Nondepolarizing Muscle Relaxants/Magnesium Salts, Injectable Interactions

This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.

Medical warning:

Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.

How the interaction occurs:

When these two medicines are used together, magnesium may increase the effects of your nondepolarizing muscle relaxant medicine.

What might happen:

The effects of your nondepolarizing muscle relaxant medicine may increase and last for a longer time, causing an increased chance for severe breathing problems.

What you should do about this interaction:

These medicines are used only during surgical procedures or in a hospital. If you are to have either inpatient or outpatient surgery, or are to be admitted to a hospital, make sure that all healthcare professionals are aware of all the different medicines that you are taking. This includes prescription and non-prescription medicine, herbal medicines, and nutraceuticals.Your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

  • 1.Giesecke AH Jr, Morris RE, Dalton MD, Stephen CR. Of magnesium, muscle relaxants, toxemic parturients, and cats. Anesth Analg 1968 Nov-Dec; 47(6):689-95.
  • 2.Morris R, Giesecke AH Jr. Potentiation of muscle relaxants by magnesium sulfate therapy in toxemia of pregnancy. South Med J 1968 Jan;61(1):25-8.
  • 3.Aldrete JA, Zahler A, Aikawa JK. Prevention of succinylcholine-induced hyperkalaemia by magnesium sulfate. Can Anaesth Soc J 1970 Sep; 17(5):477-84.
  • 4.Ghoneim MM, Long JP. The interaction between magnesium and other neuromuscular blocking agents. Anesthesiology 1970 Jan;32(1):23-7.
  • 5.Sinatra RS, Philip BK, Naulty JS, Ostheimer GW. Prolonged neuromuscular blockade with vecuronium in a patient treated with magnesium sulfate. Anesth Analg 1985 Dec;64(12):1220-2.
  • 6.Ostergaard D, Engbaek J, Viby-Mogensen J. Adverse reactions and interactions of the neuromuscular blocking drugs. Med Toxicol Adverse Drug Exp 1989 Sep-Oct;4(5):351-68.

Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.

CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.