OpenClaim

Remifentanil Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of remifentanil include anaphylactic shock, hypotension, and anaphylactic reaction, based on 7,109 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Remifentanil side effects

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

1
Anaphylactic Shock7.5%535
2
Hypotension5.8%411
3
Anaphylactic Reaction5.3%376
4
Drug Interaction4.4%310
5
Cardiac Arrest4.3%306
6
Bradycardia3.5%248
7
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy3.2%230
8
Acute Kidney Injury3.1%217
9
Drug Ineffective3.0%212
10
Off Label Use2.8%197
11
Tachycardia2.4%169
12
Blood Pressure Decreased2.0%139
13
Anaesthetic Complication Neurological1.7%122
14
Hypoxia1.6%114
15
Oxygen Saturation Decreased1.6%113

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

Report severity

97.1%Serious6,905 reports
36.9%Hospitalizations2,622 reports
8.8%Fatal623 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Remifentanil drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside remifentanil. 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
Propofol41.1%2,924
2
Rocuronium-bromide16.3%1,157
3
Sevoflurane15.9%1,133
4
Fentanyl13.6%969
5
Midazolam8.9%635
6
Ketamine-hydrochloride7.3%518
7
Dexamethasone7.1%508
8
Acetaminophen6.8%483
9
Lidocaine6.8%483
10
Epinephrine5.7%405
11
Cisatracurium-besylate5.6%401
12
Sugammadex4.9%350
13
Desflurane4.6%330
14
Sufentanil-citrate4.6%327
15
Apomorphine-hydrochloride4.5%321

Taken alongside

1
Propofol30.2%2,149
2
Fentanyl17.9%1,275
3
Rocuronium-bromide14.3%1,017
4
Midazolam12.3%874
5
Acetaminophen8.9%632
6
Sevoflurane8.5%602
7
Lidocaine7.3%522
8
Dexamethasone7.2%512
9
Epinephrine6.5%461
10
Furosemide4.8%341
11
Heparin4.3%303
12
Pseudoephedrine4.1%292
13
Oxygen4.0%285
14
Omeprazole4.0%283
15
Cefazolin-sodium3.9%280

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 remifentanil side effects

42.0% of remifentanil adverse event reports involve female patients and 42.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 57%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female42.0%
Male42.3%
Unknown15.7%

Age group

< 23.8%
2–113.8%
12–173.6%
18–6457.0%
65+31.9%

What is remifentanil used for

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

Abdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAccidental OverdoseAfterbirth PainAgitationAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia DolorosaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnaesthetic Ophthalmic ProcedureAnaesthetic PremedicationAnalgesiaAnalgesic EffectAnalgesic TherapyApnoea

Showing 15 of 295 indications

Remifentanil brand names and reporting trend

Remifentanil is sold under the brand name Remifentanil Hydrochloride.

Brand names

Remifentanil Hydrochloride270

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking remifentanil with another medication?

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