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Hydromorphone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of hydromorphone include drug dependence, overdose, and pain, based on 131,163 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Hydromorphone side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for hydromorphone.

1
Drug Dependence30.4%39,865
2
Overdose19.6%25,699
3
Pain19.1%25,104
4
Emotional Distress14.2%18,627
5
Death13.4%17,640
6
Drug Withdrawal Syndrome11.5%15,084
7
Toxicity To Various Agents8.5%11,188
8
Nausea5.3%6,952
9
Drug Ineffective5.3%6,916
10
Off Label Use4.6%6,025
11
Fatigue4.4%5,708
12
Vomiting3.9%5,159
13
Drug Abuse3.2%4,207
14
Anxiety3.2%4,199
15
Headache3.2%4,182

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that hydromorphone caused these reactions.

Report severity

91.4%Serious119,878 reports
25.1%Hospitalizations32,926 reports
27.7%Fatal36,352 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Hydromorphone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside hydromorphone. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Oxycodone48.4%63,541
2
Acetaminophen37.6%49,260
3
Morphine-sulfate37.0%48,470
4
Hydrocodone31.5%41,322
5
Buprenorphine25.8%33,845
6
Fentanyl22.9%30,032
7
Aspirin19.4%25,507
8
Oxymorphone-hydrochloride19.2%25,232
9
Tapentadol17.3%22,708
10
Tramadol-hydrochloride11.1%14,604
11
Ibuprofen6.7%8,762
12
Methadone-hydrochloride3.4%4,411
13
Adalimumab3.1%4,094
14
Rituximab2.8%3,734
15
Prednisone2.8%3,675

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen11.6%15,223
2
Ondansetron7.8%10,228
3
Pantoprazole-sodium7.2%9,382
4
Gabapentin6.1%7,976
5
Prednisone5.5%7,223
6
Lorazepam5.4%7,124
7
Ergocalciferol5.4%7,116
8
Oxycodone5.2%6,812
9
Aspirin5.2%6,759
10
Levothyroxine-sodium5.1%6,676
11
Furosemide5.0%6,523
12
Fentanyl4.7%6,109
13
Albuterol4.6%6,015
14
Dexamethasone4.5%5,910
15
Diphenhydramine4.1%5,431

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports hydromorphone side effects

41.1% of hydromorphone adverse event reports involve female patients and 36.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 64%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female41.1%
Male36.3%
Unknown22.6%

Age group

< 23.6%
2–111.4%
12–171.2%
18–6464.5%
65+29.2%

What is hydromorphone used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking hydromorphone when the adverse event was reported.

17-hydroxyprogesterone IncreasedAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal Hernia RepairAbdominal NeoplasmAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal Wall DisorderAbscessAbscess DrainageAccidentAccident At WorkAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To Product

Showing 15 of 1,121 indications

Hydromorphone brand names and reporting trend

Hydromorphone is sold under the brand name Exalgo.

Brand names

Exalgo629

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking hydromorphone with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.