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Meperidine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of meperidine include drug hypersensitivity, pain, and nausea, based on 12,867 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Meperidine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for meperidine.

1
Drug Hypersensitivity27.9%3,596
2
Drug Ineffective10.2%1,315
3
Pain9.3%1,196
4
Nausea8.8%1,131
5
Off Label Use7.2%930
6
Drug Intolerance6.3%814
7
Hyperhidrosis6.2%804
8
Rash6.1%789
9
Overdose5.8%745
10
Vomiting5.7%727
11
Hypertension5.1%658
12
Pyrexia5.0%639
13
Headache4.6%596
14
Fatigue4.6%589
15
Infusion Related Reaction4.5%574

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that meperidine caused these reactions.

Report severity

69.0%Serious8,873 reports
25.4%Hospitalizations3,269 reports
10.6%Fatal1,365 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Meperidine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside meperidine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Acetaminophen18.0%2,322
2
Morphine-sulfate14.6%1,873
3
Oxycodone14.4%1,848
4
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride12.8%1,649
5
Dihydrocodeine-bitartrate12.4%1,600
6
Adalimumab9.3%1,192
7
Diclofenac8.2%1,054
8
Gabapentin8.2%1,050
9
Hydrocodone8.1%1,045
10
Tramadol-hydrochloride7.8%1,002
11
Rituximab7.4%952
12
Ondansetron7.0%903
13
Venlafaxine6.7%866
14
Infliximab6.7%862
15
Fentanyl6.6%854

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen19.2%2,465
2
Ondansetron8.3%1,074
3
Promethazine-hydrochloride7.7%989
4
Diphenhydramine7.6%984
5
Furosemide7.2%924
6
Oxycodone7.0%903
7
Albuterol6.1%786
8
Aspirin5.9%759
9
Pantoprazole-sodium5.8%740
10
Lorazepam5.6%720
11
Hydrocodone5.4%690
12
Gabapentin5.2%667
13
Fentanyl4.9%634
14
Prednisone4.9%625
15
Ibuprofen4.8%617

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports meperidine side effects

61.5% of meperidine adverse event reports involve female patients and 27.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 66%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female61.5%
Male27.8%
Unknown10.8%

Age group

< 21.9%
2–111.3%
12–171.0%
18–6465.9%
65+30.0%

What is meperidine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking meperidine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal SymptomAbscessAccident At WorkAccidental PoisoningAcute Coronary SyndromeAcute Pulmonary OedemaAdenomyosisAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAggressionAgitationAllergy Prophylaxis

Showing 15 of 446 indications

Meperidine brand names and reporting trend

Meperidine is sold under the brand name Mepergan.

Brand names

Mepergan1,067

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking meperidine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.