Pharmacologic class (EPC) · 2 drug pages

Depolarizing neuromuscular blocker: adverse event reports filed with FDA

2,338 reports list a drug in this class as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026.

Read first · FDA's statement on these data

Adverse event reports submitted to FDA do not undergo extensive validation or verification. Therefore, a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report. While a suspected relationship may exist, it is not medically validated and should not be the sole source of information for clinical decision making or other assumptions about the safety or efficacy of a product. Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product. openFDA, FDA

FDA adds: "There is no certainty that the reported event (adverse event or medication error) was actually due to the product. FDA does not require that a causal relationship between a product and event be proven, and reports do not always contain enough detail to properly evaluate an event." The information in these reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Do not rely on openFDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated.

Not medical advice. This site counts what was reported to FDA. Questions about a medicine or device belong with a pharmacist or clinician.

2,338
reports across the class: 0% of all reports; 189
reports, 12 months to June 2026: 154 in the 12 months before; 87.9%
marked serious by the reporter: 57.4% across all reports; 2
drugs with a page: brand and generic names counted separately

Depolarizing neuromuscular blocker is a pharmacologic class (an FDA Established Pharmacologic Class) with 2 drug pages on this site. Together those drugs are listed as a suspect or interacting product in 2,338 adverse event reports received by FDA, 0% of the database, from January 2004 to June 2026.

189 reports arrived in the 12 months to June 2026, up 23% from 154 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. 87.9% of the class's reports are marked serious, 9.4% record death among the outcomes and 32.4% record hospitalisation, as reported.

Across the class the reactions recorded most often are hyperthermia malignant (11.5%), drug ineffective (10.6%) and anaphylactic shock (8.9%). The class median share shown beside each term is the middle value across the member drugs; it is the comparison used on every drug page in this class.

The members table is ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Drugs in the class

Drug	Name type	Reports	Latest 12 months	Marked serious	Top term recorded
Succinylcholine chloride	generic	1,364	127	83.9%	Drug ineffective
Succinylcholine	generic	974	62	93.6%	Hyperthermia malignant

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Reports by month, five years

FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

Reactions recorded across the class

share of class reports recording the termmedian drug in the class

Hyperthermia malignant11.5%270
Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected10.6%248
Anaphylactic shocka severe allergic reaction with collapse8.9%207
Hypotensionlow blood pressure7.8%182
Cardiac arrestthe heart stopped7.1%166
Maternal exposure during pregnancythe mother took the medicine during pregnancy5%117
Foetal exposure during pregnancythe unborn baby was exposed to the medicine5%116
Drug interactionan interaction between medicines4.1%95
Rhabdomyolysismuscle breakdown4%94
Anaphylactic reactiona severe, sudden allergic reaction4%93
Exposure during pregnancythe medicine was taken during pregnancy3%70
Bradycardiaslow heart rate2.7%63
Hyperkalaemiahigh blood potassium2.2%52
Tachycardiafast heart rate2.2%52
Ventricular tachycardiaa fast rhythm from the lower heart chambers2.2%52
Bronchospasmtightening of the airways2.2%51
Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label2.2%51
Premature babya baby born early2.1%49
Seizurea fit or convulsion2%47
Hypoxialow oxygen1.8%43
Left ventricular dysfunction1.8%42
Renal impairmentreduced kidney function1.8%42
Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term1.8%41
Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine1.8%41
Foetal death1.8%41

Solid bar: share of all class reports. Hollow bar: the median share across the 2 member drugs, the reference used on each member's page. One report can record several terms.

Outcomes, patients and reporters

Outcomes recorded

Death9.4%219

Life-threatening25.5%597

Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)32.4%758

Disability0.5%11

Congenital anomaly0.3%6

Other serious56.9%1,331

Not serious12.1%282

Patient age

Under 20.8%19

2 to 112.4%57

12 to 171.8%41

18 to 4429.5%690

45 to 6423.2%542

65 to 749.8%230

75 and over3.9%91

Age not given28.6%668

Who reported

Physician36.3%849

Pharmacist15.1%353

Other health professional40.9%957

Lawyer0%0

Consumer or non-health professional4%93

Not given3.7%86

Grey bar: all 20,646,523 reports in the database. Outcome flags are as the reporter set them and are not verified by FDA.

Questions about Depolarizing neuromuscular blocker reports

Which drugs are in the Depolarizing neuromuscular blocker class on this site?

Succinylcholine chloride and Succinylcholine. Class membership comes from the pharmacologic class (EPC) on the drug's FDA label.

How many reports does the class have?

2,338 reports through June 2026, 189 of them in the latest 12 months. A report listing two drugs of the class counts once for each.

What reactions are recorded most often?

hyperthermia malignant (11.5%), drug ineffective (10.6%), anaphylactic shock (8.9%), hypotension (7.8%) and cardiac arrest (7.1%).

Can the members table be used to rank the drugs?

No. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." Drugs differ in how many people take them, in the conditions they treat, in time on the market and in how diligently reports are collected.

How do I report an adverse event?

Through FDA MedWatch (Form FDA 3500, or 1-800-FDA-1088) or to the manufacturer. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A class is the Established Pharmacologic Class most often attached to a drug's reports by openFDA's label harmonisation, or from the NDC Directory where reports carry none. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.