Demerol is a prescription brand-name narcotic painkiller. The active ingredient, meperidine, is an opioid. Because opioids are risky drugs that can cause dependency or withdrawal, healthcare professionals try to use the smallest effective dose of Demerol and limit treatment to as short a time as possible, usually only a few days.
Demerol overview
BRAND NAMES:
Demerol
Generic Names:
Meperidine HCl
Uses:
Treats pain, provides sedation during medical procedures, helps maintain anesthesia during procedures, and provides pain relief during labor and childbirth.
Therapeutic Classes:
Analgesic, opioid
Forms:
Tablet, injection
How it’s taken:
By mouth or injection
What is Demerol used for?
Demerol treats moderate to severe pain that cannot be relieved with other pain medications. Doctors use Demerol injections to induce sedation before anesthesia, provide pain relief during childbirth, or maintain anesthesia during a medical procedure.
What form(s) does Demerol come in
Tablet
50 mg
100 mg
Injectable
25 mg/mL
What are common Demerol doses?
For moderate to severe pain as needed:
In adults: 50–150 mg every four hours
In children: 1.1 mg/kg to 1.8 mg/kg every four hours
For procedural sedation before anesthesia:
In adults: 50–100 mg injection 30 to 90 minutes before starting anesthesia
In children: 0.5–1 mg/lb to 1.8 mg/kg injection 30 to 90 minutes before starting anesthesia
For maintenance of anesthesia: Slow or continuous intravenous infusion
For pain relief during childbirth: 50–100 mg injection every one to three hours
Common Demerol prescriptions
Demerol
1ml of 50mg/ml ampuleDemerol
20ml of 100mg/ml vialDemerol
30ml of 50mg/ml vial
How to take Demerol
Take Demerol only as instructed.
Take only the dose prescribed. Do not increase the dose or take doses more frequently than every three or four hours.
The dose may need to be changed several times to find the dose that best controls pain.
Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Store Demerol tablets at room temperature out of the reach of children, pets, and other people.
Some Demerol tablets may be left over when treatment ends. Destroy any remaining Demerol tablets that you do not need by flushing them down the toilet or taking them to a drug take-back location.
What to do if you miss a dose of Demerol
If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose. Take the next dose as scheduled.
Do not take extra Demerol to make up for a missed dose.
Demerol contraindications
This medicine is not right for everyone.
Do not use Demerol if you have had an allergic reaction to meperidine or if you have:
Severe breathing problems, including acute or severe bronchial asthma
Stomach or bowel blockage such as paralytic ileus
Demerol warnings
Demerol is a powerful opioid. Please read the Medication Guide that comes with Demerol tablets to familiarize yourself with the risks and the possible signs of severe problems.
Tell any doctor or healthcare provider who treats you that you are using this medicine.
The prescribing healthcare professional may need to regularly check on the effects of Demerol treatment. Keep all appointments.
Do not discontinue taking Demerol tablets until you’ve talked to the doctor. The dose may need to be slowly decreased before it’s stopped.
Contact the prescribing doctor if Demerol tablets are not working at controlling pain.
Before taking Demerol, tell the prescribing doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. Also, tell the doctor if you have:
Breathing or lung problems such as COPD, asthma, or sleep apnea
Kidney disease
Problems urinating
Liver problems
Stomach or bowel problems
Pancreas or gallbladder problems
Slow heart rate
Low blood pressure
Thyroid disease
Adrenal gland cancer
A history of seizures, head injury, or brain tumor
Mental health issues, including depression
A history of alcohol or drug abuse
Demerol can cause serious problems, including:
Slowed breathing (respiratory depression) or stopped breathing (respiratory arrest)
Breathing problems while asleep
Adrenal gland dysfunction
Increased pressure inside the skull
Low blood pressure
Suicidal thoughts
Drug abuse
Dependence
Overdose
Death
This medicine may make you dizzy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Do not drive or engage in any other activity that requires alertness until you know how this medicine affects you.
This medicine may cause constipation, especially with long-term use. Ask your doctor if you should use a laxative to prevent and treat constipation.
This medicine could cause infertility. Tell the prescriber if you’re trying to conceive.
This medicine can be habit-forming. Do not use more than your prescribed dose. Demerol is not intended for long-term use.
Demerol can cause injuries or fatalities in children or other people. Always store Demerol in a secure location that can’t be accessed by children, other family members, or visitors.
Demerol is a federally controlled substance. Giving or selling this drug to anyone else is dangerous and against the law.
Demerol interactions
Tell any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you that you are taking Demerol tablets.
Before taking Demerol, make sure the prescribing healthcare provider knows about all the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements you’re taking, particularly:
Medicines that treat depression, anxiety, psychosis, or other mental health conditions
Drugs that make you urinate are called diuretics
Migraine drugs called triptans
Azole antifungals such as ketoconazole
Macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin
HIV drugs called protease inhibitors
Drugs or substances that make you sleepy, including other opioids, benzodiazepines, sleeping pills, barbiturates, muscle relaxants, sedating antihistamines, cannabis products, or alcohol
Acyclovir, carbamazepine, cimetidine, phenytoin, rifampin, or any drug that contains ritonavir, such as the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid
Do not use this medicine if you are using or have used an MAO inhibitor within the past 14 days.
Do not drink alcohol on the days you take Demerol.
Demerol side effects
Serious side effects
Talk to a doctor if you notice any signs or symptoms of a possible serious side effect, including:
Trouble breathing or slow breathing
Blue lips, fingernails, or skin
Extreme dizziness or weakness, shallow breathing, slow or uneven heartbeat, sweating, cold or clammy skin
Severe constipation, stomach pain, or vomiting
Severe confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting
Anxiety, restlessness, fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seeing or hearing things that are not there
Seizures
Vision changes
Muscle paralysis
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
Less serious side effects
Lightheadedness
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Nausea
Vomiting
Sweating
Injection site reactions
Sources:
Demerol drug summary, Prescriber’s Digital Reference (PDR)
Demerol meperidine hydrochloride injection prescribing information, DailyMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)
Demerol meperidine hydrochloride tablet prescribing information, DailyMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)
Meperidine, StatPearls
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