Medication Guide

Hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets are:

• Strong prescription pain medicines that contains an opioid (narcotic) that is used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic, when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.
• Opioid pain medicines that can put you at risk for overdose and death. Even if you take your dose correctly as prescribed you are at risk for opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse that can lead to death.

Important information about hydromorphone hydrochloride:

• Get emergency help right away if you take too much hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets (overdose).
  When you first start taking hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets , when your dose is changed, or if you take too much (overdose), serious or life-threatening breathing problems that can lead to death may occur.
• Taking hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets with other opioid medicines, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) can cause severe drowsiness, decreased awareness, breathing problems, coma, and death.
• Never give anyone else your hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets. They could die from taking it. Store hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets away from children and in a safe place to prevent stealing or abuse. Selling or giving away hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets is against the law.

Do not take hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets if you have:

• severe asthma, trouble breathing, or other lung problems.
• a bowel blockage or have narrowing of the stomach or intestines.

Before taking hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets, tell your healthcare provider if you have a history of:

• head injury, seizures
• problems urinating
• liver, kidney, thyroid problems
• pancreas or gallbladder problems
• abuse of street or prescription drugs, alcohol addiction, or mental health problems.

  Tell your healthcare provider if you are:

• pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Prolonged use of hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in your newborn baby that could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated.
• breastfeeding. Hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets pass into breast milk and may harm your baby.
• taking prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Taking hydromorphone hydrochloride with certain other medicines can cause serious side effects that could lead to death.

When taking hydromorphone hydrochloride:

• Do not change your dose. Take hydromorphone hydrochloride exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Use the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed.
• Do not take more than your prescribed dose. If you miss a dose, take your next dose at your usual time.
• Call your healthcare provider if the dose you are taking does not control your pain.
• If you have been taking hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets, do not stop taking hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets without talking to your healthcare provider.
• After you stop taking hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets flush any unused tablets down the toilet.

While taking hydromorphone hydrochloride DO NOT:

• Drive or operate heavy machinery, until you know how hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets affect you. Hydromorphone hydrochloride can make you sleepy, dizzy, or lightheaded.
• Drink alcohol or use prescription or over-the-counter medicines that contain alcohol. Using products containing alcohol during treatment with hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets may cause you to overdose and die.