Hydromorphone for Pain User Reviews (Page 3)

• CDG...
• July 9, 2017

Hydromorphone "Dilaudid is an amazing pain reliever, but I do not recommend it if you have no self-control. It is very easy to get addicted to. I have had Dilaudid several times after operations. I also suffer horrible migraines, and sometimes Dilaudid is the only thing that will knock them out. There are also times that Dilaudid makes it worse, such as rebound migraines. It doesn't always help. The bad thing about Dilaudid is that it does cause me to have bad acid reflux and also makes me extremely nauseous. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are in a tremendous amount of pain. It is very strong. Whenever they give it to you in an IV, your whole body tingles and heats up. It's a very strange feeling. Like I said, stay away from it unless you're in terrible pain."

• Anonymous
• February 2, 2010

Hydromorphone "I developed severe pancreatitis and hepatitis due to gallstones. They tried morphine first, but it makes me vomit even if they give me Zofran, Phenergan, or Reglan with it. I'm allergic to many medications and latex. My only previous experience with painkillers was codeine for a severe cough and Percocet for a gynecological issue. I had an anaphylactic reaction to the Percocet. Not fun. So they decided to try Dilaudid on me - at least if I had a bad reaction to it, they could treat me immediately. I was so grateful! Complete pain relief and no vomiting. No side effects either, nor did it feel like I was on anything, it just made the pain stop. IV Dilaudid worked within 30 seconds. They gave me pills to take home, the pills take about 30 minutes."

• Anonymous
• February 28, 2009

Hydromorphone "I received 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns (10% body - when water was spilled on my leg and lap) that ended up getting infected while on vacation. I had received some other medicines at 2 different ER visits before flying home (before the burns were infected), but when I arrived at my doctor, he prescribed Dilaudid pills for me (2mg each to be taken 4 times daily). I about died each day. I could feel them working for about 1-2 hours, but the next 4-5 was torture. I soon changed to a 'weaker drug' that worked better on me. I have been given Dilaudid shots of 2mg at the ER for migraines, but when taken orally, the medicine does not go into the system fast enough or for long enough."

• Tat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2015

Hydromorphone "Went to the ER with severe back spasms. I can handle pain pretty well, but these spasms were horrendous. I have chronic spine and hip pain, but this was much worse than normal. After the Toradol shot and the Valium weren't working, they finally gave me the Dilaudid shot. Only took about 10 minutes, and I was pain-free. Of course, I only had the shot and nothing else to tide me over until the chiropractor, but it was very good stuff."

• Kra...
• December 21, 2019

Hydromorphone "Have been on 7.5 Percocet for years for my AS and herniated discs. Got a kidney stone this week, and ER asked if I wanted pain meds IV or injection, I took injection. I had zero idea what they gave me, but I was amazed when it worked way better than my Percocet. I have struggled for years trying to get through a month on my script of 5 a day. No extended-release meds seem to help. When I got home, I saw they gave me Dilaudid 1 mg. I got excited because I thought this medication is a level below Percocet but found out 1 mg of Dilaudid is equal to 3.33 Percocet. It really burns me up that pain management feels one size fits all. I never digested oral medication well, an example is I take testosterone injections because my body absorbed 0 of the patch and gel. It’s obvious I do best on injections. I will lobby my PM Dr, but I am sure that will be considered a no-no."

• Btr...
• May 3, 2020

Hydromorphone "I have had kidney stones since I was 16. I’m 43. Toradol only works when a stronger drug is presented with it. I have had over 350 kidney stones, over 53 lithotripsies, and 6 kidney stents. Toradol and morphine work, but not that great. I break out from the morphine, however, Toradol and Dilaudid literally knock the pain out. One dosage of 4 mg through the IV, and then that’s it, it lasts for hours! The pill form actually takes longer, obviously, but lasts long. I don’t and typically refuse Dilaudid because it’s an addictive drug, but when I have major pain, I’ll take it. One of the strongest drugs for pain. Unfortunately, I have a genetic form of stones, so I will always have it! Just make sure when you take it, you are lying down. I give 10 ⭐️"

• Anonymous
• September 4, 2009

Hydromorphone "Dilaudid is the only pain medication that offers me any type of relief. I herniated 3 discs in my lower back, and I was on an IV of 2 mg every 4 hours. Only con was it made my face very itchy. The second time I had an IV of Dilaudid was post-spinal tap. I was given a 1 mg injection every 2 hours (lower dosage, more frequently made pain more manageable). I now have a prescription for 4 mg every 3-4 hours for chronic back pain. I believe it has dramatically improved my quality of life."

• Kai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2016

Hydromorphone "I was shot in my chest in April 2016 and was in the hospital for a month. Dilaudid was the pain reliever they chose for me, and it worked GREAT. For the first two weeks, the pain was unbearable, but I had the IV drip of Dilaudid every 10 minutes, which worked great. I was not aware of how powerful it is for pain, but it only lasts so long. I guess my pain was so bad that for the longest time I had it every 10 minutes. Anyway, it did great and I don't think I could have handled the pain without it."

• mom...
• February 10, 2011

Hydromorphone "I was prescribed Exalgo by my physician about 3 weeks ago. I've been a long-term pain management patient, and we decided to make a change. I had been taking Avinza. I am not certain that the mgs are equal, but the Exalgo doesn't come close to helping as much as the Avinza. I take as directed, each medicine is to be taken before bedtime, and since I have switched to Exalgo, there have been many sleepless nights. Maybe the dosage is not enough. This will be discussed with my physician."

• chi...
• July 16, 2015

Hydromorphone "I went into the ER in EXTREME pain. I mean, I was in labor for 30 hours with no help from an epidural, and this pain I was having took the cake! Turns out I had pyelonephritis (kidney infection, caused by a UTI). I was in pure agony for hours... and finally, once they got me back into a real room and got the doctor in to see me, they got my IV hooked up and gave me nausea meds, 1 mg of Dilaudid, antibiotics, and Toradol. It worked almost instantly! I was so relieved!! All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep, and I got a couple of hours in before I was okay to leave the hospital. If you have ever had Stadol, the relief and feeling were VERY similar with Dilaudid, which was fine with me. Both have been the best pain relievers I've ever had."

• Mr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2025

"A fantastic medicine. No side effects for me. Went to the emergency room with a necrotic gall bladder, had it removed. Developed sepsis and excruciating pain that hydrocodone couldn't touch. Instantly, within seconds of a shot of hydromorphone, the pain was gone. I stayed on the drug until the sepsis was remedied, with no further pain until healed. Now our dumb arse government takes away the ability to let doctors do their job because a quarter of opioid users may become dependent. Further, don't let anyone, professional or not, tell you over-the-counter pain medicine is just as effective. It is BS. Now we have pain management clinics which try to convince you some pain is better than no pain."

• V55...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2017

Hydromorphone "Had my gallbladder removed, and they gave me morphine, which didn't really help much. But then I ended up with a bile leak due to complications, and they put me on Dilaudid, and every ounce of pain vanished seconds after it was put into my IV. It made me really sleepy but not nauseous at all. Very addictive, but works amazingly to relieve extreme pain."

• lyn...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 22, 2013

Hydromorphone "It took about 3 days for me to start feeling better, but this works for me. My only issue is that I can feel it wearing off about 2 hours before my next dose (I take it twice daily). I suppose that is what the IR's are for. But overall, it works."

• Anonymous
• April 21, 2011

Hydromorphone "I have had pain issues for many years, and after many failed surgeries, I still have severe pain. I have been on Percocet, but a new doctor wanted me to try Exalgo, so I did. After fighting with my insurance company to help me cover some of the cost, I tried it and got no relief at all! Then I had a hard time getting the doctor to switch me back to Percocet."

• Anonymous
• September 13, 2009

Hydromorphone "I was in the ER the other day for a slipped disc and pinched sciatic nerve. I was given 1 mg of this through an IV. I have never taken a pain medicine so effective! But I was in so much pain that I needed 1 mg every hour for 3 hours. But the only side effect was that my face and body were itchy after the third mg."

• Dia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2012

Hydromorphone "I was given Dilaudid while being treated in the hospital for gastritis/esophageal pain. The pain was very severe and my blood pressure rose to over 200/100. Within 30 seconds of the Dilaudid being inserted into my I.V., the pain in my sternum was gone, and I was relaxed and sleepy. (After the first 'Whoooosh' head rush.) Although I could have it every 2 hours, after the first 2 doses, the pain relief lasted 4-6 hours. Most effective, and I reacted to it better than I had done in previous hospitalizations when receiving morphine."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2009

Hydromorphone "My first kidney stone. Very painful. Went to the ER since I didn't know what was happening. Cat scan = kidney stone ~2mm. I wasn't going to die, and it would pass. They first gave me IV morphine. That took the pain down about 20% to a manageable but still very painful level for about 10 minutes, then it jumped back up as if I'd had nothing. They then gave me Dilaudid, saying it worked on different receptors. In 2 minutes, the pain dropped about 75% and stayed down for about 4 hours until it wore off. Dilaudid seems to work differently than morphine. A great and powerful medication."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2009

Hydromorphone "I have had 12 hospital stays in the last 2.5 years, each for at least 1 week due to pancreatitis. During this time, I have had 4 surgeries (gallbladder, 30% of pancreas, spleen, gastric obstruction) on top of these 'visits.' This is the only drug that actually works on the pain for me. It doesn't give you a light show like Demerol, it just kills the pain, period. The only con I see is that tolerance builds quickly. I usually need 2 mg every 3 hours to stay up on the pain, but I have been up as high as 4 mg over 3 hours for a few days."

• Tob...
• December 17, 2008

Hydromorphone "While I was in the Emergency Room, the doctor's diagnosis was that I had a blood clot in the right lung. I was given morphine, which didn't work, they then gave me Dilaudid, and it was a wonderful pain reliever. Thank you for the pharmaceutical advances that have been made to help me in my hours of pain."

• GAT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2016

Hydromorphone "I had an open hemicolectomy a few months back, and they had me on this stuff for a week. I am resistant to a lot of pain meds, and pain was so bad when it ran out. I really appreciated it despite the disorientation and floaty feeling it gave me, I was sleeping as much as possible anyway. They gave me Tramadol when I got out of the hospital, and it was nowhere near as effective, even in a double dose."

• vui...
• May 12, 2008

Hydromorphone "I had a severe migraine. The worst I have had. I have been suffering from them for about 4 years now. It was given Dilaudid intramuscularly, and within about 20 minutes, the pain let up, so I could finally relax and get some sleep."

• Bra...
• July 26, 2009

Hydromorphone "I developed horrendous headaches after a traumatic brain injury a year ago. After trying far too many non-narcotic alternatives and Percocets, interspersed with several trips a month to the ER for a shot of morphine, my doctors and I have come up with Dilaudid to deal with the bad headaches. I take a single 11 mg dose of Dilaudid with two Dramamine and an Ativan, followed by a second Ativan 2 hours later. I go from agony to 'let's go to Ikea' in about an hour. I do take a daily neurostimulant (300 mg modafinil) for chronic fatigue that may offset the drowsiness you might expect from that combo, but it has been a huge gain for my quality of life. The trick seems to be to get enough Dilaudid at once to stop the pain."

• Dil...
• November 29, 2016

Hydromorphone "I had a splenectomy and was given Dilaudid in my IV afterwards for pain. It made me feel nauseous and felt like I was gonna pass out. I told my nurse, and she told me it was normal. Well, I stopped breathing, thankfully, I was revived. When I woke up, my room was full of people and even a chaplain. Scariest day of my life. After that, I managed my pain with only Tylenol."

• Ok ...
• April 11, 2016

Hydromorphone "I was placed under general anesthesia for surgery. In recovery, the tube placed in my throat for inhalation had not been removed before I woke up. I was in a panic. I was screaming in my head that I was suffocating, and yet in reality, no one could hear me. I had been given Dilaudid along with a few other medications. Later in my hospital room, I was again given Dilaudid. I was not able to get anyone's attention but felt that if I fell asleep, I would never wake up. Either the experience or the medication caused me to have to concentrate on just breathing. For pain, it was great, but for breathing, it seemed like a nightmare."

• Nev...
• November 20, 2015

Hydromorphone "I had abdominal surgery, and after post-op, I was back in my room on a Dilaudid IV pump. The pain management was great but had a bad side effect. It caused me to have hallucinations. I don't know if it was too high of a dose or not, but I was seeing weird people in my room. Under my bed, I saw monsters, snakes, and they all were trying to get me. I was screaming and asking for help. I had to have my wife stay with me because I could not close my eyes to sleep. I literally felt like I was in a Freddy Krueger movie. I now list this as a drug allergy when asked if I'm allergic to any medications. I never want to experience that again."