Exalgo

Brand Names

Dilaudid, Dilaudid-5, Exalgo

What is Exalgo

Exalgo (hydromorphone) is a narcotic pain reliever or opioid. It should only be taken when day-night use of strong painkillers is necessary for an extended period. It is similar to morphine. Exalgo is a federally controlled substance, because it contains a strong opioid pain medicine that can be a target for people who abuse prescription medicines or street drugs that's why you shouldn't share it with another person.

Side effects of Exalgo

You should inform your doctor if you have an allergic reaction to Exalgo such as: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat.

Stop using Exalgo if you have shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, seizure (convulsions), cold, clammy skin, confusion, severe weakness or dizziness.

You stould tell your doctor if you have feeling light-headed, fainting; nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite; warmth, tingling or redness under your skin; dry mouth; sweating or itching.

Indication

Exalgo is used to reduce a severe pain that continues day-night and supposed to last for a long period of time. But this medicine isn't intended for he management of acute or postoperative pain.

Precautions

You should not use exalgo with other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers or other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing.

Stop taking this medication if you have an allergic reaction to hydromorphone or to any of the inactive components used to make the medication (including sulfites)

If you have a significant respiratory depression, a severe asthma or a bowel obstruction (paralytic ileus) using of exalgo isn't recommended.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, because Exalgo may cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy. You also shouldn't take Exalgo without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby, because hydromorphone can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.

You should not use Exalgo if you are not already regularly taking opioid pain medicine and your body is not used to taking these medicines for your pain. It means you are not opioid tolerant. Tell your doctor if you are not sure that you are opioid-tolerant.

Drinking alcohol is not recommended, because dangerous side effects or death can occur when alcohol is combined with a narcotic pain medicine. You should check your food and medicine labels in order to be sure these products do not contain alcohol.

Dosage forms

Exalgo tablets are provided in 8 mg, 12 mg and 16 mg strengths to facilitate conversion.

Exalgo Dosage for Pain is 8-64 mg daily, it depends mostly on the amount and type of painkillers you were previously taking.

For immediate-release oral hydromorphone a straight mg-per-mg conversion is recommended. Simply add up the total mg of hydromorphone you take per day- this is the recommended total Exalgo daily dose, given as a single amount per day.