The time needed for full (over 90% muscle activity) recovery after single administration is about 120–180 minutes in healthy adults.

Side-effects include moderately raised heart rate and thereby arterial pressure and cardiac output, excessive salivation, apnea and respiratory depression, rashes, flushing, and sweating.

[medical citation needed] The muscular relaxation can be dangerous in the seriously ill and it can accumulate leading to extended weakness.

In 2007, Michael Munro, a Scottish neonatologist at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, was cleared of malpractice by the General Medical Council Fitness to Practice panel after giving 23 times the standard dose of pancuronium to two dying neonates.

Terminally ill, both dying babies were suffering from agonal gasping and violent body spasms, which was highly distressing for the parents to witness.

Pavulon was also used by Richard Angelo in 1987 to kill at least ten patients under his care at the Good Samaritan Hospital in New York.