Indications & Uses
Pentazo IM/IV/SC is indicated for:
Dosage Reference
Reference Information Only
Dosages shown are general references from official sources. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized dosing.
Adults:
Usual adult dose for anesthesia and moderate-to-severe pain: 30 mg by IV, IM, or subcutaneous injection, repeated every 3 to 4 hours as needed. Intravenous doses should not exceed 30 mg, and intramuscular or subcutaneous doses should not exceed 60 mg. The maximum total daily dose is 360 mg. Usual adult dose for labor pain: the most commonly used regimen is 30 mg by intramuscular injection. Alternatively, an intravenous dose of 20 mg has provided adequate pain relief for some patients once labor contractions become regular; this may be repeated two or three times at intervals of two to three hours as needed. Dose for children over 1 year of age: 0.5 mg/kg by intramuscular injection.
Side Effects
Common side effects include nausea, dizziness or light-headedness, vomiting, and a feeling of euphoria. Skin reactions, as well as effects on the breathing, heart and blood vessels, and digestive system, can also occur.
Cautions & Contraindications
Warnings & Precautions
Pentazo should be given cautiously and in low doses to patients with respiratory depression. Laboratory testing has not shown that Pentazo causes or worsens kidney or liver impairment, but it should still be used cautiously in patients with these conditions. Pentazo has mild narcotic antagonist properties. Some patients who had previously been given narcotics, including methadone for ongoing treatment of narcotic dependence, have experienced withdrawal symptoms after receiving Pentazo. It should be used with caution in patients prone to seizures, as seizures have occurred in a small number of such patients in connection with Pentazo use. Using CNS depressants together with injectable Pentazo may increase the risk of additive CNS depression.
Contraindications
Pentazocine must not be given to patients known to be hypersensitive to it.