What Causes Faint Feeling After Taking Meperidine?

Posted on Sat, 25 Mar 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 25 Mar 2017 Answered on

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : MY WIFE HAD ARTHROSCOPIC SHOULDER SURGERY YESTERDAY MORNING (3/23/17. SHE HAD A NERVE BLOCK DONE FOR IT, AND ONLY STARTED TAKING HER MEPERIDINE 50MG AT 1 AM THIS MORNING. SHE TOOK A SECOND PILL AT 7:30AM AND A THIRD AT 3PM TODAY. NOT LONG AFTER THIS THIRD DOSE SHE HAD A NEAR FAINTING SPELL AND BECAME SHAKY AND NAUSEOUS. SHE APEARS TO HAVE A FLUSHED FACE THIS EVENING ALSO. SHE HAS HAD MILD ROSACEA IN THE PAST. SHE IS MIDLY ALLERGIC TO CODEINE, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THIS PAIN MEDICATION? HER NERVE BLOCK HAS WORN OFF NOW AND HER PAIN DOES REQUIRE SOME RELIEF, THOUGH IT IS NOT YET SEVERE. WE DO HAVE 650 MG TYLENOL ARTHRITIS TABLETS ON HAND HERE AT HOME. WHAT DO YOU THINK. iT IS NEARLY 9 PM NOW, 6 HOURS AFTER THE LAST MEPERIDINE DOSE.

Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Let her continue with meperidine!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for contacting us at healthcare magic.

Feeling faint often happens with first doses but doesn't continue or effects are very minimal with subsequent dosages. I will recommend that she continues with it and unless it repeats itself, there is no reason to stop treatment at this time. In the event you do stop, tylenol 1000mg every 6-8hours can be used in the interim for pain control.

I hope this helps. I wish her well. Feel free to follow up with me if need be.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar