How common is respiratory depression in regular/everyday Demerol users (prescribed/not street users) who are not addicts, but taking 100mg a day to combat pain? I'm afraid to take my prescription now after reading such horrible side effects online.

If you have pain, the chances of respiratory depression are very low. There are a few people (Bell-Shaped Curve) who would be sensitive to that dose, but if your doctor prescribed it, he/she must not be worried about you. Now, if you start adding on other drugs or alcohol or any kind of chemical that has respiratory depression properties, then you could really get into trouble. Also, taking doses too close together can bee too much for a person, so follow directions. However, if you are hurting, and "the time isn't up," I say take another dose. The problem with that is that you will run out of medication before the prescription calculates you should. Since Demerol is a Schedule II drug, though, you can't get a prescription refilled, you have to get a new prescription from your physician. Hopefully, your physician will understand that different people require different amounts of pain medicine to control their pain and will accommodate you. Back in 2009-2010, I had a situation where I had a LOT of pain and at first, my surgeon would not go beyond the recommended prescribing limits. Meanwhile, I was really suffering. Thankfully, I was led to a family physician who understood tolerance and agreed to take over pain control for me. What a blessing! I have always been able to tolerate pain pretty well, but when it is on-going and sometimes very accelerated, that was asking too much of any human being. It took a high amount of pain medicine to control my pain, and while my physician kept close tabs on me and never prescribed more than I needed, he kept me comfortable. When the time came, we started cutting back and I got off all of them.

Don't believe all those package inserts that tell you all of the "what-if's." They will scare anyone out of taking any drug. I am assuming you are talking about taking 100mg at several time intervals through the day. Just follow my suggestions above and do not take them more close than prescribed, unless you are really hurting, then you need to take the dose and contact the physician that what was prescribed is not holding you. Then, you and the physician work out a plan.

Good luck!