Hydromorphone injection may be habit forming, especially with prolonged use, and cause slowed or stopped breathing or death if it is overused. Inject hydromorphone injection exactly as directed. Do not use more of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor, While using hydromorphone injection, discuss with your health care provider your pain treatment goals, length of treatment, and other ways to manage your pain. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, or has overused prescription medications, or has had an overdose, or if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. There is a greater risk that you will overuse hydromorphone if you have or have ever had any of these conditions. Talk to your health care provider immediately and ask for guidance if you think that you have an opioid addiction or call the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Hydromorphone injection is available as a regular strength solution (Dilaudid) and a concentrated solution (Dilaudid-HP) that contains more hydromorphone in each milliliter of solution. Your doctor should only prescribe the concentrated solution if you are opioid tolerant (have been treated with certain doses of narcotic medications for at least 1 week, allowing your body to adjust to this type of medication). The concentrated solution may cause serious side effects or death if it is used by a person who is not opioid tolerant. Be sure that you know which hydromorphone solution your doctor has prescribed, and always check to be sure you are receiving the correct medication.
Do not allow anyone else to use your medication. Store hydromorphone injection in a safe place so that no one else can use it accidentally or on purpose. Keep track of how much medication is left so you will know if any is missing.
Taking certain medications during your treatment with hydromorphone injection may increase the risk that you will develop serious, life-threatening breathing problems, sedation, or coma. Tell your doctor if you are taking or plan to take any of the following medications: benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium, in Librax), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Diastat, Valium), estazolam, flurazepam, lorazepam (Ativan), oxazepam, temazepam (Restoril), and triazolam (Halcion); medications for mental illness or nausea; muscle relaxants; other narcotic pain medications; sedatives; sleeping pills; or tranquilizers. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications and will monitor you carefully. If you use hydromorphone injection with any of these medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness. Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.
Drinking alcohol, taking prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or using street drugs during your treatment with hydromorphone injection increases the risk that you will experience serious, life-threatening side effects. Do not drink alcohol, take prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of receiving hydromorphone injection.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
FDA Drug Safety Communication:
[Posted 4/13/2023]
- As part of its ongoing efforts to address the nation's opioid crisis, FDA is requiring several updates to the prescribing information of opioid pain medicines. The changes are being made to provide additional guidance for safe use of these drugs while also recognizing the important benefits when used appropriately. The changes apply to both immediate-release (IR) and extended-release/long-acting preparations (ER/LA).
- Updates to the IR opioids state that these drugs should not be used for an extended period unless the pain remains severe enough to require an opioid pain medicine and alternative treatment options are insufficient, and that many acute pain conditions treated in the outpatient setting require no more than a few days of an opioid pain medicine.
- Updates to the ER/LA opioids recommend that these drugs be reserved for severe and persistent pain requiring an extended period of treatment with a daily opioid pain medicine and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.
- A new warning is being added about opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) for both IR and ER/LA opioid pain medicines. This includes information describing the symptoms that differentiate OIH from opioid tolerance and withdrawal.
- Information in the boxed warning for all IR and ER/LA opioid pain medicines will be updated and reordered to elevate the importance of warnings concerning life-threatening respiratory depression, and risks associated with using opioid pain medicines in conjunction with benzodiazepines or other medicines that depress the central nervous system (CNS).
- Other changes will also be required in various other sections of the prescribing information to educate clinicians, patients, and caregivers about the risks of these drugs.
Why is this medicine prescribed?
Hydromorphone injection is used to relieve pain. Hydromorphone injection is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.
Are there other uses for this medicine?
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How should this medicine be used?
Hydromorphone injection comes as a solution (liquid) to inject under the skin, into a vein, or into a muscle. It is usually injected once every 2 to 3 hours as needed. Use hydromorphone injection exactly as directed.
Your doctor may adjust your dose of hydromorphone injection during your treatment, depending on how well your pain is controlled and on the side effects that you experience. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment with hydromorphone injection.
If you have used hydromorphone injection for longer than a few days, do not stop using it suddenly. If you suddenly stop using hydromorphone injection, you may experience withdrawal symptoms including restlessness; teary eyes; runny nose; yawning; sweating; chills; muscle, back or joint pain; widening of the pupils; irritability; anxiety; weakness; stomach cramps; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; nausea; loss of appetite; vomiting; diarrhea; fast breathing; or fast heartbeat. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.
What special precautions should I follow?
Before using hydromorphone injection,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to hydromorphone injection, any other medications, sulfites, latex, or any of the ingredients in hydromorphone injection solution. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: buprenorphine (Belbuca, Buprenex, Butrans, in Bunavail); butorphanol; ipratropium (Atrovent, in Combivent Respimat); medications for glaucoma, irritable bowel disease, Parkinson's disease, ulcers, and urinary problems; and pentazocine (Talwin). Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medications or have stopped taking them within the past 2 weeks: isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
- tell your doctor if you have asthma, slowed breathing, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or paralytic ileus (condition in which digested food does not move through the intestines). Your doctor may tell you not to use hydromorphone injection.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a head injury, a brain tumor, or any condition that caused damage to your brain; any condition that increases the pressure in your brain; kyphoscoliosis (curving of the spine that may cause breathing problems); low blood pressure; hypothyroidism (condition in which the thyroid gland produces less hormone than normal); lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways); Addison's disease (condition in which the adrenal gland produces less hormone than normal); seizures; delirium tremens (severe withdrawal symptoms that may occur in people who drank large amounts of alcohol over time and have stopped drinking); urethral stricture (blockage of the tube that allows urine to leave the body); an enlarged prostate (a male reproductive gland); or gallbladder, pancreas, liver, or kidney disease.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take hydromorphone regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.
- tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
- you should know that this medication may decrease fertility in men and women. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using hydromorphone.
- you should know that hydromorphone injection may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
- you should know that hydromorphone injection may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
- if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using hydromorphone injection.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
What should I do if I forget to take a dose?
If you are using hydromorphone injection on a regular schedule, use the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not use a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What should I do in case of overdose?
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help . If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
While using hydromorphone, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available (e.g., home, office). Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of opiates in the blood. Your doctor may also prescribe you naloxone if you are living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs. You should make sure that you and your family members, caregivers, or the people who spend time with you know how to recognize an overdose, how to use naloxone, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and your family members how to use the medication. Ask your pharmacist for the instructions or visit the manufacturer's website to get the instructions. If symptoms of an overdose occur, a friend or family member should give the first dose of naloxone, call 911 immediately, and stay with you and watch you closely until emergency medical help arrives. Your symptoms may return within a few minutes after you receive naloxone. If your symptoms return, the person should give you another dose of naloxone. Additional doses may be given every 2 to 3 minutes, if symptoms return before medical help arrives.
Symptoms of overdose may include the following:
- slow or shallow breathing
- difficulty breathing
- sleepiness
- unable to respond or wake up
- muscle weakness
- cold, clammy skin
- narrowing or widening of the pupils (dark circle in the middle of the eye)
- slowed or stopped heartbeat
- dizziness
- fainting
- snoring
What side effects can this medicine cause?
Hydromorphone injection may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- nausea
- vomiting
- constipation
- dry mouth
- lightheadedness
- drowsiness
- flushing
- itching
- mood changes
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking hydromorphone injection and call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:
- slowed or stopped breathing
- agitation, hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), fever, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat, shivering, severe muscle stiffness or twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, or dizziness
- inability to get or keep an erection
- irregular menstruation
- decreased sexual desire
- rash
- hives
- swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, mouth, or throat
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- hoarseness
- seizures
- fainting
Hydromorphone injection may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are using this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online ( http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch ) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?
Your healthcare provider will tell you how to store your medication. Store your medication only as directed. Make sure you understand how to store your medication properly. Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the proper disposal of your medication.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org
What other information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
This prescription is not refillable. If you continue to have pain after you finish the hydromorphone injection, call your doctor.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.