Demerol (Meperidine Hydrochloride) - Summary

DEMEROL SUMMARY

Meperidine hydrochloride is a narcotic analgesic with multiple actions qualitatively similar to those of morphine; the most prominent of these involve the central nervous system and organs composed of smooth muscle. The principal actions of therapeutic value are analgesia and sedation.

DEMEROL is indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain.

DEMEROL contains meperidine, a mu-agonist opioid with an abuse liability similar to morphine and is a Schedule II controlled substance. Meperidine, like morphine and other opioids used in analgesia, can be abused and is subject to criminal diversion.

See all indications & dosage >>

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Media Articles Related to Demerol (Meperidine)

Yoga May Be Effective For Chronic Low Back Pain In Minority Populations
Source: Health News from Medical News Today [2009.11.05]
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center found that yoga may be more effective than standard treatment for reducing chronic low back pain in minority populations. This study appears in the November issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Radiation Therapy Technique Successfully Treats Pain In Patients With Advanced Cancer
Source: Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today [2009.11.05]
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a radiation therapy procedure pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) that precisely delivers a large dose of radiation to tumors, effectively controls pain in patients with cancer that has spread to the spine, according to researchers from UPCI. The results of the research were presented this week during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago, being held November 1 - 5, 2009.

Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power Of Flu Shots
Source: Biology / Biochemistry News From Medical News Today [2009.11.04]
With flu vaccination season in full swing, research from the University of Rochester Medical Center cautions that use of many common pain killers -- Advil, Tylenol, aspirin -- at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negative effect on the immune system. Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D.

Cancer, Pain Relief And Immunity Research Supported By ARC
Source: Breast Cancer News From Medical News Today [2009.11.04]
Research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute into the genes involved in breast cancer development, new drugs for chronic pain, and the proteins involved in inflammatory diseases has received funding in this year's round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project grants. Seven projects proposed by institute researchers have received ARC support.

From A Neuroscience Of Pain To A Neuroethics Of Care
Source: Neurology / Neuroscience News From Medical News Today [2009.11.04]
Science now offers us ever more advanced ways to understand and control pain. But with those new treatments come new questions about the use (and misuse) of state-of-the-art technology and how far pain management can and should go.

more news >>

Published Studies Related to Demerol (Meperidine)

Perineural meperidine blocks nerve conduction in a dose-related manner: a randomized double-blind study. [2009.07]
BACKGROUND: Meperidine has been shown to exhibit a sensory block in peripheral nerves. However, its motor blockade ability is controversial...

Remifentanil vs. meperidine for patient-controlled analgesia during colonoscopy: a randomized double-blind trial. [2009.05]
OBJECTIVES: The aim was to compare patients' and endoscopists' satisfaction in terms of efficacy and safety of remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) during colonoscopy with that of a combination of midazolam and meperidine... CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil PCA is safe and effective to induce sedoanalgesia during colonoscopy. Further studies should address the optimization of dosing and lock out setting.

Clinical trial: a randomized, study comparing meperidine (pethidine) and fentanyl in adult gastrointestinal endoscopy. [2009.04.15]
BACKGROUND: There is little evidence to guide choice between meperidine (pethidine) and fentanyl for sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy. AIM: To compare meperidine with fentanyl in terms of procedure time and analgesia... CONCLUSIONS: Fentanyl shortened total procedure time by reducing recovery time. A simple change in narcotic choice could increase endoscopy unit efficiency.

Midazolam with meperidine or fentanyl for colonoscopy: results of a randomized trial. [2009.03]
BACKGROUND: A combination of midazolam and opioid is usually used to achieve sedation and analgesia during colonoscopy. Two commonly used opioids are meperidine and fentanyl, but few studies have compared their efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This randomized trial aimed to compare the efficacy and recovery time of 2 sedation regimens consisting of midazolam in combination with either meperidine or fentanyl... CONCLUSIONS: The use of fentanyl in combination with low-dose midazolam results in significantly faster recovery from sedation compared with meperidine, without any apparent loss of analgesic effect.

Clinical trial: a randomized, study comparing fentanyl and meperidine in adult gastrointestinal endoscopy. [2009.01.20]
Background: There is little evidence to guide choice between meperidine and fentanyl for sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy Aim: To compare meperidine to fentanyl in terms of procedure time and analgesia...

more studies >>

Clinical Trials Related to Demerol (Meperidine)

Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Morphine for Pain After Third Molar Extraction [Completed]
This study involves approximately 200 patients designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intranasal (IN) morphine 7. 5 mg and 15 mg, intravenous morphine (IV) 7. 5 mg, immediate release oral (PO) morphine 60 mg or placebo in patients with acute postsurgical pain following third molar extraction.

Comparison of A Single Dose Combination of Methadone and Morphine With Morphine Alone for Treating Post-Operative Pain [Recruiting]

Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Morphine for Pain After Bunion Surgery [Completed]
Study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Intranasal (IN) Morphine Nasal Spray (MNS075) 3. 75 mg, 7. 5 mg, 15 mg, and 30 mg, intravenous (IV) morphine 7. 5 mg, or IN placebo in patients with moderate to severe post-surgical pain following orthopedic surgery. After initial dosing, up to six (6) doses of IN MNS075 7. 5 mg or 15 mg for up to twenty-four (24) hours will be evaluated. The rescue dose remained the same for each.

A Study of Kadian NT in Subjects With Pain Due to Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee [Completed]
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Kadian NT compared with placebo for treating moderate to severe chronic pain over a 12 week period.

INFUSE Morphine Study [Completed]
Double-blind study comparing the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of morphine administered subcutaneously (SC) with and without human recombinant hyaluronidase (HYLENEX) and intravenously conducted in patients in a hospice care setting or through a palliative care medicine setting. In this within-patient controlled study, each eligible study patient receives a single injection by each of the three methods of morphine administration, sequentially on three consecutive days, according to the order specified by a randomization schedule.

Each of the three injections consists of 5 mg of morphine (1. 0 mL of 5 mg/mL solution). The HYLENEX injection will be 1 mL of 150 units. Although the IV administration will not be blinded, the two SC injections will be double-blinded, using the same volume of normal saline (0. 9% sodium chloride) placebo (1. 0 mL) as HYLENEX.

more trials >>