Post-Suxamethonium Muscle Pains after Vitamin C Pretreatment: An Observational Study

Background: Succinylcholine has been extensively used for endotracheal intubation because of its ultrashort duration of action, quick onset with complete and predictable paralysis. However, the occurrence of some side effects like post injection fasciculations, postoperative myalgia, and increase in serum potassium levels limits its use in some situations like burns, myopathies, and myoglobinuria. For attenuation of these effects, many drugs have been studied but with limited success. Aims and objectives: To evaluate the role of vitamin C on attenuation of post-suxamethonium myalgia and increase in serum potassium levels. Materials and methods: Seventy-five females of American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade I and II and aged 20 to 50 years undergoing general anesthesia for various short surgical procedures were randomly allocated into three groups. Induction of anesthesia was performed with injection thiopentone 5 mg/kg body weight and suxamethonium 50 mg in all three groups. In group I, no drug was administered before induction of anesthesia. In group II, 500 mg tablet of vitamin C was administered twice orally a day before and on the day of surgery half an hour before induction of anesthesia. In group III, vitamin C 500 mg was administered intravenously in 50 ml saline half an hour before induction of anesthesia. The absence or presence of muscle pains and fasciculations were noted and if present, then their severity was also estimated. Serum potassium levels were measured in the venous samples collected just before induction and at 5-minute interval after the administration of suxamethonium. Patients were observed for myalgia on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. Results: The patients receiving vitamin C had a little reduction in the incidents but marked reduction in severity of muscle pains and fasciculation. Furthermore, the administration of vitamin C markedly delayed the onset of muscle pains. There was no effect of vitamin C pretreatment on serum potassium levels. Conclusion: Pretreatment with vitamin C 500 mg may be useful in reduction of severity of post- suxamethonium myalgia.