Demerol

What is Demerol and it’s Uses?

Meperidine is used to help relieve moderate to severe pain. It belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics and is similar to morphine. It works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain. Meperidine should not be used to treat long-term or ongoing pain. It should only be used to treat sudden episodes of moderate to severe pain. See also Precautions section. This drug is not recommended for use in newborns due to an increased risk of serious side effects. Ask the doctor or pharmacist for details.

Meperidine is used to relieve pain severe enough to require opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. It belongs to the group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). Meperidine acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain. This medicine should not be used to relieve chronic (long-lasting or recurrent) pain.

When meperidine is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. However, people who have continuing pain should not let the fear of dependence keep them from using narcotics to relieve their pain. Mental dependence (addiction) is not likely to occur when narcotics are used for this purpose. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal side effects can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.

This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.

Brand Names: Demerol, Meperitab

Demerol Precautions

Before taking meperidine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: brain disorders (such as head injury, tumor, seizures), breathing problems (such as asthma, sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD), gallbladder disease, kidney disease, liver disease, mental/mood disorders (such as confusion, depression, thoughts of suicide), personal or family history of a substance use disorder (such as overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol), stomach/intestinal problems (such as blockage, constipation, diarrhea due to infection, paralytic ileus), disease of the pancreas (pancreatitis), difficulty urinating (such as due to enlarged prostate), pheochromocytoma, heart problems (such as fast/irregular heartbeat), sickle cell anemia.

Side Effects of Demerol

• Agitation
• blurred vision
• chest pain or discomfort
• cold, clammy skin
• confusion
• cough