Meperidine is one of the names for pethidine, which is chemically known as meperidine hydrochloride. Those who live in the US will know this drug by its brand name of Demerol. It’s a powerful analgesic drug used to treat moderate to severe pain. Doctors deliver it through tablets, syrup, and as an intravenous injection. It is the opioid of choice for many doctors, and has been for many years.
It isn’t as effective as morphine at dealing with pain, but it also has a lower chance of causing an addiction to develop. This is why meperidine is most commonly prescribed, whereas morphine only appears in emergency situations and hospital settings.
Side Effects
This substance causes a number of side effects, but most of the time they are not serious and merely act as inconveniences. They resemble many of the side effects from opioids such as morphine. These include low blood pressure, a feeling of faintness, vomiting, and incomplete bowel movements.
Sometimes, though, these side effects can take a turn for the worst. There have been cases of lung failure and the person struggling to breathe, the development of giant hives, and even the heart stopping due to the blood pressure dropping so low. If any of these cases occur, the individual will obviously require emergency medical intervention.
Meperidine Addiction Treatment
Treating this sort of addiction is ideally done within residential treatment. Meperidine a widespread drug and it isn’t difficult to find from a street dealer. Within residential treatment, patients can have their lives restructured in the most efficient way. Therapy sessions take into account each person’s specific requirements and adapt the following sessions according to these needs.
Through additional activities and regular counselling sessions, patients turn their lives around and discover why they turned to meperidine addiction in the first place.
