What are the side effects of administering pethidine?

In real life, some patients suffering from disease experience severe, unbearable pain and therefore resort to pethidine (meperidine) injections for pain relief. What are the side effects of pethidine injection?

What Are the Side Effects of Pethidine Injection?

The primary side effects of pethidine are respiratory depression and sedation. Prolonged use of methylpiperidyl (a metabolite of pethidine) may lead to its accumulation, resulting in systemic toxicity, neurotoxicity, and enhanced sedative effects. Hepatic impairment may also occur. Consequently, pethidine is not recommended for managing cancer-related pain in advanced-stage cancer; instead, oxycodone is preferred for treating late-stage cancer pain. The most common adverse reaction associated with pethidine is respiratory depression, which may subsequently cause nausea and vomiting in some patients.

Pethidine is a synthetic opioid analgesic primarily used for pain relief. With the advancement of opioid pharmacology, pethidine has become obsolete, and its clinical use is now rare across major hospitals. Its principal adverse effects—namely, systemic toxicity and respiratory depression—have led to its limited application in outpatient or ambulatory settings, and it has largely been phased out. As a controlled narcotic psychotropic substance, pethidine is subject to strict regulatory oversight. Overall, pethidine is not recognized as a standard treatment for cancer pain, and its clinical application has progressively narrowed, having been superseded by other, safer opioid analgesics.

During treatment, patients should follow a light, bland diet and maintain a positive, relaxed mood. We hope this information proves helpful to you!