Method for improving anesthesia and compositions therefor

A method for preventing painful conditions and providing psychic indifference to pain and stress in an animal subject, comprising:

• administering parenterally to said subject 10 to 250 .mu.g/kg of a neuroleptically effective dose of (+)(4a,13b-trans)-(3-hydroxy,13b-trans)-3-isopropyl-2,3,4,4a,8,9,13b,14-oc tahydro-1H-benzo[6,7]cyclohepta[1,2,3-de]pyrido[2,l-a]isoquinolin-3-ol, or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof.

A method for preventing painful conditions and providing psychic indifference to pain and stress in an animal subject, comprising:

• administering parenterally to said subject 10 to 250 .mu.g/kg of a neuroleptically effective dose of (+)(4a,13b-trans)-(3-hydroxy,13b-trans)-3-isopropyl-2,3,4,4a,8,9,13b,14-oc tahydro-1H-benzo[6,7]cyclohepta[1,2,3-de]pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinolin-3-ol, or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof, followed 5 minutes to 4 hours thereafter by the administration to said subject of an anesthetically effective dose of a general anesthetic, said latter dose being substantially less than the anesthetically effective dose of the general anesthetic when given alone.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising (+)(4a,13b-trans)-(3-hydroxy,13b-trans)-3-isopropyl-2,3,4,4a,8,9,13b,14-oc tahydro-1H-benzo[6,7]cyclohepta[1,2,3-de]pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinolin-3-ol, or a therapeutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof, and less than a normally effective amount of a therapeutically acceptable analgesic agent or a therapeutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof, in a ratio ranging from 1 :

• 1 to 1000:1 on a weight to weight basis, respectively, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.