$Unique_ID{BRK02016}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{MEPERIDINE}
$Subject{Demerol (Winthrop-Breon)
meperidine hydrochloride (various manufacturers)
Pethadol (Halsey)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


MEPERIDINE
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Demerol (Winthrop-Breon)
     meperidine hydrochloride (various manufacturers)
     Pethadol (Halsey)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Analgesic
INGREDIENT:
     meperidine
DOSAGE FORMS:
     Tablets (50 mg and 100 mg)
     Syrup (50 mg per 5-ml spoonful)
STORAGE:
     Store at room temperature in a tightly closed, light-resistant container.
       This medication should never be frozen.

USES

     Meperidine is a narcotic analgesic (pain reliever) that acts directly on
the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).  It is used to relieve
moderate to severe pain.

TREATMENT

     In order to avoid stomach upset, you can take meperidine with food or
milk.  It works most effectively if you take it at the onset of pain, rather
than waiting until the pain becomes intense.
     Measure the syrup form of this medication carefully with a specially
designed 5-ml measuring spoon.  An ordinary kitchen teaspoon is not accurate
enough.  Each dose of the syrup should be diluted in four ounces (half a
glass) of water in order to avoid the numbness of the mouth and throat that
this medication can cause.
     If you are taking this medication on a regular schedule and you miss a
dose, take the missed dose as soon as possible, unless it is almost time for
your next dose.  In that case, do not take the missed dose at all; just return
to your regular dosing schedule.  Do not double the next dose.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, false sense of
well-being, flushing, light-headedness, loss of appetite, nausea, rash, or
sweating.  These side effects should disappear as your body adjusts to the
medication.  If you are constipated, increase the amount of fiber in your diet
(fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, bran, and whole-grain breads), exercise,
and drink more water (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
     Chew sugarless gum or suck on ice chips or a piece of hard candy to
reduce mouth dryness associated with the use of this medication.
     If you feel dizzy or light-headed, sit or lie down for a while; get up
from a sitting or lying position slowly, and be careful on stairs.

     Major.

     Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
particularly bothersome.  IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
anxiety, breathing difficulties, excitation, fatigue, painful or difficult
urination, restlessness, sore throat and fever, tremors, or weakness.

INTERACTIONS

     Meperidine interacts with several other types of medications:
     1. Concurrent use of this medication with other central nervous system
depressants (such as alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepine
tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, and phenothiazine tranquilizers) or with
tricyclic antidepressants can cause extreme drowsiness.
     2. A monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor taken within 14 days of this
medication can lead to unpredictable and severe side effects.
     3. The combination of cimetidine and meperidine can cause confusion,
disorientation, and shortness of breath.
     BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
taking, especially any listed above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
any drugs, especially to meperidine or to any other narcotic analgesic (such
as codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, and
propoxyphene).
     * Tell your doctor if you now have or if you have ever had acute
abdominal conditions, asthma, brain disease, colitis, epilepsy, gallstones or
gallbladder disease, head injuries, heart disease, kidney disease, liver
disease, lung disease, mental illness, emotional disorders, enlarged prostate
gland, thyroid disease, or urethral stricture.
     * If this drug makes you dizzy or drowsy, do not take part in any
activity that requires alertness, such as driving a car or operating
potentially dangerous machinery.
     * Before having surgery or any other medical or dental treatment, tell
your doctor or dentist about this drug.
     * Meperidine has the potential for abuse and must be used with caution.
Usually, it should not be taken on a regular schedule for longer than ten days
(unless your doctor directs you to do so).  Tolerance develops quickly; do not
increase the dosage or stop taking the drug abruptly unless you first consult
your doctor.  If you have been taking large amounts of this medication or have
been taking it for a long period of time, you may experience withdrawal
symptoms (muscle aches, diarrhea, gooseflesh, runny nose, nausea, vomiting,
shivering, trembling, stomach cramps, sleep disorders, irritability, weakness,
excessive yawning, or sweating) when you stop taking it.  Your doctor may,
therefore, want to reduce your dosage gradually.
     * Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  The effects of this drug during
the early stages of pregnancy have not been thoroughly studied in humans.
However, the use of meperidine regularly in large doses during the later
stages of pregnancy can result in addiction of the fetus, leading to
withdrawal symptoms (such as irritability, excessive crying, tremors, fever,
vomiting, diarrhea, sneezing, or excessive yawning) at birth.  Also, tell your
doctor if you are breast-feeding.  Small amounts of this drug may pass into
breast milk and cause excessive drowsiness in the nursing infant.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
