- Brand Name : Demerol
- Drug Class : Opioid Analgesics, Synthetic, Opioids
- Medical Author : John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
- Medical Reviewer :
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What Is Meperidine and How Does It Work?
Meperidine is used to help relieve moderate to severe pain. It may also be used before and during surgery or other procedures. Meperidine belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid (narcotic) 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 Warnings and Precautions section.
- Meperidine is available under the following different brand names: Demerol and pethidine.
What Are Dosages of Meperidine?
Dosages of Meperidine:
Dosage Forms and Strengths
Syrup: Schedule II
- 50 mg/5 mL
Tablet: Schedule II
- 50 mg
- 100 mg
Injectable solution: Schedule II
- 25 mg/mL
- 50 mg/mL
- 75 mg/mL
- 100 mg/mL
Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:
Therapy exposes users to the risks of addiction, abuse and misuse; because extended-release products deliver opioid over extended period of time, there is a greater risk for overdose and death due to the larger amount of tramadol present; addiction can occur at recommended dosages and if drug is misused or abused; assess each patient’s risk for opioid addiction, abuse or misuse prior to prescribing therapy; risks are increased in patients with personal or family history of substance abuse (including drug or alcohol abuse or addiction) or mental illness (e.g., major depression); patients at risk may be prescribed opioids but use in such patients necessitates intensive counseling about risks and proper use along with intensive monitoring for signs of addiction, abuse and misuse; strategies to reduce these risks include prescribing drug in smallest appropriate quantity and advising patient on proper disposal of unused drug.
Pain
- Meperidine is not recommended as a first choice analgesic by The American Pain Society and ISMP (2007); if no other options, limit use in acute pain to up to 48 hours; doses should not exceed 600 mg/24 hours; oral route is not recommended for treatment of acute or chronic pain
- Pain: 50-150 mg orally/intramuscularly/subcutaneously every 3-4 hours as needed; adjust dose-based degree of response
- Preoperatively: 50-150 mg intramuscularly/subcutaneously (IM/SC) every 3-4 hours as needed
- Continuous infusion: 15-35 mg/hour
- Obstetrical analgesia: 50-100 mg intramuscularly/subcutaneously (IM/SC); repeated every 1-3 hours as needed
- Pediatric: 1-1.8 mg/kg orally/intramuscularly/subcutaneously every 3-4 hours as needed; individual dose not to exceed 100 mg
- Pediatric, preoperatively: 1.1-2.2 mg/kg intramuscularly/subcutaneously (IM/SC) 30-90 minutes before initiation of anesthesia
- Geriatric: 50 mg orally every 4 hours or 25 mg intramuscularly (IM) every 4 hours; treatment for acute pain should be limited to 1-2 doses
Dosage Modifications
- Renal impairment: Avoid use
- Hepatic impairment: Consider lower initial dose initially; increased opioid effect possible in cirrhosis
Dosing Considerations
- Not drug of choice in elderly patients, because of accumulation of metabolite normeperidine, causing increased central nervous system (CNS) effects
- Reduce total daily dose in elderly patients