Initial assessment of meptazinol in the treatment of the pain of myocardial infarction/unstable angina.

Meptazinol, a new analgesic agent, was used to treat chest pain in patients admitted to a coronary care unit with suspected myocardial infarction or unstable angina. A pilot study showed that meptazinol was effective in relieving pain in 15 out of 22 subjects. There were no adverse haemodynamic effects nor respiratory depression. Nausea and/or vomiting occurred with administration of the drug but as these symptoms may occur in patients with myocardial infarction who have not received any analgesia (Ingram et al., 1980), a cause and effect relationship cannot be inferred in this respect. The incidence of other side effects ascribed to meptazinol was low.