Demerol (Meperidine) Drug Information: Medication Guide and Patient Information

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May 27, 2012

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Chronic Pain »

Introduction to Chronic Pain

You know it at once. It may be the fiery sensation of a burn moments after your finger touches the stove. Or it's a dull ache above your brow after a day of stress and tension. Or you may recognize it as a sharp pierce in your back after you lift something heavy.

It is pain. In its most benign form, it warns us that something isn't quite right, that we should take medicine or see a doctor. At its worst, however, pain robs us of our productivity, our well-being, and, for many of us suffering from extended illness, our very lives. Pain is a complex perception that differs enormously among individual patients, even those who appear to have identical injuries or illnesses.

In 1931, the French medical missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself." Today, pain has become the universal disorder, a serious and costly public health issue, and a challenge for famil...

Read the Chronic Pain article »

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PATIENT INFORMATION

Information for Patients/Caregivers

If clinically advisable, patients receiving DEMEROL (meperidine hydrochloride) tablets or their caregivers should be given the following information by the physician, nurse, pharmacist, or caregiver:

Patients should be aware that DEMEROL tablets contain meperidine, which is a morphine-like substance.
Patients should be advised to report pain and adverse experiences occurring during therapy. Individualization of dosage is essential to make optimal use of this medication.
Patients should be advised not to adjust the dose of DEMEROL without consulting the prescribing professional.
Patients should be advised that DEMEROL may impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks (e.g., driving, operating heavy machinery).
Patients should not combine DEMEROL with alcohol or other central nervous system depressants (sleep aids, tranquilizers) except by the orders of the prescribing physician, because dangerous additive effects may occur, resulting in serious injury or death.
Women of childbearing potential who become, or are planning to become pregnant should be advised to consult their physician regarding the effects of analgesics and other drug use during pregnancy on themselves and their unborn child.
Patients should be advised that DEMEROL is a potential drug of abuse. They should protect it from theft, and it should never be given to anyone other than the individual for whom it was prescribed.
Patients should be advised that if they have been receiving treatment with DEMEROL for more than a few weeks and cessation of therapy is indicated, it may be appropriate to taper the DEMEROL dose, rather than abruptly discontinue it, due to the risk of precipitating withdrawal symptoms. Their physician can provide a dose schedule to accomplish a gradual discontinuation of the medication.
Patients should be instructed to keep DEMEROL in a secure place out of the reach of children. When DEMEROL is no longer needed, the unused tablets should be destroyed by flushing down the toilet.