Etomidate and Ketamine interaction
Etomidate and Ketamine: both prescribing labels flag this combination with the strongest language, such as a contraindication, a boxed warning, or an instruction to avoid it.
Do not combine without a prescriber's guidance. The label language below is the strongest FDA uses.
What the FDA labels say
From the Ketamine (Ketalar) label · effective 2026-03-27
Benzodiazepines, Opioid Analgesics, or other CNS Depressants : Concomitant use may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, or death.
Benzodiazepines, Opioid Analgesics, or Other CNS Depressants Concomitant use of ketamine with opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, including alcohol, may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death [see Drug Interactions ( 7.3 )] .
Closely monitor neurological status and respiratory parameters, including respiratory rate and pulse oximetry, when KETALR and opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, or other CNS depressants are co-administered.
Benzodiazepines, Opioid Analgesics, Or Other CNS Depressants Concomitant use of ketamine with opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, including alcohol, may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] .
From the Etomidate (Amidate) label · effective 2026-05-20
In a published study in primates, administration of an anesthetic dose of ketamine for 24 hours on Gestation Day 122 increased neuronal apoptosis in the developing brain of the fetus.
In primates, exposure to 3 hours of ketamine that produced a light surgical plane of anesthesia did not increase neuronal cell loss, however, treatment regimens of 5 hours or longer of isoflurane increased neuronal cell loss.
Data from isoflurane-treated rodents and ketamine-treated primates suggest that the neuronal and oligodendrocyte cell losses are associated with prolonged cognitive deficits in learning and memory.
Taking more than these two? Interactions stack. Check your whole list at once; it stays in your browser.
Open in the checkerNot medical advice. Interaction Checker quotes FDA label text and NIH fact sheets. Whether an interaction matters for you depends on doses, timing, kidney and liver function, and other conditions. Confirm with a pharmacist or prescriber.