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Methohexital Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of methohexital include drug interaction, product quality issue, and off label use, based on 380 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 25.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Methohexital side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for methohexital.

1
Drug Ineffective25.0%95
2
Drug Interaction10.5%40
3
Product Quality Issue7.9%30
4
Off Label Use5.8%22
5
Bradycardia4.7%18
6
Cardiac Arrest4.5%17
7
Seizure4.2%16
8
Serotonin Syndrome4.2%16
9
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy3.9%15
10
Delirium3.2%12
11
Status Epilepticus3.2%12
12
Atrial Fibrillation2.6%10
13
Exposure During Pregnancy2.6%10
14
Hypotension2.4%9
15
Memory Impairment2.1%8

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that methohexital caused these reactions.

Report severity

61.8%Serious235 reports
23.9%Hospitalizations91 reports
5.3%Fatal20 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Methohexital drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside methohexital. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Succinylcholine-chloride10.5%40
2
Midazolam9.7%37
3
Quetiapine-fumarate9.5%36
4
Diazepam6.8%26
5
Fentanyl5.5%21
6
Ketamine-hydrochloride4.7%18
7
Risperidone4.5%17
8
Lidocaine3.9%15
9
Testosterone3.7%14
10
Lorazepam3.4%13
11
Propofol3.2%12
12
Lamotrigine3.2%12
13
Sertraline-hydrochloride2.9%11
14
Vortioxetine2.9%11
15
Atropine2.6%10

Taken alongside

1
Succinylcholine-chloride19.7%75
2
Fentanyl7.6%29
3
Midazolam7.4%28
4
Propofol6.3%24
5
Levothyroxine-sodium5.3%20
6
Ondansetron4.7%18
7
Mirtazapine4.5%17
8
Gabapentin4.5%17
9
Lithium4.5%17
10
Oxygen3.9%15
11
Lorazepam3.9%15
12
Clonazepam3.9%15
13
Hydroxyzine3.9%15
14
Ketamine-hydrochloride3.7%14
15
Glycopyrrolate3.7%14

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports methohexital side effects

42.9% of methohexital adverse event reports involve female patients and 27.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 69%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female42.9%
Male27.9%
Unknown29.2%

Age group

< 22.5%
2–112.5%
12–173.3%
18–6468.6%
65+23.1%

What is methohexital used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking methohexital when the adverse event was reported.

AnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnalgesic TherapyAstheniaAbortionAnaesthesiaAnaesthetic ComplicationArrhythmiaBlood Pressure IncreasedBipolar DisorderCardioversionCatatoniaDepressionDrug Use For Unknown IndicationElectrocardiogram

Showing 15 of 47 indications

Methohexital brand names and reporting trend

Methohexital is sold under the brand name Brevital Sodium.

Brand names

Brevital Sodium251

Quarterly reports (20042025)

200520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking methohexital with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.