Demerol Dosage
Generic name: meperidine
Drug class: Narcotic analgesics
Medically reviewed by A Ras MD.
Recommended Adult Dosing
Dosage forms: TAB: 50 mg, 100 mg; INJ (pre-filled syringe): 25 mg per mL, 50 mg per mL, 75 mg per mL, 100 mg per mL; INJ (vial): various
Dosage Forms Discontinued in US
- [oral solution not avail. as brand; see generic]
Pain, mod-severe
- [50-150 mg PO/SC/IM/IV q3-4h prn]
- Max: 600 mg/day; Info: parenteral route preferred to PO route; decr. dose if given IV, dilute prior to use, admin. slowly; use lowest effective dose, shortest effective tx duration; incr. risk of excitatory neurotoxicity, seizure if dose >600 mg/24h SC/IM/IV or duration >48h; use lower doses in elderly pts; taper total daily dose by no more than 10-25% q2-4wk to D/C if prolonged or long-term use
Preoperative sedation
- [50-100 mg SC/IM x1]
- Start: 30-90min before anesthesia; Info: use lower doses in elderly pts
Analgesia, obstetric
- [50-100 mg SC/IM q1-3h prn]
- Info: use lowest effective dose, shortest effective tx duration
Shivering, postop
- [12.5-50 mg IV x1]
- Alt: 0.4-0.5 mg/kg/dose IV x1; Info: use lower doses in elderly pts
Renal dosing
- [pain or analgesia]
- renal impairment: avoid use
- HD/PD: avoid use
- [preoperative sedation]
- renal impairment: avoid use; Alt: CrCl 10-50: decr. usual dose by 25%; CrCl <10: decr. usual dose by 50%; Info: incr. risk of neurotoxic metabolite accumulation w/ repeat dosing
- HD/PD: avoid use
- [shivering]
- renal impairment: not defined, caution advised
- HD/PD: not defined, caution advised
Hepatic dosing
- [not defined]
- hepatic impairment: titrate slowly
Recommended Peds Dosing
- Dosage forms: TAB: 50 mg, 100 mg; INJ (pre-filled syringe): 25 mg per mL, 50 mg per mL, 75 mg per mL, 100 mg per mL; INJ (vial): various
Dosage Forms Discontinued in US
- [oral solution not avail. as brand; see generic]
Special Note
- [prescribing info]
- Info: consider prescribing naloxone if risk of opioid overdose or accidental ingestion
Pain, mod-severe
- [1.1-1.8 mg/kg/dose PO/SC/IM/IV q3-4h prn]
- Max: 100 mg/dose; Info: parenteral route preferred to PO route; decr. dose if given IV, dilute prior to use, admin. slowly; use lowest effective dose, shortest effective tx duration; incr. risk of excitatory neurotoxicity, seizure if dose >600 mg/24h SC/IM/IV or duration >48h; taper total daily dose by no more than 10-25% q2-4wk to D/C if prolonged or long-term use
Preoperative sedation
- [1-2.2 mg/kg/dose SC/IM x1]
- Start: 30-90min before anesthesia; Max: 100 mg/dose
Renal dosing
- [pain]
- renal impairment: avoid use
- HD/PD: avoid use
- [preoperative sedation]
- renal impairment: avoid use; Alt: CrCl 10-50: decr. usual dose by 25%; CrCl <10: decr. usual dose by 50%; Info: incr. risk of neurotoxic metabolite accumulation w/ repeat dosing
- HD/PD: avoid use
Hepatic dosing
- [not defined]
- hepatic impairment: titrate slowly
SRC: NLM .