Suxamethonium chloride dihydrate
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some of the common questions people ask about Suxamethonium Juno. It does not contain all the information that is known about Suxamethonium Juno.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor will have weighed the risks of your being given Suxamethonium Juno against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about being given this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
What Suxamethonium Juno is for
Suxamethonium Juno is used to stop your muscles moving during surgery or medical procedures.
It belongs to a group of medicines called neuromuscular blockers which work by stopping messages being sent from the nerves to the muscles.
Your doctor will have explained why you will be given Suxamethonium Juno.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
Your doctor may prescribe this medicine for another use. Ask your doctor if you want more information.
Suxamethonium Juno is not addictive.
Before you are given Suxamethonium Juno
You may already have been given Suxamethonium Juno. Your doctor will have considered the situation carefully and decided to use it. However, if any of the following applies to you, tell your doctor immediately.
When you must not use it
You should not be given Suxamethonium Juno if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless your doctor says so. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits involved. We do not know if it is safe for you to be given it while you are pregnant. It may affect your baby if you are given it early in pregnancy or in the last weeks before your baby is due.
Your baby may take in Suxamethonium Juno from breast milk if you are breastfeeding.
You must not be given Suxamethonium Juno if you:
- are sensitive to suxamethonium
- have an allergy to any ingredient listed at the end of this leaflet or any other related medicines.
If you have an allergic reaction, you may get a skin rash, hayfever, breathing difficulties or feel faint.
You should not be given Suxamethonium Juno if you have or have had the following medical conditions:
- severe muscle stiffness and fever (malignant hyperthermia)
- family history of malignant hyperthermia
- muscle disease or weakness (e.g. myasthenia gravis or muscular dystrophy)
- glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye)
- eye injuries
- recent paraplegia
- kidney problems
- severe burns
- High blood levels of potassium
- prolonged infections
Before you are given it
You must tell your doctor if you have any of these medical conditions:
- heart or lung problems
- malnutrition or severe dehydration
- reduced red blood cells and iron stores (anaemia)
- under-active thyroid gland
- liver problems
- fever
- paraplegia
- severe injuries
- cancer
- skin diseases
- broken bones.
It may not be safe for you to be given Suxamethonium Juno if you have any of these conditions.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy at the chemist, supermarket or health food shop. These medicines may affect the way Suxamethonium Juno works.
Some medicines and Suxamethonium Juno may interfere with each other. These include:
- quinine
- chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine
- contraceptive pill
- medicines for depression or mental illness
- medicine for epilepsy or seizures e.g. phenytoin
- some antibiotics
- diuretics
- corticosteroids
- medicine for reflux or stomach ulcers e.g. cimetidine
- asthma reliever medication e.g. Bricanyl®
- medicines for high blood pressure or heart problems
- quinidine or digoxin
- magnesium salts
- eye drops for glaucoma
- some anticancer medicines
- medicines to treat Alzheimer’s disease
- medicines to treat myasthenia gravis.
These medicines may affect the way Suxamethonium Juno works.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.
Tell your doctor if you have recently been in contact with weed killers or insecticides. If you have not told your doctor or anaesthetist about any of these things, tell them before you are given any Suxamethonium Juno.
How Suxamethonium Juno is given
Suxamethonium Juno will be given to you by an anaesthetist. It will not be given to you until you are asleep from an anaesthetic.
It will be given by injection into your bloodstream or muscles. The dose you will be given will be carefully worked out depending on the length of the procedure, and your body weight. Children will be given reduced amounts of Suxamethonium Juno.
Since Suxamethonium Juno will stop your muscles moving, it may be necessary for the anaesthetist to help you breathe while you are being given it.
Overdose
The anaesthetist giving you Suxamethonium Juno will be experienced in its use, so it will be extremely unlikely that you will be given too much.
Suxamethonium Juno doses should be carefully worked out, so problems with overdose are unlikely. There is another medicine called neostigmine which can be used if needed to reverse that effects of too much Suxamethonium Juno.
Side effects
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well after you have been given Suxamethonium Juno. It may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- increased saliva levels or mucous production
- rash
- muscle twitching or pain
- flushing
- itching
- more bowel movements than normal
These are all mild side effects of Suxamethonium Juno.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- change in heart beat or palpitations
- eye pain
- muscle stiffness
- fever
- breathing difficulties, rash or irritation
- headache
- feeling faint.
These are all serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.
Serious side effects are rare.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Some people may get other side effects while being given Suxamethonium Juno.
Storage
Suxamethonium Juno must be kept in the fridge where the temperature stays between 2 – 8 degrees C.
Do not freeze.
Disposal
Any Suxamethonium Juno from a single dose which is not used will be disposed of in a safe manner by your doctor or nurse.
Product description
Suxamethonium Juno is a clear, colourless solution. It contains suxamethonium chloride dihydrate 50 mg/mL as the active ingredient, plus:
Hydrochloric Acid for pH adjustment
Water for Injections
Available in 2mL type 1 glass ampoules in packs of 10 and 50.
Sponsor
Juno Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd
42, Kelso Street,
Cremorne,
VIC 3121
This leaflet was prepared 8 February 2021
For medical information purposes please call 1800 620 076
Suxamethonium Juno 100 mg/2mL ampoules
AUST R 320687
Published by MIMS March 2021