hydrocortisone vs meperidine
Side-by-side comparison of hydrocortisone and meperidine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Intravenous hydrocortisone or prednisolone have been used to treat severe reactions, with the addition of intravenous chlorpromazine in those cases exhibiting hypertension and hyperpyrexia.
Recommendation: This combination is typically managed by healthcare providers during a medical emergency.
Cortef
Demerol
Hydrocortisone cream helps relieve itching and skin problems. It belongs to a class of drugs called corticosteroids.
Meperidine is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe, acute pain when other pain medicines are not strong enough.
This medicine can help with itching, skin irritation, inflammation, and rashes. It can treat eczema, psoriasis, poison ivy, insect bites, and other irritations from soaps or jewelry. It can also relieve external anal and genital itching. Ask your doctor before using it for other conditions.
Meperidine is used to manage acute pain that is severe enough to need an opioid pain medicine. It is for use when other treatments do not work well enough. Meperidine should not be used for chronic, long-lasting pain. Taking meperidine for a long time may increase the risk of seizures.
Hydrocortisone reduces inflammation, itching, and redness. It works by reducing the activity of the immune system. This helps to relieve discomfort.
Meperidine is an opioid agonist. It works by binding to receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This reduces the feeling of pain.
- • Rash
- • Itching
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Sleepiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- Feeling tired 8,852
- Pain 7,126
- Condition got worse 6,709
- Feeling sick to your stomach 6,687
- Joint pain 6,666
- Allergic reaction to the drug 3,248
- Pain 1,250
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,133
- Excessive sweating 821
- Skin rash 775
No specific warnings noted.
Meperidine has a boxed warning. This means it has serious risks. These risks include: Medication errors that can cause overdose, addiction, abuse, and misuse, life-threatening respiratory depression, accidental ingestion (especially by children) can cause a fatal overdose, dangerous effects when taken with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants, and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Make sure you read the Medication Guide.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before using this medicine. It is not known if hydrocortisone can harm an unborn baby or pass into breast milk.
Taking meperidine for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. Meperidine is not recommended during or right before labor because it can cause breathing problems in the baby.
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How to Read This hydrocortisone vs meperidine Comparison
hydrocortisone is classified in the Corticosteroid drug class, while meperidine sits within the Opioid Analgesic class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, hydrocortisone has 36,040 submissions while meperidine has 7,227. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to hydrocortisone is a steroid used to treat life-threatening reactions that can occur when meperidine is used with certain other medications.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between hydrocortisone and meperidine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.