meperidine vs oxycodone
Side-by-side comparison of meperidine and oxycodone Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Demerol
OxyContin, Roxicodone
Meperidine is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe, acute pain when other pain medicines are not strong enough.
Oxycodone is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe pain that is not helped by other treatments.
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.
Oxycodone is used to manage severe pain. It is for pain that requires an opioid medicine. You should only use it when other pain treatments are not enough. Talk to your doctor about other options if possible.
Meperidine is an opioid agonist. It works by binding to receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This reduces the feeling of pain.
Oxycodone works by changing how your brain and nervous system respond to pain. It attaches to certain receptors in the brain. This helps to block pain signals and reduce pain.
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Sleepiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Feeling sick to your stomach
- • Constipation
- • Throwing up
- • Headache
- • Itching
- Allergic reaction to the drug 3,248
- Drug not working 1,271
- Pain 1,250
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,133
- Using the drug for a condition it is not approved for 861
- Addiction to the drug 27,480
- Pain 26,410
- Death 19,598
- Taking too much of the drug 19,081
- Harmful effects from different substances 16,254
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.
Oxycodone can cause serious, life-threatening risks: * Addiction, abuse, and misuse can lead to overdose and death. Your doctor will check your risk before prescribing and during treatment. * It can cause very slow or stopped breathing, especially when you start taking it or after a dose increase. * If a child accidentally takes even one dose, it can cause a fatal overdose. * Taking it with benzodiazepines (like Xanax) or other depressants (like alcohol) can cause sleepiness, slowed breathing, coma, and death. * Using oxycodone for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. * Taking oxycodone with certain other medicines can cause dangerous side effects.
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.
Using oxycodone for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth. Talk to your doctor about the risks if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Oxycodone is not recommended during labor, as it can cause breathing problems in the newborn.
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How to Read This meperidine vs oxycodone Comparison
meperidine is classified in the Opioid Analgesic drug class, while oxycodone sits within the Opioid Analgesic class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, meperidine has 7,763 submissions while oxycodone has 108,823. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. 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 meperidine and oxycodone — 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.