Demerol is an opioid medication that is available in the market with the brand name Meperidine. It is a strong prescription medicine that helps relieve short-term pain when other treatments such as non-opioid pain medications cannot treat your pain well enough, or you cannot tolerate it. Careless use of this drug can put your life at risk of overdose and death. Even if you take the doses according to your doctor’s prescription, you are at risk for opioid abuse, addiction, and misuse that can lead you to death.
You should avoid Demerol use if you have severe asthma or breathing problems. Do not take this medicine if you have been taking MAO inhibitors in the past two weeks, such as selegiline, rasagiline, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, linezolid, isocarboxazid, or methylene blue injection. Demerol can slow down or stop your breathing and maybe a habit-forming drug. Misuse of opioids like Demerol can cause overdose, addiction, or death, especially in a child or someone taking it without a prescription. Taking this medication while pregnant can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Fatal side effects can take place if you take Demerol with alcohol or other medicines that make you drowsy or slow down your breathing.
You should avoid taking Demerol if you are allergic to it, or if you have:
Do not take Demerol if you have been taking MAO inhibitors in the past two weeks, such as selegiline, rasagiline, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, linezolid, isocarboxazid, or methylene blue injection.
To ensure Demerol is safe for you, tell your medical healthcare provider if you have ever had:
Taking this medication while pregnant can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Do not breastfeed a nursing baby while taking Demerol. This medicine can pass through the milk and cause breathing problems, drowsiness, or death in a nursing baby.
Take Demerol precisely as per the doctor’s recommendation. Read carefully and follow all the directions on the prescription label and medication guides. Never take Demerol in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than prescribed. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you feel an increased desire to take this medicine. Demerol may be a habit-forming drug, even at regular doses. Never share it with someone else, especially someone with a past of drug abuse or addiction. Misuse of Demerol can cause overdose, addiction, or death, especially in a child or someone taking it without a prescription. It would help if you took Demerol tablets orally. Doctors recommend giving Demerol injection as an infusion into a vein or injected under the skin or into a muscle.
Medical staff will provide you with the injection. Do not suddenly stop taking Demerol after long-period use, or you could face unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Take medical help from your doctor to stop using this medicine safely and avoid any withdrawal symptoms. Never break or crush a Demerol capsule to inhale the product or mix it into a liquid for injection into your vein. Misuse of prescription drugs can cause death. Store Demerol away from heat and moisture at room temperature. Keep track of your drug and keep checking the medication in each bottle you own to avoid accidents. Just one improper or accidental dose of Demerol can cause death. Do not keep leftover Demerol pills.
Usual adult dosage for pain (Oral):
Usual pediatric dosage for pain (Oral):
If an overdose of Demerol, take immediate medical help or call the Poison helpline at 1-800-222-1222. A meperidine overdose can be deadly, especially in a child or someone taking it without a prescription. Overdose symptoms may include slow heart rate and breathing, muscle weakness, severe drowsiness, blue-colored skin or lips, cold and clammy skin, fainting, or coma.
Do not consume alcohol because it can cause dangerous side effects or death. Avoid driving any vehicle or performing any hazardous activity until you know this medicine’s effect on you. Drowsiness or dizziness can cause accidents, falls, or severe injuries.
Take immediate medical help if you have an allergic reaction due to Demerol. Signs of an allergic reaction include trouble breathing, hives, or swelling of your lips, face, tongue, or throat. Opioids can slow down or stop your breathing which may cause death. Your attendant should take urgent medical help if you have blue-colored lips, slow breathing with long pauses, or if you are hard to wake up. Stop taking Demerol and immediately call your doctor if you have any of the following severe side effects:
Severe side effects are more likely to happen in malnourished people and older adults. Long-period use of opioids may affect fertility in men or women. It is unknown whether infertility will be temporary or permanent. Common side effects of Demerol may include nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting, headache, or sweating. It is not a complete list of side effects, and others may occur. Consult your medical healthcare provider for medical advice regarding side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
You may have withdrawal symptoms or breathing problems if you begin or stop taking particular other medications. Tell your medical healthcare provider if you also take heart or blood pressure medication, antibiotics, antifungal medicine, seizure medication, or any HIV or hepatitis C treatment. Interaction of opioids with other drugs can cause dangerous side effects or death.