Meperidine - Reactions with Other Drugs or Substances

Reactions with Other Drugs or Substances

Because meperidine acts as a central nervous system depressant, no other similarly acting substance should be taken with meperidine, unless it is under the close supervision of a physician. Alcohol is a prime example of this. So are drugs known as sedatives, which are used to treat anxiety and calm people down. A large enough dose of any opioid, including meperidine, can stop a person's breathing completely, resulting in death. In combination with alcohol or sedatives, this reaction can occur at much lower doses.

Drugs to be avoided while taking meperidine include most antihistaminesDrugs that block histamine, a chemical that causes nasal congestion related to allergies., sleeping pills, and any drugs that are in the same classification as Valium. Several types of antidepressants should be used with great caution or not at all in combination with meperidine. These include tricyclics (brand name examples include Elavil and Aventyl); SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; some name brand examples include Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil); and MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors; examples include Marplan and Nardil). Even moderate therapeutic doses of meperidine administered up to two weeks after a patient has used an MAOI-class drug can result in unpredictable and severe reactions, including coma and death.