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MEDICATION GUIDE
Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets, USP CII
and
Meperidine Hydrochloride Oral Solution, USP CII
(me per’ i deen hye” droe klor’ ide)
Rx only
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Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution are:
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- A strong prescription pain medicine that contains an opioid (narcotic) that is used to manage the relief short-term (acute) pain, when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.
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- An opioid pain medicine that can put you at risk for overdose and death. Even if you take your dose correctly as prescribed you are at risk for opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse that can lead to death.
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Important information about Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution:
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Get emergency help or call 911 right away if you take too much (overdose) Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution. When you first start taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution, when your dose is changed, or if you take too much (overdose), serious or life-threatening breathing problems that can lead to death may occur. Talk to your healthcare provider about naloxone, a medicine for the treatment of opioid overdose.
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- Taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution with other opioid medicines, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) can cause severe drowsiness, decreased awareness, breathing problems, coma, and death.
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- Never give anyone else your Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution. They could die from taking it. Selling or giving away Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution is against the law.
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- Store Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution away from children and in a safe location not accessible to others, including visitors to the home.
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Do not take Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution if you have:
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- severe asthma, trouble breathing, or other lung problems.
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- a bowel blockage or have narrowing of the stomach or intestines.
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- an allergy to meperidine.
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Before taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution, tell your healthcare provider if you have a history of:
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- head injury, seizures
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- problems urinating
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- liver, kidney, thyroid problems
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- pancreas or gallbladder problems
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- abuse of street or prescription drugs, alcohol addiction, opioid overdose, or mental health problems.
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Tell your healthcare provider if you are:
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- noticing your pain getting worse. If your pain gets worse after you take Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution, do not take more of Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution without first talking to your healthcare provider. Talk to your healthcare provider if the pain that you have increases, if you feel more sensitive to pain, or if you have new pain after taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution.
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pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Use of Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution for an extended period of time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in your newborn baby that could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated.
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breastfeeding. Meperidine passes into breast milk and may harm your baby. Carefully observe infants for increased sleepiness (more than usual), breathing difficulties, or limpness. Seek immediate medical care if you notice these signs.
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- living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs.
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- taking prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution with certain other medicines can cause serious side effects that could lead to death.
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When taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution:
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- Do not change your dose. Take Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Use the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed.
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- For acute (short-term) pain, you may only need to take Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution for a few days. You may have some Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution left over that you did not use. See disposal information at the bottom of this section for directions on how to safely throw away (dispose of) your unused Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution.
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- Always use a calibrated measuring device for Meperidine Hydrochloride Oral Solution to correctly measure your dose. Never use a household teaspoon or tablespoon to measure Meperidine Hydrochloride Oral Solution.
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- Mix each dose of Meperidine Hydrochloride Oral Solution into one-half glass of water before swallowing.
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- Take your prescribed dose every 3 or 4 hours as needed for pain. Do not take more than your prescribed dose. If you miss a dose, take your next dose at your usual time.
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- Call your healthcare provider if the dose you are taking does not control your pain.
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- If you have been taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution regularly, do not stop taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution without talking to your healthcare provider.
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- Dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution by promptly flushing down the toilet, if a drug take-back option is not readily available. Visit www.fda.gov/drugdisposal for additional information on disposal of unused medicines.
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While taking Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution DO NOT:
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- Drive or operate heavy machinery, until you know how Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution affects you. Meperidine can make you sleepy, dizzy, or lightheaded.
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- Drink alcohol or use prescription or over-the-counter medicines that contain alcohol. Using products containing alcohol during treatment with Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets or Oral Solution may cause you to overdose and die.
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The possible side effects of Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution:
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- constipation, nausea, sleepiness, vomiting, tiredness, headache, dizziness, abdominal pain. Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these symptoms and they are severe.
Get emergency medical help or call 911 right away if you have:
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- trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, chest pain, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, extreme drowsiness, light-headedness when changing positions, feeling faint, agitation, high body temperature, trouble walking, stiff muscles, or mental changes such as confusion.
These are not all the possible side effects of Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. For more information go to dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.
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For information, please call Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. at 1-800-962-8364.
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