71-68-1

White Solid

Analgesic (narcotic). Preparation by electrolytic reduction of Morphine. Controlled substance (opiate).

Hydromorphone hydrochloride is a pure opioid agonist with the principal therapeutic activity of analgesia. It has an analgesic potency approximately two to eight times greater than that of morphine and has a rapid onset of action. A significant feature of the analgesia is that it can occur without loss of consciousness. ?

Narcotic opiate analgesic; μ opioid receptor agonist.

Hydromorphone is a potent μ agonist (eight times greater than morphine) that is used to treat severe pain. It is available in intramuscular, intravenous, subcutaneous, oral, and rectal dosage forms. Like all strong μ agonists, hydromorphone is addicting and is a Schedule II drug. Hydromorphone has an oral:parenteral potency ratio of 5:1. The plasma half-lives after parenteral and oral dosage are 2.5 and 4 hours, respectively.

Potentially hazardous interactions with other drugs
Alcohol: can cause dose dumping with sustained release preparations.
Analgesics: possible opioid withdrawal effects with buprenorphine and pentazocine.
Antidepressants: possible CNS excitation or depression with MAOIs - avoid concomitant use and for 2 weeks after stopping MAOI; possible CNS excitation or depression with moclobemide; increased sedative effects with tricyclics.
Antihistamines: increased sedative effects with sedating antihistamines.
Antipsychotics: enhanced hypotensive and sedative effects.
Dopaminergics: avoid with selegiline.
Nalmefene: avoid concomitant use.
Sodium oxybate: enhanced effect of sodium oxybate - avoid.

Hydromorphone undergoes extensive firstpass metabolism. It is extensively metabolised by glucuronidation in the liver and excreted in the urine mainly as conjugated hydromorphone, dihydroisomorphine, and dihydromorphine.