Dilaudid vs. Avinza

• Are Dilaudid and Avinza the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Dilaudid?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Avinza?
• What is Dilaudid?
• What is Avinza?
• What Drugs Interact with Dilaudid?
• What Drugs Interact with Avinza?
• How Should Dilaudid Be Taken?
• How Should Avinza Be Taken?

Dilaudid (hydromorphone hydrochloride) and Dilaudid Injection (also termed Dilaudid HP) and Avinza (morphine sulfate) are opioid analgesic used for control of moderate to severe pain.

Common side effects of Dilaudid include:

• flushing (warmth,
• redness, or tingling of skin),
• itching,
• sweating,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• constipation,
• diarrhea,
• stomach pain,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• blurred vision,
• double vision,
• headache,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• strange dreams, and
• dry mouth.

Serious side effects of Dilaudid include

• shallow, weak, or very slow breathing,
• trouble breathing,
• slow heart rate,
• confusion,
• lightheadedness or fainting,
• seizures (convulsions),
• cold clammy skin,
• pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest,
• wheezing,
• confusion,
• severe weakness or drowsiness,
• mental/mood changes (such as agitations, confusion, hallucinations),
• severe stomach or abdominal pain,
• difficulty urinating, or
• death.

After a few weeks of use, patients may develop both tolerance and physical dependence on Dilaudid and may need to be slowly weaned off the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Avinza include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach pain,
• loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• constipation,
• diarrhea,
• lightheadedness,
• dizziness,
• spinning sensation,
• drowsiness,
• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling),
• headache,
• memory problems,
• sleep problems (insomnia), or
• strange dreams.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Avinza including:

• mental/mood changes (such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations),
• severe stomach or abdominal pain, or
• difficulty urinating.

Dilaudid (hydromorphone hydrochloride) and Dilaudid Injection (also termed Dilaudid HP) are the tablet, liquid and IV forms of an opioid analgesic used for control of moderate to severe pain.

Avinza is a strong prescription pain medicine that contains an opioid (narcotic) that is used to manage pain severe enough to require daily around-the-clock, long-term treatment with an opioid, when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines or immediate-release opioid medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.

A long-acting (extended-release) opioid pain medicine 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.

Not for use to treat pain that is not around-the-clock.

Opioids could cause a rare but potentially life-threatening condition resulting from concomitant administration of serotonergic drugs.

Dilaudid may also interact with atropine, belladonna, benztropine, dimenhydrinate, methscopolamine, scopolamine, bladder or urinary medicines, bronchodilators, irritable bowel medicines, or ulcer medications.

Avinza may interact with MAO inhibitors, other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, alcohol, other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing, pentazocine, nalbuphine, butorphanol, or buprenorphine.

Use the lowest effective dosage for the shortest duration consistent with individual patient treatment goals. Initiate the dosing regimen for each patient individually, taking into account the patient's severity of pain, patient response, prior analgesic treatment experience, and risk factors for addiction, abuse, and misuse. Monitor patients closely for respiratory depression, especially within the first 24-72 hours of initiating therapy and following dosage increases with DILAUDID INJECTION or DILAUDID-HP INJECTION and adjust the dosage accordingly.

Use of opioids including Dilaudid and Avinza can easily lead to dependency. Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking these medications.

The dose of Avinza is individualized for each patient, depending on the patient's medical condition and other factors.