Demerol is a pain reliever that is administered to patients with mild to extreme pain. It can only be obtained with a prescription and should not be used without one. Demerol is an opioid analgesic that alters how the brain perceives pain and how it responds to it.
At the start of treatment, Demerol can cause some common, often non-serious side effects. Nausea, drowsiness, constipation, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, pain, or redness at the injection site are possible side effects. If these side effects continue or intensify over time, contact your doctor.
When the body responds to the drug, the side effects usually fade. It’s rare for a Demerol treatment plan to cause severe side effects.
If you have serious Demerol side effects, including fainting, severe drowsiness, seizures, trouble waking up, and slow or shallow breathing, you should seek medical help right away.
How Is Demerol Used?
Doctors usually administer Demerol as an injection into a muscle, a vein, or under the skin.
If you’re going to take Demerol at home, make sure you know how to prepare it and use it according to your doctor’s or pharmacist’s instructions. Check for particles or discoloration in Demerol before using it. Do not inject something if you find something odd in it. Inquire with your pharmacist about the safest ways to store and dispose of the drug.
When administering Demerol, do it steadily and gradually to reduce the risk of severe side effects. If you inject Demerol into a muscle or under the skin, make sure to switch injection sites every time to reduce the risk of injury. To avoid dizziness, always lie down while taking Demerol.
Furthermore, do not change your Demerol dose or medication plan until your doctor tells you to.
How Long Does Demerol Medication Last in Your System?
Because of its short half-life, Demerol only lasts in your body for a short period. It normally takes between six and 24 hours for it to leave the body fully. It’s worth remembering that these timelines can differ depending on your body.
Demerol has a half-life of two to five hours; however, the medication’s properties can degrade faster or slower depending on your physiology. A variety of factors influence the rate at which Demerol is removed from the body.
Factors Affecting the Time Demerol Remains in Your System
The amount of time Demerol stays in your system is influenced by several factors. Your age, diet, metabolism, physical activity, other drugs, genetics, vitamin or herbal product consumption, organ function, Demerol dosage levels, and how frequently you take Demerol are all variables to consider.
Demerol, however, can be detected in your blood, urine, and hair over a prolonged period.
- Urine. Since Demerol is made up of a synthetic opioid, it is usually undetectable in standard urine tests. If you are concerned that Demerol will show up in a urine test, stop taking it one or two days before the test.
- Hair. Hair follicles will retain Demerol for up to 90 days after the last dose.
- Blood: If examined within 24 hours, blood samples can contain traces of Demerol.
Demerol Prescription Facts
Certain groups of people in the United States use opioid pain relievers at a higher rate than others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives the following useful figures regarding opioid patient populations:
- Prescription opioid use is more common among Americans aged 40 and up than those aged 20 to 39.
- Prescription opioid use is more common among women than it is among men.
- In comparison to other races, non-Hispanic white Americans have the highest rate of opioid use.
Demerol Regulations
Demerol is a prescription-only drug that you should only use under a doctor’s instructions. You should also not use this drug regularly or as an over-the-counter medication. It is illegal to take Demerol without a prescription or give Demerol to anyone who does not have a prescription.
Most Commonly Abused Drugs Containing Demerol
The widely misused Demerol-containing drugs are Demerol and its generic versions, meperidine and pethidine. Demerol is an opioid and has the potential to be highly addictive. This is why you should only take Demerol if your doctor has prescribed it.
How Demerol Affects the Brain and Body
Demerol belongs to the class of opioid analgesics. This means that the drug effectively reduces pain by altering the brain’s response to it. As this brain mechanism is altered, the brain sends signals to the body that change how the body perceives pain.
Mixing Alcohol and Demerol
The mixture of alcohol and Demerol is very dangerous. When you mix Demerol and alcohol, it can cause life-threatening opioid toxicity and extreme respiratory depression. You are more likely to experience blackouts if you take these two chemicals together.
Demerol can be toxic when mixed with several other drugs. The possibility of serotonin syndrome is the main risk factor for Demerol. Demerol has serotonergic effects, which means it boosts serotonin levels and, hence, serotonin activity.
If there is too much serotonin in the body, it causes serotonin syndrome, leading to permanent psychosis and death in extreme cases. Taking drugs that increase serotonin levels when on Demerol dramatically raises this risk factor.
Serotonin overload is more likely with antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Serotonin syndrome caused by long-term use of Demerol may result in convulsive seizures. There have been fatalities owing to the toxic metabolite in Demerol that induces serotonin syndrome.
You should also not combine benzodiazepines with Demerol. The use of benzodiazepines with opioids, including Demerol, has caused many fatal overdose cases. Because of the risk of clinically severe respiratory distress, you should avoid other central nervous system depressants.
Alcohol is likely to interfere with Demerol metabolism in the liver. This can result in longer drug clearance times and higher drug levels in the blood plasma.
Opioid toxicity and severe respiratory depression can develop as Demerol persists in the system at high concentrations for a prolonged period. Alcohol toxicity can result from the additional workload that the presence of both substances imposes on the liver.
Many of the signs of Demerol overdose and alcohol overdose are the same. The increased risk of vomiting that alcohol intake comes with could help expel any undigested Demerol that your body hasn’t absorbed yet.
Symptoms of Demerol Overdose
Demerol is a pain reliever available as a tablet, a liquid, or an intravenous injection before and after major surgery. This potent narcotic has the potential to become addictive.
Because of the appealing taste of the liquid solution and the deep euphoric feeling it produces, Demerol has become a common street narcotic. Demerol’s oral solution has a sweet banana flavor, and the effects are similar to those of morphine.
Overdosing on Demerol may occur due to deliberate or unintentional overuse, an allergic reaction, unintentionally taking a larger liquid dose, or combining it with other active substances such as alcohol or other drugs.
Overdoses of opioids are on the rise. Between July 2016 and September 2017, the national opioid overdose rate rose by more than 30%. People are figuring out how to get these medications illegally and changing the way they handle them.
If you or someone you know is taking Demerol, you should be aware of the warning signs and symptoms that might signify an overdose.
Like other opioid analgesics, Demerol affects the central nervous system directly, slowing vital organs’ operation. It may be difficult to say whether anyone has overdosed on Demerol at first, depending on the severity of the overdose. It is possible to have no visible signs of overdose.
Nausea, bradycardia (excessively slow heart rate), moderate dizziness, hypotension (low blood pressure), severe drowsiness, low blood pressure, and extreme muscle weakness are common symptoms of a Demerol overdose.
Many people overlook the signs of Demerol overdose. However, the overdose victim is usually aware of the changes going on in their bodies.
Both the victim and bystanders can identify Demerol overdose symptoms. If any of the following symptoms appear, a Demerol overdose may be imminent:
- Cold, clammy skin
- Cardiac arrest
- Vomiting
- Inability to stay awake together with snoring (apnea)
- Convulsions (seizures)
- Lips and fingernails are blue.
- Respiratory depression (extremely weak breath, shallow breathing, or no breath at all)
- Muscle twitches
The most common overdose symptom is respiratory depression. Respiratory depression, if left untreated, can result in brain damage and even death due to a lack of oxygen. Cardiac arrest is rare, but it is more likely if Demerol is taken in large doses.
An overdose of Demerol requires treatment with professional medical equipment, so seek treatment right away if you think you’ve taken too much.
How Much Demerol to Overdose?
To cause an overdose, a person must take a certain amount of Demerol. As compared to someone who does not frequently take opioids, people who have more experience with opioid analgesics will usually need a higher dose to cause this problem. This risk is also influenced by a person’s body weight, height, and age.
Just a small amount of Demerol can cause an overdose when you combine it with alcohol or other opioids. If you mistake a tablespoon for a teaspoon when measuring out the liquid solution, your body will absorb relatively high amounts of Demerol as a result.
Demerol Addiction
Even if you take Demerol exactly as per your doctor’s instructions, you can develop a psychological dependence on the drug. If you think someone in your life is abusing Demerol, you should seek clinical assistance right away.
Demerol addiction symptoms include obsessing over finding and taking Demerol, losing interest in hobbies and activities you once enjoyed, and performing irregularly or poorly at school or work.
Demerol Medical Detox
If you don’t want to keep taking Demerol, make an appointment with your doctor to explore other pain-relieving choices. Do not stop taking Demerol suddenly. When you unexpectedly stop taking Demerol, you dramatically improve your odds of developing painful withdrawal symptoms.
Demerol Rehabilitation Programs
Granite Recovery Centers offer rehabilitation services for people who have developed a Demerol addiction. The first phase of treatment is usually medical detox during which your body is cleansed of the drug. Whether you begin treatment with the inpatient program or the outpatient program, this is a key phase in your recovery journey. Granite Recovery Centers provides medical detoxification for people who do not need immediate medical intervention, are not a danger to themselves, and are capable of self-evacuation in the event of an emergency.
Included in the treatment plan are individual and group counseling sessions, which we host at our centers. In addition to physical treatment, we aim to achieve long-term recovery and, therefore, focus on psychological and emotional wellbeing as well. We also encourage our patients to enroll in recreational therapy activities such as yoga.
Inpatient Demerol Rehab
If you wish to undertake inpatient Demerol treatment you will be hosted at one of Granite Recovery Center’s inpatient facilities until you overcome your Demerol addiction. You may find it difficult to recover at home because of distractions and exposure to the environment that caused the addiction. Inpatient treatment serves to shield you from all these and is, therefore, very effective. If you have a serious addiction, this is the best option for you.
Outpatient Demerol Rehab
This is a less-thorough treatment program that follows the inpatient program. In outpatient Demerol rehab , you remain at home while attending regular care appointments at Granite Recovery Center for outpatient Demerol rehab. If you have a mild Demerol addiction, you may choose to start your rehabilitation with outpatient Demerol treatment rather than inpatient treatment.
Granite Recovery Center is here to assist you or someone you care for dealing with any drug or alcohol abuse. Don’t struggle on your own. We’ll guide you through your journey of recovery.
It will help if you do not change your Demerol dose or treatment plan without consulting your doctor first.
If you no longer wish to take this drug, have your doctor progressively reduce your dosage over time. You can prevent serious withdrawal symptoms by using this tapering technique.
