Oxymorphone

Oxymorphone is used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Oxymorphone is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the body responds to pain.

Oxymorphone comes as a tablet and an extended-release tablet to take by mouth on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals. The regular tablet is usually taken every 4 to 6 hours. The extended-release tablet is usually taken every 12 hours. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take oxymorphone exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of oxymorphone and gradually increase your dose until your pain is controlled. Your doctor may adjust your dose at any time during your treatment if your pain is not controlled. If you feel that your pain is not controlled, call your doctor. Do not change the dose of your medication without talking to your doctor. Do not stop taking oxymorphone without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking oxymorphone, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness; watery eyes; runny nose; yawning; sweating; chills; muscle, joint, or back pain; enlarged pupils (black circles in the centers of the eyes); irritability; anxiety; weakness; stomach cramps; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; loss of appetite; fast heartbeat; and fast breathing.

<p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Oxymorphone may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

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constipation</li>
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nausea</li>
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vomiting</li>
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loss of appetite</li>
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dry mouth</li>
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stomach pain</li>
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headache</li>
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dizziness</li>
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confusion</li>
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extreme tiredness</li>
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difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep</li>
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itching</li>
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fever</li></ul></p> <p></p> <p>Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

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slow or difficult breathing</li>
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seizures</li>
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hives</li></ul>Oxymorphone may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking 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 [at <a href='http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch'>http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch</a>] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].</p>

Before taking oxymorphone, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to oxymorphone, oxycodone (Oxy IR, OxyContin, in Percocet, in Tylox, others), codeine (in many pain relievers and cough medications), hydrocodone (in Hycodan, in Lortab, in Vicoprofen, others), dihydrocodeine (in Synalgos-DC, others), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo), any other medications, or any of the ingredients in oxymorphone tablets or extended-release tablets. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients. tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: antidepressants; antihistamines; buprenorphine (Buprenex, Butrans, Subutex, in Suboxone); butorphanol (Stadol); cimetidine (Tagamet); ipratropium (Atrovent); medications for anxiety, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, nausea, Parkinson's disease, seizures, ulcers, or urinary problems; nalbuphine; narcotic medications for pain; pentazocine (Talwin); 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 two weeks: monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Emsam, Eldepryl, Zelapar), and 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, lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways), slowed breathing, liver disease, or paralytic ileus (condition in which digested food does not move through the intestines). Your doctor may tell you not to take oxymorphone. tell your doctor if you are very overweight and if you have or have ever had a head injury; a tumor in your brain or nervous system; any condition causing increased pressure in your brain; hypothyroidism (condition in which the thyroid gland produces less hormone than normal); delirium tremens (severe withdrawal symptoms that may occur in people who drank large amounts of alcohol over time and have stopped drinking); kyphoscoliosis (curving of the spine that may cause breathing problems); low blood pressure; Addison's disease (condition in which the adrenal gland does not produce enough hormone); seizures; severe changes in mental health due to a medication; sleep apnea (condition in which breathing stops or becomes shallow during sleep); urethral stricture (blockage of the tube that allows urine to leave the body); enlarged prostate (a male reproductive gland); or heart, kidney, pancreas, or biliary tract (tubes that move bile from the liver and gallbladder to the intestine) disease. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking oxymorphone. you should know that oxymorphone may make you drowsy, dizzy, or lightheaded. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. you should know that oxymorphone 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. you should know that oxymorphone may cause constipation. Talk to your doctor about changing your diet or using other medications to prevent or treat constipation while you are using oxymorphone.

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911. Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

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difficulty breathing or slowed or stopped breathing</li>
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bluish-tinged skin, lips, or fingernails</li>
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cold, clammy skin</li>
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increase or decrease in pupil (dark circle in the eye) size</li>
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limp or weak muscles</li>
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extreme sleepiness</li>
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loss of consciousness</li></ul>