What it is used for
- Pain relief during surgery as part of general anaesthesia
- Pain relief during short procedures with sedation
- Pain relief and sedation for intensive care patients on breathing machines
How it is used
- It is given only by an anaesthetist as an injection or drip into a vein
- Your breathing, oxygen level and heart are monitored until the effect wears off
- After the procedure do not drive or make important decisions for the time the staff advise, and have someone take you home
Possible side effects
- Slow or shallow breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Low blood pressure or a slow heartbeat
- Stiffness of the chest muscles
- Drowsiness or dizziness after waking
Who should not use it
- Allergy to alfentanil or other opioid medicines
- It is not used where breathing cannot be monitored and supported
Before and while using it
- It can strongly depress breathing, so it is given only with full monitoring
- Tell the team about sleep apnoea, lung or liver disease, head injury or myasthenia gravis
- Tell the team if you have a history of dependence on opioids or alcohol
- Older people are more sensitive to its effects
- Avoid alcohol after the procedure until the drowsiness has gone
Medicine interactions
- Some antibiotics, antifungals and HIV medicines, such as erythromycin, ketoconazole and ritonavir, and also diltiazem, can prolong its effect
- Benzodiazepines, sedatives, alcohol and other opioids increase breathing depression and drowsiness
- MAOI antidepressants; tell the team if you take them or have taken them recently
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- In pregnancy and labour it is used only if the anaesthetist decides, because it can affect the baby's breathing
- After a single procedure breastfeeding can usually restart when the staff advise
How to store it
- It is kept in hospital in the controlled-drugs cupboard
Get medical help straight away if
- Your face, lips or tongue swell, or you find it hard to breathe.
- You get a severe rash, blistering or peeling skin.
- A side effect worries you or doesn’t go away: contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Questions about this medicine?
Talk to a doctor by video, or send your question by text.
Source: Standard international medicine references
This guide is general information and doesn’t replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Don’t start, stop or change a medicine without asking them, and always read the leaflet in the pack.