Demerol toxicity

[Guest guest]

Hi all:

Haven't posted much lately but have tried to read some of the

posts. My pancreas has been making itself known quite well lately!

ha-ha.

On the subject of Demerol toxicity this is my experience and I will

never ever take Demerol again:

Last August I was in the hospital with the worst attack ever. After

two days of Demerol IV every two hours that was not working, they

put me on a Demerol pump. It worked very well for the pain BUT I

kept telling my husband that my muscles felt stiff even the muscles

in my face. I never thought any more about it. One evening I stood

up to go to the bathroom and couldn't move my legs forward. All I

could do was stand there. I could move my arms but they were

jerking very badly. It hit me that this was the beginning of a

Demerol seizure!

I could move my arms and paged the nurse. She came down and was not

really concerned....you know how they don't pay any attention to

you. Anyway, I finally called my hubby at 10 p.m. and he came up

and we made them take the pump and the IV out etc and he stayed

htere. I told the idiot nurse that I did not want to lay in there

and have a grand mal seizure and die because she didn't have a

clue. She replied to me that " if I coded, she would take care of

it! " As God as my witness that is what she said.

Now mind you I am still hurting and they are giving me nothing. The

next morning, the symptosm subsided from the Demerol but I am still

hurting. What do they do? They sent me home with 30 vials of 100

mg of IM/IV Demerol! Not as good IM but doesn't build the toxicity

like the pump does. Although while on the pump, they had me with a

150 mg boost every hour and 50 mg every 15 minutes after if I want

it. Yup 350 mg an hour! No wonder I was dying here! The pain

management guy told me when I went back to see him that they could

have killed me!

The Joint Commission does not recommended Demerol much anymore and

has specific policies for it and some hospitals don't use it for

pain anymore including my hospital. They do not use it at all. My

problem, I am allergic to morphine and Dilaudid! I often wonder

what happens the next time, but I can't think of that right now.

There is always Fentanyl and drug induced coma I suppose!

Bottom line, Demerol builds in the system and does not go out like

the other things and that is the cause for seizures. Not the best

stuff to be on.

Just my two cents

Kaye............NC

[Guest guest]

Kaye,

can you take fentynl, the doctor might recommend that since you are

allergic to both morphine and dilaudid and the demerol is out of the

question? Just trying to think of another pain med that might help you.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed

physician or health care professional.