Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

  1. Dilaudid
  2. Dilaudid-5
  3. Exalgo
  4. Palladone

Descriptions


Hydromorphone oral liquid and tablets are used to relieve pain severe enough to require opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. The hydromorphone extended-release capsules and extended-release tablets are used to relieve pain in opioid-tolerant patients severe enough to require around-the-clock pain relief for a long period of time.

Hydromorphone extended-release capsules and extended-release tablets should not be used if you need pain medicine for just a short time, such as when recovering from surgery. Do not use this medicine to relieve mild pain. This medicine should not be used to treat pain that you only have once in a while or "as needed".

Hydromorphone belongs to the group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). It acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain.

When a narcotic medicine is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. However, people who have continuing pain should not let the fear of dependence keep them from using narcotics to relieve their pain. Mental dependence (addiction) is not likely to occur when narcotics are used for this purpose. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal side effects can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.

This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

  • Tablet, Extended Release
  • Tablet
  • Solution

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