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Hydromorphone hydrochloride is a prescription opioid analgesic and Schedule II controlled substance. Immediate-release tablets are indicated for pain severe enough to require an opioid when alternative treatments are inadequate. Current tablets include 2 mg, 4 mg, and 8 mg strengths.
read more about hydromorphone ...Hydromorphone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor. Its principal therapeutic action is analgesia. Activation of opioid receptors in the central nervous system changes pain perception and response.
Hydromorphone tablets are reserved for pain severe enough to require an opioid when nonopioid or other treatment options are inadequate. Dose selection reflects pain severity, prior analgesic treatment, opioid exposure, and individual risk factors for opioid-related harm.
Current immediate-release tablet labeling starts treatment at 2 mg to 4 mg by mouth every four to six hours as needed for pain. The dose is titrated according to response and adverse reactions. Patients with kidney or liver impairment start at one-fourth to one-half of the usual starting dose.
Hydromorphone carries a boxed warning for addiction, abuse, misuse, life-threatening respiratory depression, accidental ingestion, neonatal opioid withdrawal, and dangerous interactions with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants. Serious respiratory depression can occur during treatment, especially after treatment begins or a dose increases.
Hydromorphone is a full opioid agonist and a Schedule II controlled substance.
Current immediate-release labeling starts at 2 mg to 4 mg every four to six hours as needed for pain.
Yes. Current labeling uses one-fourth to one-half of the usual starting dose in patients with renal or hepatic impairment.
Yes. The boxed warning covers serious and life-threatening opioid risks including respiratory depression, addiction, misuse, and dangerous sedative interactions.
DailyMed - HYDROMORPHONE HYDROCHLORIDE tablet and solution. https://www.dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=37565441-0d95-4743-a695-d7b3326f58a1. Date Accessed October 1, 2026.
Hydromorphone. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501227/. Date Accessed October 1, 2026.
Hydromorphone. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682013.html. Date Accessed October 1, 2026.
Hydromorphone. PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydromorphone. Date Accessed October 1, 2026.
Hydromorphone. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470393/. Date Accessed October 1, 2026.