Drug · FAERS side-effect profile with label screen
Succinylcholine Chloride side effects: what 2,222 FDA adverse event reports show
Drug class
Depolarizing neuromuscular blocker
FDA label, Indications wording
Who reports
2,222 reports · 83% serious · 258 with death outcome · 57% female
openFDA FAERS counts, all years, deduplication not applied
Used for
Succinylcholine chloride injection is indicated in adults and pediatric patients: as an adjunct to general anesthesia to facilitate tracheal intubation to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. Succinylcholine chlo.
FDA label, Indications and Usage
What it is
Succinylcholine Chloride Injection, USP is a sterile, nonpyrogenic solution to be used as a short-acting, depolarizing neuromuscular blocker for intravenous or intramuscular use. Succinylcholine chloride injection contains succinylcholine chloride as the active pharmaceutical ingredient.
FDA label, Description section
Boxed warning
VENTRICULAR DYSRHYTHMIAS, CARDIAC ARREST, AND DEATH FROM HYPERKALEMIC RHABDOMYOLYSIS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS Acute rhabdomyolysis with hyperkalemia followed by ventricular dysrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and death has oc.
FDA label
How to read this page. FAERS is a spontaneous-reporting system: counts are not incidence rates and a signal is not proof of causation.
Each reaction below is run through an automated screen — is the term in the FDA label (known), in the indications (the disease being treated), an administrative/coding term, or none of these (unlabeled)?
That screen is mechanical text matching, not a causality assessment. The 30 hand-written Bradford Hill assessments are on the causality assessment page. Not medical advice.
Causality screen of the 40 strongest signals
Labeled — boxed warning 5Labeled adverse reaction 7Labeled (related wording) 3Reporting / coding artifact 4Lab value / disease marker 1Not in label — unassessed 20
What the badges mean
- Labeled — boxed warning The term (or its clinical synonym) appears in the FDA boxed warning: causality is regulator-recognised and considered serious.
- Labeled adverse reaction The exact term appears in the label's warnings or adverse-reactions sections: a known, expected effect. The FAERS signal confirms the label rather than discovering anything.
- Labeled (related wording) The label describes this effect under different wording (e.g. 'neutropenia' for 'neutrophil count decreased'). Treated as known.
- Reporting / coding artifact An administrative, monitoring or exposure term (product issue, off-label use, 'test normal', overdose...). Not a biological reaction; a high PRR here reflects how reports are coded.
- Lab value / disease marker A laboratory result, investigation or disease-activity marker (antibody positive, CRP abnormal, swollen joint count) not described in the label. These usually mirror the monitored disease or testing protocol rather than a drug effect; not screened further.
- Not in label — unassessed Not found in the label text, not an artifact pattern. This is a genuine candidate for a formal causality assessment (Bradford Hill / WHO-UMC); it has NOT had one here.
Strongest disproportionality signals
Flagged terms (PRR ≥ 2, χ² ≥ 4, n ≥ 10), ranked by PRR; infinite PRRs (no comparator reports) excluded. The EBGM column is a second, shrinkage-based estimate (MGPS) with its 5th percentile EB05 and the BCPNN IC025; a pair flagged by PRR alone is marked PRR-only and should be read as fragile. The strata column recomputes the PRR on serious reports only and flags pairs whose reports are unusually skewed by sex or come mostly from consumers rather than clinicians. 42 further terms are in the interactive explorer. Reaction links open the term's cross-drug page.
Show:
| Reaction | Reports | PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p | EBGM EB05 · IC025 | Label screen | Serious-only & strata | Trial cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaphylactic shock | 144 | 53.3 45.5–62.4ROR 56.9 · χ² 7,304 / p <1e-300 | 52.7 EB05 45.8 · IC025 +5.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 37.1 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Bronchospasm (airway tightening) | 60 | 39.7 30.9–51.0ROR 40.8 · χ² 2,217 / p <1e-300 | 39.1 EB05 31.5 · IC025 +4.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 29.0 | no trial data cached |
| Ventricular tachycardia | 60 | 34.3 26.7–44.0ROR 35.2 · χ² 1,899 / p <1e-300 | 33.8 EB05 27.2 · IC025 +4.3 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious PRR 22.5 · 93% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Fear | 87 | 30.4 24.7–37.3ROR 31.6 · χ² 2,437 / p <1e-300 | 30.1 EB05 25.2 · IC025 +4.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 28.4 | no trial data cached |
| Multi-organ failure | 55 | 29.7 22.8–38.5ROR 30.4 · χ² 1,491 / p <1e-300 | 29.3 EB05 23.4 · IC025 +4.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 20.3 | no trial data cached |
| Blood calcium decreased | 30 | 25.1 17.6–35.9ROR 25.5 · χ² 670 / p 5e-148 | 24.7 EB05 18.1 · IC025 +3.6 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious PRR 21.9 · ♀ 90% (drug 57%) | no trial data cached |
| Anhedonia | 66 | 23.6 18.6–29.9ROR 24.2 · χ² 1,401 / p <1e-300 | 23.4 EB05 19.0 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 17.9 | no trial data cached |
| Renal injury | 73 | 23.0 18.3–28.8ROR 23.7 · χ² 1,512 / p <1e-300 | 22.8 EB05 18.8 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious PRR 16.0 | no trial data cached |
| Muscle rigidity | 29 | 22.9 16.0–32.9ROR 23.2 · χ² 586 / p 1e-129 | 22.6 EB05 16.5 · IC025 +3.4 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 16.1 · 100% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Serotonin syndrome | 44 | 21.7 16.2–29.1ROR 22.2 · χ² 849 / p 6e-187 | 21.5 EB05 16.7 · IC025 +3.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 15.3 · 98% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Ventricular fibrillation | 25 | 21.2 14.4–31.3ROR 21.4 · χ² 461 / p 2e-102 | 20.9 EB05 14.8 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 14.8 · 100% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Status epilepticus | 25 | 20.9 14.1–30.8ROR 21.1 · χ² 453 / p 9e-101 | 20.5 EB05 14.6 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 14.6 · ♀ 92% (drug 57%) | no trial data cached |
| Paralysis | 31 | 20.4 14.4–28.9ROR 20.7 · χ² 552 / p 3e-122 | 20.1 EB05 14.8 · IC025 +3.4 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 13.3 · 94% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Anaphylactic reaction (severe allergic reaction) | 112 | 19.3 16.1–23.1ROR 20.2 · χ² 1,923 / p <1e-300 | 19.2 EB05 16.4 · IC025 +3.8 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 13.5 · 91% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Cardiac arrest (heart stopping) | 168 | 19.2 16.6–22.2ROR 20.6 · χ² 2,879 / p <1e-300 | 19.1 EB05 16.8 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 12.9 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) | 82 | 18.6 15.1–23.0ROR 19.3 · χ² 1,349 / p 1e-295 | 18.5 EB05 15.4 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 13.0 · ♀ 33% (drug 57%) · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Sinus bradycardia | 19 | 18.5 11.8–29.0ROR 18.7 · χ² 298 / p 6e-67 | 18.1 EB05 12.0 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 13.3 | no trial data cached |
| Caesarean section | 23 | 18.5 12.3–27.8ROR 18.7 · χ² 362 / p 4e-81 | 18.1 EB05 12.5 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 10.9 | no trial data cached |
| Respiratory depression | 23 | 17.7 11.8–26.6ROR 17.9 · χ² 346 / p 2e-77 | 17.3 EB05 12.0 · IC025 +3.0 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 12.2 · 100% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Hypotonia | 18 | 17.0 10.7–26.9ROR 17.1 · χ² 254 / p 2e-57 | 16.4 EB05 10.6 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 12.8 | no trial data cached |
| Post procedural complication | 34 | 16.7 12.0–23.3ROR 16.9 · χ² 486 / p 6e-108 | 16.5 EB05 12.2 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 7.8 · 94% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Hyperkalaemia (high potassium) | 54 | 14.6 11.2–19.0ROR 15.0 · χ² 671 / p 2e-148 | 14.4 EB05 11.4 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 10.2 · 98% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Circulatory collapse | 26 | 14.4 9.8–21.0ROR 14.5 · χ² 310 / p 1e-69 | 13.9 EB05 9.7 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 10.0 · ♀ 83% (drug 57%) · 96% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Injury | 101 | 13.5 11.2–16.3ROR 14.1 · χ² 1,159 / p 3e-254 | 13.4 EB05 11.3 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 11.6 | no trial data cached |
| Hypoxia (low oxygen) | 49 | 13.2 10.0–17.4ROR 13.5 · χ² 540 / p 8e-120 | 13.0 EB05 10.1 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 9.0 · 98% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Bradycardia (slow heart rate) | 74 | 13.2 10.5–16.5ROR 13.6 · χ² 820 / p 1e-180 | 13.0 EB05 10.6 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 8.3 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Tachypnoea | 18 | 12.5 7.9–19.9ROR 12.6 · χ² 180 / p 3e-41 | 11.6 EB05 7.2 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 9.0 | no trial data cached |
| Premature baby | 38 | 11.9 8.7–16.3ROR 12.1 · χ² 368 / p 2e-82 | 11.5 EB05 8.5 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 7.8 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Renal impairment | 105 | 11.9 9.8–14.3ROR 12.4 · χ² 1,035 / p 2e-227 | 11.7 EB05 9.9 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 8.5 | no trial data cached |
| Unevaluable event | 93 | 11.6 9.5–14.2ROR 12.1 · χ² 893 / p 2e-196 | 11.4 EB05 9.6 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 14.0 · ♀ 35% (drug 57%) | no trial data cached |
| Encephalopathy | 30 | 11.6 8.1–16.5ROR 11.7 · χ² 279 / p 6e-63 | 11.0 EB05 7.8 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 7.8 · ♀ 97% (drug 57%) | no trial data cached |
| Myocardial ischaemia | 14 | 11.5 6.8–19.4ROR 11.6 · χ² 124 / p 4e-29 | 10.1 EB05 5.8 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 1.1 | no trial data cached |
| Drug exposure during pregnancy | 42 | 11.5 8.5–15.5ROR 11.7 · χ² 392 / p 1e-87 | 11.1 EB05 8.4 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 5.5 · ♀ 94% (drug 57%) · 91% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Unresponsive to stimuli | 31 | 11.4 8.0–16.1ROR 11.5 · χ² 283 / p 8e-64 | 10.8 EB05 7.7 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious PRR 7.8 · 96% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Metabolic acidosis | 35 | 10.4 7.5–14.5ROR 10.6 · χ² 289 / p 3e-65 | 9.9 EB05 7.2 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 7.1 · ♀ 31% (drug 57%) · 100% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Abortion induced | 10 | 10.0 5.4–18.6ROR 10.1 · χ² 72 / p 9e-18 | 7.9 EB05 4.2 · IC025 +1.7 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 7.3 | no trial data cached |
| Maternal exposure during pregnancy | 91 | 9.7 8.0–11.9ROR 10.1 · χ² 707 / p 4e-156 | 9.5 EB05 7.9 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 8.2 · ♀ 94% (drug 57%) · 90% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Myoclonus | 12 | 9.5 5.4–16.7ROR 9.5 · χ² 83 / p 4e-20 | 7.8 EB05 4.5 · IC025 +1.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 4.1 | no trial data cached |
| Hypotension (low blood pressure) | 181 | 8.5 7.4–9.8ROR 9.2 · χ² 1,206 / p 1e-264 | 8.4 EB05 7.4 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 6.6 · 93% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Renal failure (kidney failure) | 120 | 8.5 7.1–10.1ROR 8.9 · χ² 787 / p 2e-173 | 8.3 EB05 7.1 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 5.9 | no trial data cached |
Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)
Trial cross-check not yet run for this drug (ClinicalTrials.gov pull covers the 800 most-reported drugs first).
Most frequently reported reactions
By raw co-report count, regardless of disproportionality. Common terms here are often the illness itself or generic outcomes.
| Reaction | Reports | PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p | EBGM EB05 · IC025 | Label screen | Serious-only & strata | Trial cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypotension (low blood pressure) | 181 | 8.5 7.4–9.8ROR 9.2 · χ² 1,206 / p 1e-264 | 8.4 EB05 7.4 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 6.6 · 93% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Cardiac arrest (heart stopping) | 168 | 19.2 16.6–22.2ROR 20.6 · χ² 2,879 / p <1e-300 | 19.1 EB05 16.8 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 12.9 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Anaphylactic shock | 144 | 53.3 45.5–62.4ROR 56.9 · χ² 7,304 / p <1e-300 | 52.7 EB05 45.8 · IC025 +5.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 37.1 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Drug interaction | 127 | 7.6 6.4–8.9ROR 8.0 · χ² 721 / p 5e-159 | 7.4 EB05 6.4 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 5.4 · 98% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Renal failure (kidney failure) | 120 | 8.5 7.1–10.1ROR 8.9 · χ² 787 / p 2e-173 | 8.3 EB05 7.1 · IC025 +2.7 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 5.9 | no trial data cached |
| Anaphylactic reaction (severe allergic reaction) | 112 | 19.3 16.1–23.1ROR 20.2 · χ² 1,923 / p <1e-300 | 19.2 EB05 16.4 · IC025 +3.8 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 13.5 · 91% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Renal impairment | 105 | 11.9 9.8–14.3ROR 12.4 · χ² 1,035 / p 2e-227 | 11.7 EB05 9.9 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 8.5 | no trial data cached |
| Injury | 101 | 13.5 11.2–16.3ROR 14.1 · χ² 1,159 / p 3e-254 | 13.4 EB05 11.3 · IC025 +3.3 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 11.6 | no trial data cached |
| Unevaluable event | 93 | 11.6 9.5–14.2ROR 12.1 · χ² 893 / p 2e-196 | 11.4 EB05 9.6 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 14.0 · ♀ 35% (drug 57%) | no trial data cached |
| Maternal exposure during pregnancy | 91 | 9.7 8.0–11.9ROR 10.1 · χ² 707 / p 4e-156 | 9.5 EB05 7.9 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree | Reporting / coding artifact | serious PRR 8.2 · ♀ 94% (drug 57%) · 90% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Emotional distress | 89 | 6.9 5.6–8.5ROR 7.2 · χ² 447 / p 2e-99 | 6.7 EB05 5.6 · IC025 +2.4 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 5.4 | no trial data cached |
| Fear | 87 | 30.4 24.7–37.3ROR 31.6 · χ² 2,437 / p <1e-300 | 30.1 EB05 25.2 · IC025 +4.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 28.4 | no trial data cached |
| Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) | 82 | 18.6 15.1–23.0ROR 19.3 · χ² 1,349 / p 1e-295 | 18.5 EB05 15.4 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree | Labeled — boxed warning exact term | serious PRR 13.0 · ♀ 33% (drug 57%) · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Bradycardia (slow heart rate) | 74 | 13.2 10.5–16.5ROR 13.6 · χ² 820 / p 1e-180 | 13.0 EB05 10.6 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | serious PRR 8.3 · 97% clinician | no trial data cached |
| Renal injury | 73 | 23.0 18.3–28.8ROR 23.7 · χ² 1,512 / p <1e-300 | 22.8 EB05 18.8 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious PRR 16.0 | no trial data cached |
Unlabeled candidate signals
These flagged terms were not found in the FDA label text and do not match an artifact pattern. They are the pairs that would merit a structured assessment (temporality, dose-response, biological plausibility, consistency across databases, trial or cohort evidence). The screen has not done that; string-matching misses label wording, and a strong PRR can still be stimulated reporting, co-medication, or the disease itself.
- Anaphylactic shock — n=144, PRR 53.3
- Bronchospasm — n=60, PRR 39.7
- Fear — n=87, PRR 30.4
- Multi-organ failure — n=55, PRR 29.7
- Anhedonia — n=66, PRR 23.6
- Serotonin syndrome — n=44, PRR 21.7
- Ventricular fibrillation — n=25, PRR 21.2
- Status epilepticus — n=25, PRR 20.9
- Caesarean section — n=23, PRR 18.5
- Circulatory collapse — n=26, PRR 14.4
Want to assess one of these properly? The runbook describes the Bradford Hill / trial-evidence workflow used on the assessment page, and handoff_top1000_signals.csv lists the strongest unassessed pairs across all drugs.
Common questions
What are the most reported side effects of Succinylcholine?
In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Succinylcholine are hypotension, cardiac arrest, anaphylactic shock, renal failure, anaphylactic reaction, renal impairment. These are report counts, not rates: FAERS has no denominator, reporting is voluntary and uneven, and a term can be reported because of the illness being treated rather than the drug.
Does Succinylcholine have an FDA boxed warning?
Yes. The current FDA label carries a boxed warning: VENTRICULAR DYSRHYTHMIAS, CARDIAC ARREST, AND DEATH FROM HYPERKALEMIC RHABDOMYOLYSIS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS Acute rhabdomyolysis with hyperkalemia followed by ventricular dysrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and death has oc.
Do FAERS signals prove that Succinylcholine causes these side effects?
No. A disproportionality signal (PRR, ROR) means a reaction is reported more often with this drug than with others in the database. That can reflect a real effect, but also the disease being treated, stimulated reporting after news or litigation, co-medications, or how reports are coded. Causality needs temporality, dose-response, biological plausibility, consistency across data sources and, ideally, trial or cohort evidence. This page screens each term against the FDA label and ClinicalTrials.gov results; it does not establish causation.
Sources & methods
- FDA label via openFDA (set ID f55dd1c0-c259-219a-5bca-f139e9515d07, effective 20240225; matched on
openfda.generic_name.exact:"SUCCINYLCHOLINE") - Bayesian shrinkage measures computed offline over all 1,317,300 cached pairs: BCPNN information component (IC, with Norén closed-form IC025) and MGPS empirical-Bayes geometric mean (EBGM, EB05) with a two-component gamma prior fitted by maximum marginal likelihood (α₁=0.57, β₁=0.02, α₂=1.42, β₂=0.70, w=0.17); unstratified
- FAERS pair statistics from the OpenPV build of 2026-09-14 (openFDA
count=aggregation, fieldpatient.drug.openfda.generic_name.exact, 82 reaction terms, min 3 co-reports); PRR/ROR with 95% CI, chi-square with Yates correction - Serious-only and stratified counts (serious:1, patient.patientsex, primarysource.qualification) from openFDA count queries; serious-only PRR uses the drug serious report total and the term global serious total (N_serious=11,882,979); strata shown only when n ≥ 20
- Seriousness and sex counts from openFDA
count=serious,patient.patientsex,seriousnessdeath
Page generated 2026-10-08. Label and PubChem text are retrieved automatically and may lag the current label; always check the current prescribing information. OpenPV is a beta research tool of the Open Source Medicine Foundation.