperature known as hyperthermia.

Drug Interactions

• There are some medications which produce unwanted side effects when used in conjunction with isoflurane. For instance, doctors often avoid other drugs that make you sleepy as this increases your risk of developing respiratory depression. Examples of such drugs include narcotics, sleeping pills and sedatives, antiepileptic drugs and anti-anxiety medications. In addition, isoflurane increases the effects of muscle relaxants, which both increases your risk of developing side effects from the relaxant and makes it difficult for you to move.

Considerations

• Because it may be toxic to the fetus, doctors do not use isoflurane to sedate pregnant women unless it is medically necessary. If you have ever experienced an allergic or adverse reaction after using an inhaled anesthetic, your doctor may not prescribe isoflurane for you. After the procedure, you should limit your intake of alcohol as using it with isoflurane creates a risk for developing respiratory depression. Additionally, you should not drive or operate heavy machinery for at least 24 hours after receiving isoflurane.