Side effects of pethidine

Pethidine is a medicine that is also known by the brand name of Demerol, and it is one of the most frequently used painkillers. It was considered to be a very efficient analgesic, and much safer and less addictive than other opioids. But after some time it has been proven that in fact, pethidine has a very low potency, short duration of action, and particular toxicity, which was a reason enough for some countries to restrict its use.

The research showed that the possible side effects of this drug are not at all negligible and that everyone should carefully consider using this medication. It is possible to get it without a prescription however, medical advice on whether or not it should be used is highly recommended.

Possible Side Effects

The usual and the most common side effects are related to vomiting and nausea, constipation, various types of skin irritations, headache, blushing of the face, weakness, and sleepiness. But it is not uncommon for a person to experience changes in urination, small pupils, hallucinations, and even a drop in blood pressure.

Allergic reactions can show up in cases when a person is allergic to some of the ingredients of pethidine, and the symptoms which indicate this are swelling of the mouth, lips, or tongue, difficulties in breathing, and hives or a rash. Allergic reactions, even the slightest ones, require medical attention.

The side effects which should be a reason for concern are irregular heartbeat and chest pain, fainting, numbness of the limbs, problems with vision, serious dizziness, and problems with breathing. If a person recognizes even only one of these side effects, he or she should seek medical advice or help as soon as possible, because these side effects will not go off by themselves. What’s even worse, they can lead to some very serious consequences if ignored.

This medicine is sometimes used with pregnant women during labor in order to relieve the pain, but in such situations, serious side effects in babies, such as problems with breathing and sucking, are also possible. Otherwise, no serious consequences have been noticed in pregnant women who used it, because it has been used for a long time as a painkiller during pregnancy.

Opioid analgesics had been used from time to time for treating labor pain. However, their use have been concerning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of pethidine on duration of active phase of labor, labor pain and maternal-neonatal outcomes.

In the present case-control study, the study group received a 50 mg pethidine intramuscular injection upon the start of active phase of labor, and the control group consisted of patients who receive placebo injeciton. In both groups, vital signs were measured before, and at 0, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after the injection.
Pain intensity was evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) prior to, and 1 hour and 2 hours after injection. Data regarding labor phase durations, maternal side effects, newborn APGAR scores and fetal respiratory problems were recorded.
102 patients in Pethidine group and 92 patients in control group, were included into the study. Labor pain VAS-scores were significantly lower in the study group (p
Maternal pulse significantly decreased, and maternal nausea-vomiting was frequent in the study groups. However, the groups were similar in terms of other side effects and neonatal outcomes.
In a study that pethidine was used during labor, 64% of the participants experienced at least one of the side effects such as dizziness, blurred vision, dry mouth, dyspnea, tachycardia, vomiting and significant changes in blood pressure.
In a study that compared pethidine 75 mg with tramadol 100 mg, the incidence of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue and numbness was significantly higher in the pethidine group. Use of pethidine for obstetric analgesia was reported to have no significant effects on maternal blood pressure and heart rate.

✓ Fact confirmed: The Effect of Pethidine Analgesia on Labor Duration and Maternal-Fetal Outcomes Pinar Kadirogullari, Pinar Yalcin Bahat, Busra Sahin, Ilker Gonen, and Kerem Doga Seckin; 2021 May 12.

Combining Pethidine with Other Medications

People who drink alcohol, or even people who use sleeping pills or antidepressants should not use pethidine at the same time because the effect of drowsiness will only be increased this way. The same applies to those who are considering combining this medication with barbiturates, morphine, codeine, and antihistamines.