What it's used for
Meperidine hydrochloride tablets and oral solution are used for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic when alternative treatments are inadequate.
Source: U.S. FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA).
Typical dosing
The lowest effective dosage should be used for the shortest duration of time consistent with individual patient treatment goals.
Dosing shown here is the general FDA-labeled range. Your prescribing clinician determines the exact dose, form, and schedule for you — this is not a substitute for medical advice.
Boxed warning / key safety info
Dosing errors due to confusion between milligrams and milliliters can result in accidental overdose and death.
Common side effects
Serious adverse reactions include addiction, abuse, misuse, life-threatening respiratory depression, and serotonin syndrome.
Covered strengths on the Tab $0 list
Covered at $0 with an active Tab membership when filled at a participating pharmacy nationwide or through mail order. A licensed clinician must prescribe the medication.
Related medications
Other everything else medications covered at $0 with an active Tab membership.
Meperidine dosage and administration
• Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution should be prescribed only by healthcare professionals who are knowledgeable about the use of opioids and how to mitigate the associated risks. ( 2.1 ) • Use the lowest effective dosage for the shortest duration of time consistent with individual patient treatment goals. Reserve titration to higher doses of Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution for patients in whom lower doses are insufficiently effective and in whom the expected benefits of using a higher dose opioid clearly outweigh the substantial risks. ( 2.1 , 5 ) • Many acute pain conditions (e.g., the pain that occurs with a number of surgical procedures or acute musculoskeletal injuries) require no more than a few days of an opioid analgesic.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Your prescribing clinician decides the exact dose, form and schedule for you — this is not medical advice.
Meperidine side effects
The following serious adverse reactions are described, or described in greater detail, in other sections: • Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Interactions with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] • Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia and Allodynia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] • Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] • Adrenal Insufficiency [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.12 )] • Severe Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.13 )] • Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.15 )] • Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.16 )] • Withdrawal [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.17 )] The following adverse reactions associated with the use of meperidine were identified in clinical studies or postmarketing reports.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. This is not a complete list. Report side effects to your clinician, and seek care for anything severe or unexpected.
Meperidine drug interactions
Table 1 includes clinically significant drug interactions with Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution. Table 1: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) Clinical Impact: Meperidine is contraindicated in patients who are receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or those who have recently received such agents. Therapeutic doses of meperidine have occasionally precipitated unpredictable, severe, and occasionally fatal reactions in patients who have received such agents within 14 days. The mechanism of these reactions is unclear, but may be related to a preexisting hyperphenylalaninemia.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Tell your clinician and pharmacist about every medication, supplement and over-the-counter product you take.
Who should not take meperidine
Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution are contraindicated in patients with: • Significant respiratory depression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.11 )] • Concomitant use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or within 14 days of having taken an MAOI [see Drug Interactions ( 7 )] • Known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.15 )] • Hypersensitivity to meperidine or to any of the other ingredients of the product (e.g., anaphylaxis) [see Adverse Reactions ( 6 )] • Significant respiratory depression. ( 4 ) • Acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in absence of resuscitative equipment.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Whether this medication is appropriate for you is a clinical decision made by your prescribing clinician.
Common questions
Is meperidine covered at $0 with Tab?
Yes. Meperidine is on Tab's covered $0 generic list — every covered strength is $0 with an active membership, at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order.
Do I need insurance to get meperidine through Tab?
No. Tab is a membership, not insurance. Covered medications are $0 with an active membership whether or not you have a health plan.
What is the usual dose of meperidine?
• Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution should be prescribed only by healthcare professionals who are knowledgeable about the use of opioids and how to mitigate the associated risks. ( 2.1 ) • Use the lowest effective dosage for the shortest duration of time consistent with individual patient treatment goals. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15. Your clinician sets your dose.)
What are the side effects of meperidine?
The following serious adverse reactions are described, or described in greater detail, in other sections: • Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Interactions with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] • Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia and Allodynia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] • Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] • Adrenal Insufficiency [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.12 )] • Severe Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.13 )] • Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.15 )] • Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.16 )] • Withdrawal [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.17 )] The following adverse reactions associated with the use of meperidine were identified in clinical studies or postmarketing reports. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15.)
What interacts with meperidine?
Table 1 includes clinically significant drug interactions with Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution. Table 1: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with Meperidine Hydrochloride Tablets and Oral Solution Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) Clinical Impact: Meperidine is contraindicated in patients who are receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or those who have recently received such agents. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15. Tell your clinician about every medication and supplement you take.)
Meperidine is $0 on the covered list
Members pay $0 for covered generics at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order — plus unlimited virtual primary care, urgent care and dermatology visits. No insurance needed.
Solo $49/mo · Family $119/mo for up to 4 people · Family+ $149/mo for up to 8
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