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Succinylcholine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of succinylcholine include hyperthermia malignant, hypotension, and cardiac arrest, based on 4,065 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Succinylcholine side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective10.2%414
2
Hyperthermia Malignant6.4%260
3
Hypotension6.0%243
4
Cardiac Arrest4.3%176
5
Anaphylactic Shock4.3%176
6
Drug Interaction4.2%171
7
Anaphylactic Reaction3.6%146
8
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy3.4%138
9
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy3.2%129
10
Renal Failure2.7%111
11
Rhabdomyolysis2.7%110
12
Pain2.7%109
13
Serotonin Syndrome2.5%102
14
Injury2.4%98
15
Off Label Use2.4%98

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

Report severity

85.9%Serious3,491 reports
35.2%Hospitalizations1,429 reports
10.0%Fatal406 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Succinylcholine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside succinylcholine. 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
Propofol26.2%1,063
2
Fentanyl14.1%572
3
Lidocaine8.5%347
4
Midazolam8.2%335
5
Sevoflurane7.8%319
6
Rocuronium-bromide6.5%264
7
Isoflurane5.4%218
8
Ondansetron4.7%191
9
Sufentanil-citrate4.7%191
10
Thiopental-sodium4.3%175
11
Remifentanil-hydrochloride4.1%167
12
Ketamine-hydrochloride3.8%155
13
Etomidate3.5%144
14
Dexamethasone3.5%143
15
Lorazepam3.2%132

Taken alongside

1
Propofol21.0%855
2
Fentanyl17.9%726
3
Midazolam15.1%613
4
Lidocaine9.8%400
5
Acetaminophen8.3%338
6
Rocuronium-bromide7.3%298
7
Etomidate7.3%297
8
Ondansetron7.1%289
9
Furosemide5.9%239
10
Epinephrine5.3%217
11
Heparin5.3%215
12
Aspirin5.2%212
13
Dexamethasone5.0%204
14
Cefazolin-sodium4.9%201
15
Oxygen4.9%200

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 succinylcholine side effects

46.4% of succinylcholine adverse event reports involve female patients and 35.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 69%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female46.4%
Male35.6%
Unknown17.9%

Age group

< 23.5%
2–113.1%
12–172.8%
18–6468.7%
65+21.8%

What is succinylcholine used for

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

Acute Kidney InjuryAdverse EventAllergy TestAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnaesthetic PremedicationAnalgesic TherapyAnaphylactic ReactionAortic AneurysmAppendicectomyAspiration TrachealAtrial FibrillationAgitationAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia Procedure

Showing 15 of 196 indications

Succinylcholine brand names and reporting trend

Succinylcholine is sold under the brand name Anectine.

Brand names

Anectine4,124

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking succinylcholine with another medication?

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