Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: DEMEROL versus OXAYDO.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: DEMEROL versus OXAYDO.
DEMEROL vs OXAYDO
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Meperidine is an opioid agonist that binds to mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system, mimicking endogenous endorphins to produce analgesia, sedation, and euphoria. It also has additional weak actions at kappa and delta receptors.
Oxycodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for mu-opioid receptors, although it can bind to kappa-opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of oxycodone is analgesia. Like all full opioid agonists, there is no ceiling effect to analgesia for oxycodone.
50-150 mg IM, IV, or SC every 3-4 hours as needed for pain; oral 50-150 mg every 3-4 hours.
Oral, 5-10 mg every 4-6 hours as needed for pain; maximum 60 mg per day.
None Documented
None Documented
2.5-4 hours; prolonged in hepatic impairment (7-11 hours) and elderly.
Terminal elimination half-life is 3.5-5.5 hours for immediate-release oxycodone; clinically dose every 4-6 hours for sustained analgesia.
Renal (90% as metabolites and unchanged drug; ~5% unchanged) and biliary/fecal (minor).
Primarily renal as unchanged drug and metabolites; ~90% excreted in urine (approx 10% unchanged oxycodone, rest as noroxycodone and oxymorphone conjugates) and <10% in feces via biliary elimination.
Category C
Category C
Opioid Analgesic
Opioid Analgesic