DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride (Dopamine Hydrochloride)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride Used For?
DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride is a medication that helps increase blood pressure and improve heart function in critically ill patients.
Primary Uses
This medication is used to increase low blood pressure in people who have experienced a heart attack, severe infection, blood loss during an accident, kidney failure, or problems after surgery. It may also be used to help the heart pump better in some people with congestive heart failure.
How It Works
Dopamine acts in different ways depending on the dose given. At low doses, it increases blood flow to the kidneys. At higher doses, it increases blood flow to the muscles and can increase the heart’s pumping efficiency.
Good to know: There is no evidence that dopamine is addictive.
How DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride Is Given
This medication is only given in a hospital or clinic setting by trained healthcare professionals.
Administration Method
DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride is diluted and given slowly as an infusion (a drip) into a vein. Your doctor will decide what dose you will receive based on your condition and other factors, such as your weight.
Important: This medicine must only be given by a doctor, nurse or other trained person in a medical facility.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- dizziness
- nausea
- vomiting
- headache
- anxiety
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- cold or tingling feet which may indicate problems with blood circulation
- chest pain
- irregular or rapid heartbeat
- difficulty breathing
Important Warnings
There are several important conditions and situations where this medication should not be used.
Who Should Not Receive DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride
You should not receive this medication if you are allergic to dopamine hydrochloride, have an adrenal gland tumor (phaeochromocytoma), have a fast or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation), have an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), are being given certain anesthetics at the same time, or are currently using ergotamine (a medicine used to treat migraines).
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have or have had: hardening of the blood vessels, Raynaud’s disease (where fingers become white and very painful when cold), diabetes, frostbite, high blood pressure, liver disease, or kidney disease.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed. If it is necessary for you to be given dopamine, your doctor will discuss the possible risks and benefits of using it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Several medications may interfere with DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride and affect how it works.
- some anesthetic agents
- ergotamine, methysergide and dihydroergotamine (medicines used to prevent or treat migraines)
- some heart and blood pressure tablets, including digoxin, prazosin, beta-blockers such as propranolol and metoprolol, calcium channel blockers and glyceryl trinitrate
- antidepressants (MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants)
- haloperidol or droperidol (medicines used to treat some mental illnesses)
- medicines used to control seizures (fits), such as phenytoin
Alcohol & Driving
Be careful with activities that require alertness while receiving this medication.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride affects you. This medication may cause dizziness in some people. If you are feeling dizzy or drowsy, do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous.
Storage
This medication is stored and handled by healthcare professionals in medical facilities. It comes as a sterile, clear colorless to pale yellow liquid in glass ampoules.
Overdose Information
Since DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride is given in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of a doctor, it is very unlikely that you will be given too much of the medicine. Your doctor or nurse will be monitoring your progress and checking the medicine that you are given. If you think that you have been given too much, you may need urgent medical attention. Symptoms of an overdose may include the side effects listed but are usually of a more severe nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no evidence that dopamine is addictive.
It is diluted and given slowly as an infusion (a drip) into a vein. It must only be given by a doctor, nurse or other trained person in a medical facility.
Your doctor will decide what dose you will receive. This depends on your condition and other factors, such as your weight.
Be careful before you drive or use any machines until you know how this medicine affects you. It may cause dizziness in some people, so avoid driving if you feel dizzy or drowsy.
Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are receiving or have been given DBL Sterile Dopamine Hydrochloride.
Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache and anxiety. Speak to your doctor if you have any of these side effects and they worry you.
Call your doctor straight away if you notice cold or tingling feet, chest pain, irregular or rapid heartbeat, or difficulty breathing.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.