Mixed agonist-antagonist opioid
Meptazinol
Brand names: Meptid
Adult dose
Dose: PO 200mg every 3–6h. IM 75–100mg every 2–4h. Obstetric: 100–150mg IM PRN
Route: PO/IM
Frequency: PRN
Clinical pearls
- Moderate pain; obstetric analgesia where alternative needed
- Lower dependence/respiratory depression risk; not as potent as morphine
Contraindications
- Acute respiratory depression
- Concurrent MAOI
- Raised intracranial pressure (caution)
Side effects
- Nausea/vomiting
- Sedation
- Dizziness
- Less constipation/respiratory depression than pure agonists
Interactions
- MAOIs
- CNS depressants
Reference: BNF; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/meptazinol/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
- Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) Calculator · Pain / Opioids
- Opioid Conversion / Equianalgesic Guide · Pain Management
- Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Pain Assessment and Management · Pain Management
- Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool (FNAST) · Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- Modified Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Score (NAS) · Neonatal
- Withdrawal Assessment Tool (WAT-1) for Paediatric Iatrogenic Withdrawal · Critical Care
Pathways
- New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation · ESC 2020 AF Guidelines; NICE NG196
- Hypertensive Emergency · ESC/ESH 2018 Hypertension Guidelines; NICE NG136
- Bradycardia Management · Resuscitation Council UK ABCDE; ESC 2021 Pacing Guidelines
- Ventricular Tachycardia / Fibrillation · Resuscitation Council UK ACLS; ESC 2022 Ventricular Arrhythmia Guidelines
- Syncope Assessment · ESC 2018 Syncope Guidelines; NICE NG109
- Acute Chest Pain · NICE CG95; ESC 2023 ACS Guidelines