Skip to content

Pethidine

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Pethidine does in the body

Pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate

From the FDA-approved label: Meperidine hydrochloride is an opioid agonist 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.

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as chemical.

    FDA substance registry · 9E338QE28F · read 2026-08-29

  • Its recorded molecular formula is C15H21NO2·HCl, weighing 283.79.

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

Where each sentence above came from

No recorded sentence describes the change this makes in a way that stands on its own. The page opens with what it is taken for instead, and the recorded explanation follows below.

Shown as the opening line on this page.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 73 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Biomarker

A biomarker is a number from a test that stands in for something about health.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A biomarker is like a fuel gauge.

Where that stops being true. A gauge is wired to the tank. Many biomarkers are only loosely tied to health.

What people get wrong. A better number is read as a better life. Several medicines improved a number and helped nobody.

A measurable indicator used as a substitute for a clinical outcome of interest.

Placebo

A placebo is a dummy treatment given so the real one can be compared with it.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A placebo is like a blank control in an experiment.

Where that stops being true. A blank does nothing. People given a placebo often do get better.

What people get wrong. A placebo effect is read as imaginary. The improvement is measured and real.

An inactive intervention matched in appearance to the test intervention, used to control for non-specific effects.

Comparator

A comparator is whatever the treatment was measured against.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like the other runner in a race.

Where that stops being true. A race has one winner. A study can show both arms improved.

What people get wrong. Results are read without asking what the other group got. Beating nothing is not beating a treatment.

The control condition against which the experimental intervention is assessed.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

Adherence to PONV Guidelines

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT02625181
How many people
27034
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Injection

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Comparison of ddI Versus Zidovudine in HIV-Infected Patients

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00000979
How many people
1500
Study design
Phase 2
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Injection

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Duration of active labor

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT02393144
How many people
1000
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Injection

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Common bile duct stone recurrence

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT02515474
How many people
1000
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Injection

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

The incidence of major postnatal depression in both groups

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT03167905
How many people
881
Study design
Phase 2/Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Injection

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Average Change From Baseline for Pain Intensity at Rest Over Days 1 to 3 (Etoricoxib vs. Placebo)

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00820027
How many people
776
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Injection

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Meperidine Hydrochloride Injection is indicated for preoperative medication, support of anesthesia, and obstetrical analgesia. Meperidine Hydrochloride Injection is indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “The safety and efficacy of Meperidine Hydrochloride Injection in patients less than 18 years of age have not been established.”

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “Elderly patients (aged 65 years or older) may have increased sensitivity to meperidine.”

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Risk Summary Prolonged use of opioid analgesics for an extended period of time during pregnancy may cause neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ].”

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “Risk Summary Meperidine appears in the milk of nursing mothers receiving the drug.”

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced liver function, the label states: “Accumulation of meperidine and/or its active metabolite, normeperidine, can also occur in patients with hepatic impairment.”

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced kidney function, the label states: “Accumulation of meperidine and/or its active metabolite, normeperidine, can occur in patients with renal impairment.”

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (11)
It was studied for a different goal
The studies measured something else entirely. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Injection

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Suppression classes recorded: S1, S2, S5, S6.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as injectable, tablet, syrup, injection, solution, given by the injection, oral, intramuscular route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Injection

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 16 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 16 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 49452-0031 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as injection, injection, solution, powder, solution and tablet, taken intramuscular, intravenous, oral and subcutaneous.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 49452-0031 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is full opioid agonists [moa] and opioid agonist [epc].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 49452-0031 · read 2026-08-29

  • 5 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 5 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-29

  • MEPERIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE is intramuscular at 3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS Single Dose vials: 25 mg/mL, 50 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL., recorded as fda label in effect 2024-04-09 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · e0e998da-f056-4fce-be8e-ed60cf3b461b · read 2026-08-30

  • Recorded price in US: 0.15579 USD per one millilitre, for the one priced product, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

Self-experiment planning is not offered for a prescription or clinician-supervised medicine. The questions below are for a clinician or pharmacist.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Pethidine studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Pethidine are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

How many documents were read

  • 5 documents were read for this substance.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 5 of them state the same halfLife, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 3 of them state the same bioavailability, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
9E338QE28F
CAS registry number
57-42-1
PubChem compound
4058
ChEMBL
CHEMBL607
ChEBI
6754
WHO international nonproprietary name list entry
411
RxNorm concept
6754
EMA substance identifier
100000082223
European Chemicals Agency number
200-329-1
DrugBank
DB00454

Checks this page had to pass

  • Passed

    Identity resolved

    no open identity hold

  • Passed

    No unresolved merge across substance families

    no quarantine open

  • Passed

    Every public sentence names a source

    The opening statement carries the origin: Written into the record, not signed off.

  • Not passed

    Trial roles classified for highlighted evidence

    No registered study is classified as testing this substance.

  • Passed

    No internal keys in reader text

    enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

  • Passed

    Safety mode resolved

    Suppression classes recorded: S1, S2, S5, S6.

  • Passed

    Canonical metadata present

    slug and display name present

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How this medicine reached us

Kept near the foot of the page. A historical event moves up only when it changes something about this substance today.

What the approval register records

  • 49 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA021171, approved 19421110 to HOSPIRA.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA021171 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA021171 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19421110.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 49452-0031 · read 2026-08-29

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What to learn next

Ordered by what would most change how you read this page, starting with what is easiest to misunderstand.

This order is fixed in code and does not count clicks or time on the page.

What is not here

9 questions this page could not answer

These sections were prepared and left out because there was nothing to put in them. They are listed rather than hidden, so the gaps in this record are visible.

  • What was measured, goal by goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • How close this is to real life — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • The path through the body — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Felt, measured, or meaningful — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • How long anything takes — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What it may clash with — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Other ways to the same goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Claims that go past the evidence — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What changed on this page — found nothing in the sources checked.

The record as stored

The full record, for auditing

Everything above is built from what is below. This layer keeps the technical vocabulary, record identifiers and every stored row, so a reader who wants to check the page can.

Recorded evidence blocks (10)

On the Pethidine label: indicated for what?


"DEMEROL Injection is indicated for preoperative medication, support of anesthesia, and obstetrical analgesia. DEMEROL Injection is indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.": indications and usage on Pethidine's label. DailyMed label · b31d1308-28c3-43f4-e0a6-2f3ed76b8975 · 2026-07-20

55 registered trials of Pethidine — at which phases?


Registered studies posting no result
42 of 55

55 registered studies of Pethidine: 20 phase4, 14 phase2, 12 na, 9 phase3, 3 phase1, 1 early phase1, 1 na or unstated. CLINICALTRIALS_SNAPSHOT · 2026-09-01

753 with a PubMed record

Show the evidence
  • phase4
    20
  • phase2
    14
  • na
    12
  • phase3
    9
  • phase1
    3
  • early phase1
    1
7 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    1
  • completed
    36
  • unknown
    12
  • not yet recruiting
    3
  • terminated
    2
  • active not recruiting
    1
  • recruiting
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

2 of Pethidine's trials stopped: accrual/recruitment, other?


accrual/recruitment (1) and other (1): Pethidine's stop wording, clustered. CLINICALTRIALS_SNAPSHOT · 2026-09-01

"Slow recruitment, cessation of funding"; 2 of 55 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT01833312
    terminated; "Slow recruitment, cessation of funding"
  • NCT05035407
    terminated; "Site plans to become a site for a multicenter study of this therapy"

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Pethidine used Pethidine 0.4mg/kg — over how long?


studies of Pethidine used the recorded amount. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

2 recorded entries; human; also "Pethidine 0.4mg/kg", "Pethidine Hydrochloride 50 Mg/mL Solution for Injection"

Show the evidence

human

  • NCT02382432
    Pethidine 0.4mg/kg
  • NCT04686058
    Pethidine Hydrochloride 50 Mg/mL Solution for Injection

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Pethidine's half-life is 2 to 5 hours — which schedules were studied?


2 to 5 hours, the half-life Pethidine's label states: "Elimination The half-life of meperidine is 2 to 5 hours, and the half-life of normeperidine is 15 to 30 hours." DailyMed label · b31d1308-28c3-43f4-e0a6-2f3ed76b8975 · 2026-07-20

Show the evidence
  • half life pharmacokinetics
    2 to 5 hours; Elimination The half-life of meperidine is 2 to 5 hours, and the half-life of normeperidine is 15 to 30 hours.
  • metabolism pharmacokinetics
    Metabolism Meperidine is metabolized through biotransformation.

recorded 2026-07-20 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 22 trials of Pethidine posted no result?


Posted no result
22 of 22 completed trials
Registrations
NCT01858090, NCT01394731, NCT01547520, NCT02037802, NCT02382432 and NCT04686058, and 16 more
Completion dates
oldest 2010-01; newest 2023-12-30
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT01858090
    2010-01
  • NCT01394731
    2011-07
  • NCT01547520
    2012-02
  • NCT02037802
    2014-10
  • NCT02382432
    2014-12
  • NCT04686058
    2014-12
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT06558916
    2015-12
  • NCT02619019
    2016-06
  • NCT02179294
    2016-09
  • NCT02475824
    2017-01-30
  • NCT01948921
    2017-03
  • NCT03032458
    2017-10
  • NCT03882814
    2018-06-01
  • NCT02858622
    2019-03
  • NCT02783508
    2019-05
  • NCT03968146
    2019-12-02
  • NCT03260283
    2019-12-31
  • NCT03115047
    2020-08-20
  • NCT05110469
    2021-06-30
  • NCT05284409
    2022-10-01

At the median, Pethidine's trials enrolled 104 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
104
Largest enrolment
27034
Registered trials counted
54

What do 4079 spontaneous reports say about Pethidine — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Pethidine appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 4079 reaction mentions were counted: drug hypersensitivity 2306; nausea 337; vomiting 282; drug intolerance 265. FAERS via Open Targets · CHEMBL1701 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • drug hypersensitivity
    2306
  • nausea
    337
  • vomiting
    282
  • drug intolerance
    265
  • rash
    211
  • pain
    166
4 more recorded rows
  • urticaria
    145
  • rheumatoid arthritis
    128
  • treatment failure
    120
  • upper respiratory tract infection
    119

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 10 reactions does Pethidine's label not list?


drug hypersensitivity, drug intolerance and nausea and 7 more reported for Pethidine, absent from its label. FAERS via Open Targets · CHEMBL1701 · 2026-06-24

2 label terms; 10 reported and unlisted; b31d1308-28c3-43f4-e0a6-2f3ed76b8975

Show the evidence
  • drug hypersensitivity
    count not stated
  • drug intolerance
    count not stated
  • nausea
    count not stated
  • pain
    count not stated
  • rash
    count not stated
  • rheumatoid arthritis
    count not stated
4 more recorded rows
  • treatment failure
    count not stated
  • upper respiratory tract infection
    count not stated
  • urticaria
    count not stated
  • vomiting
    count not stated

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Pethidine and CYP3A4 and CYP2B6: shared by which compounds?


CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 appear in Pethidine's recorded interaction sentences, 8 in all. DailyMed label · b31d1308-28c3-43f4-e0a6-2f3ed76b8975 · 2026-07-20

CYP2B6, CYP2B6, CYP2B6, CYP3A4, CYP3A4, CYP3A4; 6 shared nodes; drug_interactions, pharmacokinetics

Show the evidence

Interaction statement

  • drug_interactions
    Examples: Phenelzine, tranylcypromine, linezolid Inhibitors of CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 Clinical Impact: The concomitant use of DEMEROL Injection and CYP3A4 or CYP2B6 inhibitors can increase the plasma concentration of meperidine, resulting in increased or prolonged opioid effects.
  • drug_interactions
    These effects could be more pronounced with concomitant use of DEMEROL Injection and CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 inhibitors, particularly when an inhibitor is added after a stable dose of DEMEROL Injection is achieved [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] .
  • drug_interactions
    After stopping a CYP3A4 inhibitor, as the effects of the inhibitor decline, the meperidine plasma concentration will decrease [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] , potentially resulting in decreased opioid efficacy or a withdrawal syndrome in patients who had developed physical dependence to meperidine.
  • drug_interactions
    If a CYP3A4 or CYP2B6 inhibitor is discontinued, consider increasing the DEMEROL Injection dosage until stable drug effects are achieved.
  • drug_interactions
    Examples: Macrolide antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin), azole-antifungal agents (e.g., ketoconizole), protease inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir) CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 Inducers Clinical Impact: The concomitant use of DEMEROL Injection and CYP3A4 inducers or CYP2B6 inducers can decrease the plasma concentration of meperidine [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] , resulting in decreased efficacy or onset of a…
  • drug_interactions
    After stopping a CYP3A4 or CYP2B6 inducer, as the effects of the inducer decline, the meperidine plasma concentration will increase [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] , which could increase or prolong both the therapeutic effects and adverse reactions and may cause serious respiratory depression.
2 more recorded rows
  • Interaction statement drug_interactions
    If a CYP3A4 or CYP2B6 inducer is discontinued, consider DEMEROL Injection dosage reduction and monitor for signs of respiratory depression.
  • Interaction statement pharmacokinetics
    In vitro data show meperidine is metabolized to normeperidine in liver mainly by CYP3A4 and CYP2B6.

CYP2B6

  • FINGOLIMOD LAURYL SULFATE, TAFAMIDIS MEGLUMINE, Arimoclomol, Sofpironium, Bupropion, Golodirsen, Tinidazole, Naldemedine
  • FINGOLIMOD LAURYL SULFATE, TAFAMIDIS MEGLUMINE, Arimoclomol, Sofpironium, Bupropion, Golodirsen, Tinidazole, Naldemedine
  • FINGOLIMOD LAURYL SULFATE, TAFAMIDIS MEGLUMINE, Arimoclomol, Sofpironium, Bupropion, Golodirsen, Tinidazole, Naldemedine

CYP3A4

  • FINGOLIMOD LAURYL SULFATE, ERYTHROMYCIN LACTOBIONATE, FOSAPREPITANT DIMEGLUMINE, TAFAMIDIS MEGLUMINE, Arimoclomol, Beclometasone, Rasagiline, Sofpironium
  • FINGOLIMOD LAURYL SULFATE, ERYTHROMYCIN LACTOBIONATE, FOSAPREPITANT DIMEGLUMINE, TAFAMIDIS MEGLUMINE, Arimoclomol, Beclometasone, Rasagiline, Sofpironium
  • FINGOLIMOD LAURYL SULFATE, ERYTHROMYCIN LACTOBIONATE, FOSAPREPITANT DIMEGLUMINE, TAFAMIDIS MEGLUMINE, Arimoclomol, Beclometasone, Rasagiline, Sofpironium

recorded 2026-07-20 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL1701
PubChem CID
5750
CAS number
50-13-5
RxCUI
103755
InChIKey
XADCESSVHJOZHK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Also called
MEPERIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE, Pethidini hydrochloridum, MEPERIDINE, Isonipecaine, Meperidol, Pethanol, Pethidine dbl, Pethidineter, Petidina, Renaudin, pethidin, 4-PIPERIDINECARBOXYLIC ACID, 1-METHYL-4-PHENYL-, ETHYL ESTER
Trade name
Demerol, Pamergan, Pethilorfan, Spasmodlin
Salt form
Meperidine hcl, Meperidine hydrochloride cii, Meperidine hydrochloride component of mepergan, Meperidine hydrochloride preservative free, Pethidine hydrochloride, pethidine hcl, Meperidine Hydrochloride / Demerol / Meperidine Hydrochloride Preservative Free
Development code
NIH 10522, NSC-400479, IDS-NP-001
Sources (6)

Sources

ChEMBL 37 — CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported · ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
  • identity passed: no open identity hold
  • required summary fields resolved: 4 required field(s) not terminal: Why people use it, Best-supported result, Biggest unanswered question, Human evidence
  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 6 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
  • no raw internal fields: enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

This is a record of evidence. It is not medical advice, and it does not say this substance suits you. Nothing here says any substance on RNAWiki is appropriate for a child.