About Demerol Abuse
About Demerol Abuse
Demerol (meperidine) is an opioid pain reliever which is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Like other opiate-based drugs, it is highly addictive and should only be used when prescribed by a doctor in specific amounts, for specific periods of time.
Demerol is often in the news after the death celebrity. Like other opiates, in large amounts, Demerol can cause respiratory failure. When a person overdoses on Demerol their breathing slows down gradually. They learn about Demerol abuse the hard way. Others may see that they are sleeping on the couch and decide not to wake them. That can be a fatal decision as the respiration slowly fades to nothing at all.
Very Powerful Drug
Because it is a powerful drug, Demerol can cause severe damage on combination with other opiate medications and so it is necessary to understand how all drugs a person is taking will interact. The drug should not be used in conjunction with antidepressants. Demerol can cause a hypertensive reaction, leading to heart attack and stroke.
Similar to Morphine
Demerol’s effects are similar to those or morphine. It can be used before or after a surgical procedure to work in conjunction with an anesthetic. Unlike other pain medications that block nerve endings from transmitting pain messages to the body,
Demerol acts on the central nervous system and replaces the sense of pain with a “high.” Because of that, it is easily understood why Demerol would be abused. But in comparison to other opioid medications that have come out on the market in the last decade, Demerol is not very potent, abusers like the “high” that feeling of euphoria.
Like other narcotic drugs, the longer people take it the more likely it is they will develop a physiological dependence and tolerance to the drug, meaning it will take more and more drug to do the job. They also learn about Demerol abuse the hard way. The drug isn’t as popular now as it used to be, as other medications have replaced it and there are hospitals that don’t use it at all anymore.
Can have undesirable side effects
Demerol can produce some undesired side effects. People can become light headed, nauseous, irritated, anxious, confused and have hallucinations. They may become sweaty and become depressed. They may also experience seizures, tremors and a respiratory distress. Demerol can cause rapid heart rate and an irregular heart beat.
Demerol, like other opioids, does not mix well with alcohol. Patie3nts should never take more than the prescribed amount. If the patient does have side effects, the doctor should be called immediately.
Overdose can be fatal
Demerol overdose can be fatal and medical response is necessary. The symptoms of overdose include extreme drowsiness, muscle weakness, cold and clammy skin, confusion, pinpoint pupils, shallow breathing, slower heart rate and the person could lapse into coma.
Abuse leads to addiction
Demerol abuse can lead to addiction, which is the point at which a person can no longer decide not to use the drug. They must use it. This compulsion can come on slowly and it sometimes hard to determine whether or not a person is becoming addicted. But in general, they will likely begin to lose interest in their daily activities, or they may chose to change their friends, preferring to hang out with people who use the drug like them, or people who can get them the drug they want.
They will pull away from old friends and avoid family contact, as the disease progresses they become more and more isolated. They may begin to miss work, or young people may let their grades slip. Job performance falls and they may lose their job for a variety of reasons, these are facts about Demerol abuse.
As the brain disease of addiction progresses, nothing else will matter to the addict except getting their drug of choice. As a result, serious health complications can set in, such as liver and kidney damage, heart and respiratory failure and other complications.
Demerol is a serious drug and can be effective if used properly and used under a doctor’s instruction. However, its potential for being abused may well outweighs its value. The more you know about Demerol abuse the more you realize taking it needs to be very carefully managed.