FDA-filed SPL labeling · retrieved through openFDA

Vasopressin

Vasopressin is a vasoconstricting hormone given intravenously to raise dangerously low blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock, including septic shock and post-cardiotomy shock.

Brand names VasostrictVasopressin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride
Rx Form 1 Routes Intravenous · Parenteral
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Reviewed by Last reviewed Jul 10, 2026
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand

The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 25 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →

At a glance
Linked label effectiveApr 21, 2026
Clinical labels in scope 25
AvailabilityRx
Earliest approval/marketing year 2012
FDA-listed product records 92
Boxed warningNone found in compared labels
How we combine label and product data →
No current FDA shortage listed · checked Sep 18, 2026 🚨Recall on record · 3
Vasopressin at a glance The quick version — the full detail is in the Patient Information Guide below.
💊
HelloPharmacist Editorial Team Bottom Line
Vasopressin injection is a hospital-only IV medication used to raise blood pressure in adults with life-threatening vasodilatory shock — including septic shock and post-cardiotomy shock — when fluids and other vasopressors aren't enough. It works by tightening blood vessels and is carefully dosed and monitored by your clinical team. Key risks include reduced heart output, ischemia (reduced blood flow) to various organs, and a temporary diabetes insipidus–like condition after the infusion stops.

📖 Vasopressin: Patient Information Guide

A plain-language walkthrough of Vasopressin — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.

🎯What it's used for

Vasopressin injection is used in intensive care settings to treat dangerously low blood pressure caused by vasodilatory shock — when blood vessels dilate too much and standard treatments haven't been enough.

  • Vasostrict (intravenous injection) is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock — including post-cardiotomy shock (after heart surgery) and septic shock (from severe infection) — who remain hypotensive despite IV fluids and catecholamines.
  • Vasopressin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride (intravenous injection/solution) is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines.
  • Vasopressin Injection, USP (intravenous injection/solution) is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines.
⚙️How it works

Vasopressin raises blood pressure by binding to V1 receptors on the walls of blood vessels, triggering the release of calcium inside the smooth muscle cells and causing those vessels to tighten (constrict). This increases resistance in the circulatory system and pushes blood pressure up. It also acts on V2 receptors in the kidneys to reduce water excretion — an antidiuretic effect.

In shock patients, therapeutic doses increase systemic vascular resistance and mean arterial blood pressure, and can reduce how much norepinephrine (another vasopressor) is needed. Vasopressin tends to reduce heart rate and cardiac output, and the blood pressure effect peaks within about 15 minutes of starting the infusion and fades within 20 minutes of stopping it. There is no evidence that the body builds tolerance to its blood pressure–raising effect.

💊How it's taken

Vasopressin is given only as a continuous intravenous (IV) infusion in a hospital or critical care setting — never taken by mouth or self-administered at home. The infusion rate is started at the lowest effective level and adjusted gradually every 10–15 minutes until the target blood pressure is reached.

  • Once the target blood pressure has been maintained for 8 hours without needing catecholamines, the infusion is slowly tapered — not stopped abruptly.
  • Some products (such as certain Vasostrict and Vasopressin Injection vials) require dilution before use; premixed formulations are ready to administer without further dilution.
  • Always follow your care team's instructions; dosing is individualized based on your condition and response.
🤒Side effects — in detail

The most common side effects associated with vasopressin include:

  • Decreased cardiac output (the heart pumps less blood with each beat)
  • Slow heart rate (bradycardia)
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat (tachyarrhythmias)
  • Low sodium levels (hyponatremia)
  • Reduced blood flow (ischemia) to the coronary arteries, intestines, skin, or fingers and toes
  • Increased bilirubin (a liver marker)
  • Acute kidney insufficiency
  • Reversible diabetes insipidus after stopping the drug, causing excessive urination and high sodium

Serious reactions — including hemorrhagic shock, right heart failure, atrial fibrillation, mesenteric ischemia, and limb ischemia — have been reported. Alert your care team immediately if you notice chest pain, abdominal pain, limb color changes, or unusual bleeding.

⚠️Warnings & precautions
  • Worsening heart function: Vasopressin can reduce the heart's output (how much blood it pumps). Continuous monitoring of cardiac function is essential during treatment.
  • Reversible diabetes insipidus after stopping: Some patients develop a sudden increase in urination, dilute urine, and high blood sodium after the infusion ends. Electrolytes and fluid status must be monitored after discontinuation, and some patients need additional treatment to correct these shifts.
  • Tissue ischemia: Vasopressin constricts blood vessels throughout the body — including those supplying the intestines, skin, and limbs. Reduced blood flow to these areas is a recognized risk, especially at higher doses.
  • Dose-dependent risks: Adverse reactions are expected to increase at higher infusion rates. Clinical data are limited for doses above the recommended ceiling, and your team will use the lowest effective dose.
🔀What it interacts with

Vasopressin can interact with several drug classes that affect blood pressure, fluid balance, or heart function:

  • Catecholamines (e.g., norepinephrine, epinephrine): blood pressure–raising effects add together; hemodynamic monitoring and dose adjustment are needed.
  • Indomethacin (anti-inflammatory): can more than double the time it takes for vasopressin's effect on peripheral resistance and cardiac output to wear off; close monitoring recommended.
  • Ganglionic blocking agents: can increase vasopressin's blood pressure–raising effect by about 20%; dose adjustment may be needed.
  • Drugs associated with SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion) — such as SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, haloperidol, chlorpropamide, enalapril, methyldopa, pentamidine, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and felbamate — may amplify both the blood pressure and fluid-retention effects of vasopressin.
  • Drugs associated with diabetes insipidus — such as demeclocycline, lithium, foscarnet, and clozapine — may reduce both the blood pressure–raising and antidiuretic effects of vasopressin.

This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

📋Before taking it
  • Known allergy: Vasostrict 10 mL multiple-dose vials are contraindicated in patients allergic to vasopressin (8-L-arginine vasopressin) or chlorobutanol. Single-dose and premixed vials of Vasostrict that do not contain chlorobutanol are contraindicated only in patients allergic to vasopressin itself.
  • Pregnancy: Vasopressin may cause uterine contractions that could threaten pregnancy. In the second and third trimester, the body clears vasopressin much faster (up to 5-fold at term), so higher doses may be needed — but risks to the pregnancy must be carefully weighed.
  • Breastfeeding: It is unknown whether vasopressin passes into breast milk; pumping and discarding milk for about 1.5 hours after a dose may minimize infant exposure.
  • Children: Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients with vasodilatory shock have not been established.
  • Older adults: Older patients are more likely to have reduced heart, kidney, or liver function; cautious dosing starting at the lower end of the range is recommended.
🚑If you take too much

Too much vasopressin can cause excessive vasoconstriction — dangerously reduced blood flow to the limbs, intestines, and heart — as well as severely low sodium levels (hyponatremia). Less commonly, overdose may cause life-threatening irregular heartbeats (including Torsade de Pointes), muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), or gastrointestinal symptoms. The good news is that because vasopressin clears very quickly (half-life under 10 minutes), direct effects typically resolve within minutes of stopping or reducing the infusion.

📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body

At therapeutic doses, vasopressin constricts blood vessels in multiple areas of the body — including the gut (splanchnic), kidneys, and skin — raising systemic vascular resistance and mean arterial blood pressure. In patients with vasodilatory shock, this effect can significantly reduce the need for other vasopressors like norepinephrine. However, vasopressin also tends to decrease heart rate and cardiac output, and at higher (pressor) doses it can trigger smooth muscle contractions in the gastrointestinal tract. The blood pressure effect peaks within 15 minutes of starting the infusion and fades within 20 minutes of stopping it, with no evidence of the body building tolerance over time.

🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it

When given by continuous IV infusion, vasopressin reaches stable blood levels (steady state) within about 30 minutes. It does not bind significantly to proteins in the blood. The drug is broken down primarily by enzymes in the body, with only about 6% excreted unchanged in the urine. At the doses used in vasodilatory shock, its half-life — the time for blood levels to fall by half — is under 10 minutes, meaning it clears very quickly once the infusion stops. During pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimesters, a placental enzyme (vasopressinase) accelerates clearance up to 5-fold, which may require higher infusion rates to maintain the same effect.

📦How to store it

Store between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F). Do not freeze. refrigeration to room temperature storage conditions (20°C to 25°C , USP Controlled Room Temperature), anytime within the labeled shelf life.

📄 Written from Vasopressin’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →

🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Vasopressin — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.

What exactly is vasopressin being used for in my (or my family member's) care?
Vasopressin is being used to raise dangerously low blood pressure caused by a condition called vasodilatory shock — where blood vessels have relaxed too much and other treatments like IV fluids and blood pressure medications haven't been enough on their own. It's most commonly used in situations like severe infection (septic shock) or after heart surgery (post-cardiotomy shock). It's a hospital-only medication given directly into a vein, and the care team controls the dose carefully.
How will I (or my family member) receive this medication?
Vasopressin is given as a slow, continuous drip through an IV line — you won't take it by mouth or inject it yourself. The clinical team starts at a low rate and gradually adjusts it every 10–15 minutes until your blood pressure reaches the target. Once things are stable for about 8 hours without needing other vasopressors, the drip is slowly tapered down rather than stopped all at once.
What side effects should I or my family watch for?
The most important ones to flag quickly are signs of reduced blood flow — like pain, color changes, or coldness in the fingers or toes, or severe abdominal pain, which could signal reduced blood flow to the intestines. Heart-related changes like slow heartbeat or new arrhythmias are also monitored closely. The care team is watching these things continuously, but it's good to speak up if anything feels different or new.
What happens after vasopressin is stopped?
Because vasopressin clears from the body very quickly — within minutes — its blood pressure effect fades shortly after the infusion ends. Some patients do develop a temporary condition called diabetes insipidus after stopping, where the kidneys release too much water, leading to frequent urination and shifts in blood sodium. The care team will monitor electrolytes and fluid balance after the drug is discontinued, and some patients need a brief course of another medication to correct this.
Are there any medications that could interfere with vasopressin?
Yes, a few categories matter. Drugs that raise blood pressure (like norepinephrine) can have an additive effect when combined with vasopressin, so the team watches hemodynamics closely and adjusts doses accordingly. Indomethacin, a common anti-inflammatory, can prolong vasopressin's effects. Certain antidepressants (SSRIs, tricyclics), haloperidol, and some chemotherapy drugs may amplify both the blood pressure and fluid-retention effects. On the flip side, medications like lithium or demeclocycline can blunt how well vasopressin works. Always make sure the team knows every medication being taken.
Is vasopressin safe during pregnancy?
This is an important conversation to have with your care team. Vasopressin can cause uterine contractions, which carries a risk during pregnancy. On top of that, pregnancy — especially the third trimester — speeds up how fast the body clears vasopressin, sometimes up to five times faster than normal, so higher doses may be needed to achieve the same effect. There aren't well-controlled human studies on vasopressin in pregnancy, so the decision to use it involves carefully weighing the risks and benefits in a critical situation. Your medical team will factor all of this in.
Is Vasopressin available over the counter?
Vasopressin is dispensed by prescription according to its FDA labeling, so it isn't sold over the counter. Your prescriber and pharmacist will determine if it's appropriate for you.
When was Vasopressin first available?
Vasopressin has been available in the United States since at least 2012, based on FDA approval history (Drugs@FDA) and product marketing records.
Who makes Vasopressin?
Vasopressin is supplied by 28 manufacturers listed in the FDA NDC Directory, including Hemmo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd, Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst.

💬 Answers drafted from Vasopressin’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →

🧰 Keep exploring

💊 How Vasopressin comes

Vasopressin is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.

Injection

Into a vein · Parenteral
Brands Vasopressin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Vasostrict
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Vasostrict is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock (post-cardiotomy or sepsis) who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines
  • Vasopressin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines
  • Vasopressin Injection, USP is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines
Important instructions
  • Vasostrict 20 units/mL and 200 units/10 mL vials must be diluted in normal saline or 5% dextrose before use; premixed Vasostrict vials (20, 40, 60 units/100 mL and 50 units/50 mL) do not require further dilution
  • Vasopressin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride and Vasopressin Injection premixed 40 units/100 mL vials do not require dilution prior to administration
  • All products are administered as a continuous intravenous infusion; the dose is started low and adjusted gradually every 10–15 minutes until the target blood pressure is reached
  • After the target blood pressure has been maintained for 8 hours without catecholamines, the infusion is tapered gradually; abrupt stopping is not recommended
Available strengths 7 strengths
Show 1 more strength Show fewer strengths
64 FDA-listed product records

📊 Vasopressin across the U.S. market

How Vasopressin appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.

1
Dose forms
28
Manufacturers
3
Brand names
92
FDA-listed product records
2012
First marketed

Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (28) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.

Hemmo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd17%
Par Pharmaceutical, Inc.11%
HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst11%
Piramal Pharma Limited7%
Par Health USA, LLC5%
American Regent, Inc.5%
Other makers43%

Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

📈 How widely Vasopressin is used

A general measure of how commonly Vasopressin is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.

Think of this as a proxy for how widely Vasopressin is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.

1,353
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$289,603 gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Vasopressin prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Vasopressin ranks #1,244 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 22% of them.

Where Vasopressin ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5

Utilization by Vasopressin product

Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.

The 1 mL / 20 units/mL injection is the most-dispensed Vasopressin product — about 91% of these Medicaid prescriptions.

1 ML vasopressin (USP) 20 UNT/ML Injection Most dispensed

1,234 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 91% of Vasopressin prescriptions shown $244,421 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $198 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 8 of 32 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2103182

vasopressin (USP) 20 UNT/ML Injectable Solution

119 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 9% of Vasopressin prescriptions shown $45,182 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $380 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 2 of 17 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 313578

Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.

Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Vasopressin, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 10 of 49 listed Vasopressin NDCs with Medicaid activity.

🔍 Compare Vasopressin products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Vasopressin — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)

Showing 92 of 92 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 92 Vasopressin NDCs →

RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength

This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.

Ingredient (IN) Vasopressin RxCUI 11149 2 dose forms · 4 strengths
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 374283 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 20 UNT/ML RxCUI 313578

Look up RxCUI 11149 in the RxCUI Atlas →

RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.

🏷️ Sold under these brand names

Vasostrict Vasopressin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride

🏭 Manufacturers & labelers

Hemmo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd 16 Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. 10 HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst 10 Piramal Pharma Limited 6 Par Health USA, LLC 5 American Regent, Inc. 5 Medical Purchasing Solutions, LLC 4 Baxter Healthcare Corporation 4 Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC 4 Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC 3 Eugia US LLC 3 Gland Pharma Limited 2 Medical Purchasin Solutions, LLC 2 Long Grove Pharmaceuticals, LLC 2 Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2 AuroMedics Pharma LLC 2 Dr. Reddys Laboratories Inc 1 Hetero Drugs Limited 1 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc. 1 Civica, Inc. 1 Bcn Peptides Sa 1 Bachem Americas, Inc. 1 Aurobindo Pharma Limited 1 Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1

…and 4 more on the FDA NDC directory.

🔬 Where this comes from

Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.

📄
FDA-filed drug labels (SPL) Uses, dosing, warnings & side effects from SPL records retrieved through openFDA; the linked representative set can be verified on DailyMed. ✓ Linked label effective Apr 21, 2026
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Vasopressin.
📈
Real-world reportsThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), served through openFDA.
🚨
Recalls & shortagesopenFDA drug-enforcement reports and the FDA drug-shortage database.
🧾 Clinical label set — FDA-filed SPL labels retained for Vasopressin after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
25
NDC products indexed
92
Distinct labelers/manufacturers represented
28
Linked representative label
Par Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Linked label effective
Apr 21, 2026
Composite sections available
22
Linked SPL Set ID
b1147beb-743e-4c62-8927-91192447f8b8
Linked SPL Document ID
5686729a-7e3c-48da-9c58-bbdb604c56fb
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗

How we combine label and product data

HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 25 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.

For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.

This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.