meperidine vs pregabalin
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Side-by-side comparison of meperidine and pregabalin. 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
Examples: Benzodiazepines and other sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin), other opioids, alcohol.
Demerol
Lyrica
Meperidine is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe, acute pain when other pain medicines are not strong enough.
Pregabalin (Lyrica) is a medicine that can help manage nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and partial-onset seizures. It works by calming overactive nerves in your body.
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.
This medicine is used to treat nerve pain caused by diabetes, shingles, or spinal cord injury. It can also help with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread pain. Pregabalin can also be used with other medicines to treat partial-onset seizures in adults and children as young as 1 month old.
Meperidine is an opioid agonist. It works by binding to receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This reduces the feeling of pain.
Pregabalin works by binding to certain areas in your brain and spinal cord. This action helps to reduce the release of chemicals that send pain signals. By reducing these signals, pregabalin can help to lessen pain and control seizures.
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Sleepiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Dizziness
- • Sleepiness
- • Dry mouth
- • Swelling
- • Blurred vision
- Drug Hypersensitivity 3,249
- Pain 1,248
- Nausea 1,132
- Hyperhidrosis 821
- Rash 775
- Pain 25,902
- Fatigue 15,112
- Dizziness 14,524
- Nausea 14,053
- Headache 12,683
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.
Pregabalin can cause swelling of the throat, head, and neck, which can be life-threatening. Get emergency help right away if this happens. This medicine can also increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior. Watch for any changes in your mood or behavior. Pregabalin may cause dizziness and sleepiness, so be careful driving or operating machinery. Do not stop taking pregabalin suddenly, as this can cause increased seizures or other 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.
Taking pregabalin during pregnancy may slightly increase the risk of birth defects. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine. Breastfeeding while taking pregabalin is not recommended.
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How to Read This meperidine vs pregabalin Comparison
meperidine is classified in the Opioid Analgesic drug class, while pregabalin sits within the Anticonvulsant / Nerve Pain Agent class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. 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 7,225 submissions while pregabalin has 82,274. 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 these drugs both have a calming effect on the brain and nerves. taking them together can cause you to feel very sleepy or have trouble breathing.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for meperidine or pregabalin.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.