Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) Tips from Pharmacists

• If you are taking hydromorphone as needed, take it as soon as you experience pain. This medicine works better if you do so rather than waiting until the pain is severe.

• Do not cut, crush, chew, or dissolve the extended-release tablets of hydromorphone. Doing so can lead to overdose and death because it will release a large amount of the medicine at once. The extended-release tablets are designed to release the medicine slowly over a period of time.

• If you have trouble swallowing pills, you can take liquid hydromorphone. Make sure you measure the dose carefully with a calibrated dose-measuring cup or syringe. Do not use a household spoon.

• Hydromorphone can make you drowsy and dizzy. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how you react to it.

• Do not mix hydromorphone with other CNS depressants like sleeping pills, muscle relaxants, or alcohol. This can put you at risk of serious breathing problems.

• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about having naloxone (Narcan) on hand. This is a rescue medication that can reverse the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose. Make sure your family members know how to recognize an overdose and how to use naloxone.