Remifentanil goes into a vein in your arm. You control it yourself by pushing a button.
It works quickly and wears off after a few minutes. You can use it up until your baby is born.
You’ll need a small clip on your finger to measure your oxygen levels, as remifentanil can make you feel breathless or need oxygen.
Remifentanil can make you feel sleepy, sick, dizzy or itchy. These stop once you stop taking the medicine.
Like pethidine, remifentanil can affect the baby’s breathing but this usually wears off quickly.