Oxymorphone
Oxymorphone may be habit forming, especially with prolonged use. Take oxymorphone exactly as directed. Do not take a larger dose, take it more often, or take it for a longer period of time, or in a different way than prescribed by your doctor. While taking oxymorphone, 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 oxymorphone if you have or have ever had any of these conditions. Talk to your healthcare 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.
Oxymorphone may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing, or asthma. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take oxymorphone tablets. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of lung diseases that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema), a head injury, brain tumor, any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain, or sleep apnea (condition in which breathing stops or becomes shallow during sleep). The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weak or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath.
Taking certain medications other medications with oxymorphone may increase the risk that you will develop serious or life-threatening breathing problems, sedation, or coma. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking or plan to take any of the following medications: benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Diastat, Valium), estazolam, flurazepam, lorazepam (Ativan), oxazepam, temazepam (Restoril), and triazolam (Halcion);medications for mental illness or nausea; other narcotic pain medications; muscle relaxants; sedatives; sleeping pills; and tranquilizers. 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: monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Emsam, Eldepryl, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate).Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medication and will monitor you carefully. If you take oxymorphone 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 oxycodone 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.
Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Oxymorphone may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Store oxymorphone in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose. Be especially careful to keep oxymorphone out of the reach of children. Keep track of how many tablets, or capsules are left so you will know if any medication is missing.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take oxymorphone 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.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking oxymorphone.