Succinylcholine - (Anectine®)

This powerful muscle relaxant is often used during anesthesia for major surgery or when a person is placed on a ventilator or breathing tube.

Your Results

Low risk of side effects

Based on your genetic markers, you have a low risk of side effects. These side effects include a prolonged paralysis of breathing muscles during anesthesia, which can be life-threatening in some cases.

Drug and side effects facts

Generic name: succinylcholine (suk-sin-il-KOE-leen)

Brand names: Anectine®, Quelicin®

Primary uses: Succinylcholine is prescribed by a doctor to stop skeletal muscle contraction for a short time. This is an important part of anesthesia and certain other medical procedures, such as placing a person on a ventilator.

Side effects: People who metabolize this drug slowly can experience a prolonged and potentially life-threatening paralysis of their breathing muscles.

Learn more about how this drug affects you

What you can do

This information is likely to be important for your health.

Let your doctor(s) know about this genetic result.
Carry this information with you should it be needed in a medical consultation or emergency.
Consider sharing this information with your family.

Learn more about what you can do

How common are these side effects?

This rare but serious side effect is estimated to occur in 1 out of every 1,800 people who are anesthetized with the help of succinylcholine. (This estimate reflects past occurrences of this side effect in the general population, not your personal genetic risk, and includes people of all ancestries.)

Genetics is only part of the story. Additional factors, such as gender, health status, and drug interactions contribute to your risk of succinylcholine side effects.

Learn more about side effects