Piritramide
Pronunciation:pih-RIH-trah-mide
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:302-41-0
Formal Names:Dipidolor, Dipiritramide, Piridolan
Type:Depressant (opioid class).Seepage 24
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule I (DEA no. 9642)
USA Availability:Illegal to possess
Pregnancy Category:None
Uses.This drug was developed in the 1960s. It is related tomeperidinebut
has no recognized medical use in the United States. Elsewhere (Germany,
Belgium, the Netherlands, Eastern Europe) piritramide is used as a long-
lasting and powerful pain reliever for adults and children. Its strength is sim-
ilar tomorphine’s, though a little less potent. After a wide variety of surgeries
(such as facial, heart, urinary system, hip replacement) patients have been
allowed to control their own piritramide dosage with satisfactory results. A
clinical study found that females received better pain relief, and from smaller
amounts of piritramide, than males did. The drug also has a calming action.
The possibility that the drug might protect against ill effects of radiation
has been tested in Russian animal research without success. Judging from
other articles in the journal reporting that research, the study may have been
related to civil defense preparations against nuclear weapons attack during
the 1980s.
Drawbacks.Unwanted effects can include perspiration, blood vessel inflam-
mation, localized muscle damage, urine retention, nausea, vomiting, dizziness,
and flushing. Breathing difficulty is a possibility but is seldom observed in
medical contexts. Human experience and rat experimentation show that ha-
bitual intramuscular injection of piritramide can destroy muscle tissue.
Abuse factors.Not enough scientific information to report.
Drug interactions.Not enough scientific information to report.
Cancer.Not enough scientific information to report.
Pregnancy.Not enough scientific information to report.
Additional scientific information may be found in:
Knoche, E., et al. “Clinical Experimental Studies of Postoperative Infusion Analgesia.”
Clinical Therapeutics5 (1983): 585–94.