Demerol (meperidine) is an opioid pain medication. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic.
Demerol is a strong prescription pain medicine that is used to manage the relief short-term pain, when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.
Careless use of Demerol can put you at risk of overdose and death. Even if you take your dose correctly as prescribed you are at risk for opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse that can lead to death.
Warnings
You should not use Demerol if you have severe asthma or breathing problems.
Do not use Demerol if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine.
Demerol can slow or stop your breathing, and may be habit-forming. MISUSE OF THIS MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription.
Using this medicine during pregnancy may cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the newborn.
Fatal side effects can occur if you use Demerol with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing.
Before taking this medicine
You should not use Demerol 50mg if you are allergic to meperidine, or if you have severe asthma or breathing problems.
Do not use Demerol 50mg if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.
Some medicines can interact with meperidine and cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Be sure your doctor knows if you also take medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. Ask your doctor before making any changes in how or when you take your medications.
To make sure Demerol is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- any type of breathing problem or lung disease;
- a blockage in your stomach or intestines;
- a history of head injury, brain tumor, or seizures;
- a history of drug abuse, alcohol addiction, or mental illness;
- urination problems;
- liver or kidney disease;
- problems with your gallbladder, adrenal gland, or thyroid;
- sickle cell anemia; or
- abnormal curvature of the spine that affects breathing.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Demerol injection will harm an unborn baby. This medicine may cause breathing problems in your newborn if you use the medication during late pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
Meperidine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using Demerol.
