Pethidine

Pethidine

Clinical data
Trade names	Demerol, others
Other names	Meperidine (USAN US)
Pregnancy category	AU: C
Dependence liability	High
Addiction liability	High
Routes of administration	By mouth, intravenous, intramuscular, intrathecal, subcutaneous, epidural
Drug class	Opioid
ATC code	N02AB02 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S8 (Controlled drug) BR: Class A1 (Narcotic drugs) CA: Schedule I DE: Anlage III (Special prescription form required) NZ: Class B UK: Class A US: Schedule II UN: Narcotic Schedule I
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	50–60% (Oral), 80–90% (Oral, in cases of hepatic impairment)
Protein binding	65–75%
Metabolism	Liver: CYP2B6, CYP3A4, CYP2C19, Carboxylesterase 1
Metabolites	• Norpethidine • Pethidinic Acid • others
Elimination half-life	2.5–4 hours, 7–11 hours (liver disease)
Excretion	Renal
Identifiers
IUPAC name Ethyl 1-methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylate
CAS Number	57-42-1 Y
PubChem CID	4058
IUPHAR/BPS	7221
DrugBank	DB00454 Y
ChemSpider	3918
UNII	9E338QE28F
KEGG	D08343 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:6754
ChEMBL	ChEMBL607 Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID9023253
ECHA InfoCard	100.000.299
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C15H21NO2
Molar mass	247.34 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES CCOC(=O)C1(c2ccccc2)CCN(C)CC1
InChI InChI=1S/C15H21NO2/c1-3-18-14(17)15(9-11-16(2)12-10-15)13-7-5-4-6-8-13/h4-8H,3,9-12H2,1-2H3 Y Key:XADCESSVHJOZHK-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
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Pethidine (meperidine) (often called Demerol in the United States) is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine. This means it is a man-made drug, not from a plant. It is a painkiller. It is used against moderate to severe pain.

It is sometimes used in childbirth (during the first stage of labour) with or without the additional help of morphine It can mix badly with other medicines, including muscle relaxants, some antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and alcohol.

Pethidine is not recommended in people with liver disease, kidney disease, an enlarged prostate (benign prostate hypertrophy), with trouble peeing, hyperthyroidism, asthma or Addison's disease. It can also be bad for people who have had seizures or epilepsy.