Subjective, behavioral and physiological responses to intravenous meperidine in healthy volunteers

Abstract

Meperidine is a mu opiate agonist that is frequently used to treat pain. We examined in healthy volunteers (N = 10) the effects of intravenous meperidine (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) on mood and psychomotor performance. A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design was used in which subjects were injected with meperidine or saline in a double-blind fashion. Subjects completed several subjective effects questionnaires commonly used in abuse liability testing studies before drug injection and at periodic intervals for up to 5 h after drug injection. Subjects also completed several psychomotor tests. Meperidine produced a constellation of subjective effects in a dose-related fashion, including increases in ratings of "sedated," "coasting or spaced out" and "feel drug effect" ratings. Many of the drug's subjective effects persisted up to 4 or 5 h after administration of the 1.0 mg/kg dose. Drug liking ratings assessed on a visual analog scale were increased after meperidine injection in about half of the subjects (P = 0.09). Eye-hand coordination was affected slightly by meperidine but other indices of psychomotor functioning were unaffected. Miosis increased in a dose-related fashion. Other physiological parameters, such as vital signs, were not affected by meperidine. We conclude that meperidine in healthy volunteers has robust and long-lasting effects on mood, but may have weaker effects on psychomotor performance.

Effects of Subcutaneous Methylnaltrexone on Morphine-Induced Peripherally Mediated Side Effects: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

“…In addition to opioid-induced gut side effects, opioid-induced unpleasant feelings, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, dry mouth, warmth, tingling, and itchiness, have long been recognized (Lasagna et al, 1955). In humans, the effects of drugs on subjective responses could be expressed in quantitative terms Beecher, 1959, 1962;Fraser et al, 1961;Zacny et al, 1994). In this study, using the modified adjective checklist, which is sensitive to the subjective and somatic effects of -class opioid agonists (Preston et al, 1989), we observed that subcutaneous methylnaltrexone significantly reduced the overall subjective effect rating.…”

“…A modified opiate adjective checklist reflecting opioid agonist effects was used (Fraser et al, 1961;Zacny et al, 1994;Yuan et al, 1998). This list consisted of 12 items: "flushing", "stimulated", "numb", "drunken", "difficulty in concentrating", "drowsy (sleepy)", "coasting or spaced out", "turning of stomach", "skin itch", "dry mouth", "dizzy", and "nauseous".…”

Characterizing the subjective, psychomotor, and physiological effects of oral oxycodone in non-drug-abusing volunteers

“…Although exophoria was not increased by oxycodone in the time-course analysis, the peak rating of exophoria was higher in the 30-mg oxycodone condition relative to the placebo condition. Thus, oxycodone produces effects that resemble those of other mu-opioid agonists that have been tested in this laboratory as well as others with this particular population (for instance: Zacny et al 1992Zacny et al , 1993Petry et al 1998;Black et al 1999;Walker and Zacny 1999;Hill and Zacny 2000). In addition, oxycodone in this study tended to produce a similar spectrum of effects as did morphine.…”

Recent Developments in Palliative Cancer Care

“…These effects appear to be more severe in patients receiving higher doses of opioids or agonist/antagonist opioids as compared to pure agonists, in patients treated with other psychoactive drugs, and in those with borderline cognitive failure (44). In most patients, the cognitive failure is more like the 'slowing down' of cognitive function, than an increase in both the number of errors or major errors in judgement (44).…”