Hydromorphone for Pain User Reviews (Page 5)

• sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2012

Hydromorphone "The only times I have had the medicine is when I have had arterial surgeries, and Dilaudid was administered by IV. As previous posts have stated, it goes into effect 30-60 seconds after administration, but with a slight heating effect in the injected vein. Soon after, the blissful pain relief has occurred. I was able to intently listen to a book or watch TV, sleep was also easy if I wanted. This was only a 1 mg dose, but surprisingly effective. It killed the pain while allowing one to be mentally alert (if desired), unlike morphine. I highly recommend this medicine for hospital pain relief, but for longer-term pain relief, up to 6 hours, it was supplemented with 5 mg of Vicodin."

• Anonymous
• June 21, 2010

Hydromorphone "I was given Dilaudid after having T8, T9, T10 removed and spinal cord decompression done after developing an epidural abscess. It was given by IV, 4 mg every two hours and worked great for breakthrough pain. No side effects at all."

• Alw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 2, 2020

Hydromorphone "I had surgery for gallbladder removal. In the hospital, given 2 mg IM of Dilaudid every 8 hours for pain. Dose was too high, but too far apart. I would have about 4 hours of pain relief, but be REALLY out of it (uncomfortably so), and 4+ hours of no pain relief. When I was switched to oral, 1 mg/4H was ineffective, as was 2 mg/4H. Orally, I needed 6 mg initial dose, and 2 every hour to maintain pain relief (minimum effective dose, did not fully remove pain). As IM dose, I would probably rate an 8. As an oral: 1. Oral update is not very good."

• 7ti...
• November 2, 2009

Hydromorphone "I suffer from chronic back and knee pain. Had lower spinal fusion, both knees totally replaced, and stenosis in my upper neck that flared up once to the point that the pain was agony! This was the first time I was given an injection of Dilaudid as opposed to morphine. Morphine has never taken my pain away, it just made me not care that it hurt. The first time I was injected with Dilaudid, the effects the first minute scared me, but I had a great nurse that walked me through everything I was going to experience and assured me that in one min. it would pass, and it did. For the first time in 12 years, after about five mins, I had absolutely no pain. Also took the pills for about 1 month and worked very well."

• emp...
• November 30, 2008

Hydromorphone "I had this when I was in the hospital (9 times in 2 years). It is the best medicine I have ever used. I hate the feeling pain medicines give you. This one just made me sleepy and pain-free. Too bad they wouldn't let me take it at home. I am now on the fentanyl patch instead."

• Khr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2017

Hydromorphone "Was given 1 unit every 6 hours in ICU after a fem-pop bypass. Effect was literally in seconds after injection. Pain was gone. But my heart rate and BP dropped to the point I had to undergo cardiac monitoring. They thought it had triggered a heart attack."

• soo...
• September 30, 2009

Hydromorphone "I've got complex regional pain syndrome, and it helps with the numbness in my leg, but does not take away all of the burning sensation. After the Percocets quit working, the doctor put me on Dilaudid #4's, and the pain has been reduced some, but I feel that I could use something even stronger. 1 every 6 hours helps, but is still not enough."

• Cla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 13, 2019

"Use: Oral, 2 mg every 4 hours following rectal surgery. This is the most ineffective pain reliever I have ever taken. Sitz baths and ibuprofen were way more effective for me. Most alarmingly, this medication can absolutely affect your mood, behavior, anger, aggression, and anxiety in a pretty horrific fashion. I'm really glad people have found relief with this medication. I am not one of them. I didn't finish the prescription and am totally disgusted with the medical community's response to my attempts to discuss switching to something considered 'less potent' because no one wants to touch anything related to pain medication these days."

• LHa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2015

Hydromorphone "I received Dilaudid through IV while in the ER for kidney pain. The pain relief was very fast and effective. However, I had noticeable side effects - that disorienting whoosh effect mentioned by another commenter, severe dizziness, nausea, and blurred vision. When admissions asked me to sign paperwork, I had significant trouble raising my arms and holding the pen, but I was able to sign my name with a great deal of concentration. Getting out of bed was very difficult when they asked for a urine sample. I needed quite a bit of assistance from the nurse to walk across the hall. All I wanted to do was lie very still and minimize the dizziness. It took about 8 hours for this effect to go away."

• bra...
• July 11, 2009

Hydromorphone "My husband had surgery to remove his prostate gland, bladder, and 12 inches of colon six months ago. He was hospitalized for nine days. His lower back pain was excruciating, and morphine (controlling it himself) and various types of mattresses did nothing to make him comfortable. He was getting no sleep at all until the surgeon offered Dilaudid. It lasted for about 5 hours or so, and he could have it every 6 hours. It brought quick relief to the back pain and relaxed him enough to get a decent amount of sleep after several days of terrible discomfort. No side effects for him either."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2017

Hydromorphone "I had a spinal interbody fusion, and Dilaudid barely touched the pain at all. They had to give me a muscle relaxer, nerve pill, and 10 mg oxycodone to go with the Dilaudid. And after all that, I still hurt."

• Anonymous
• April 3, 2008

Hydromorphone "Crushed knee, shattered tibia and fibula. Leg was a mess with lots of soft tissue damage as well. Natural morphine couldn't stop the bone pain, but Dilaudid did the trick in a minute. I have to have a combination of painkillers for everything to stop, but Dilaudid was the breakthrough med. It was by IV only."

• Ste...
• July 16, 2015

Hydromorphone "I was given a dose of Dilaudid through IV for a severe headache associated with an infection. As soon as the nurse began pushing the syringe, I had a horrible taste in the back of my throat, my breathing and chest felt very heavy, my ears felt clogged, and I became very sleepy. These all lasted for around 4 hours, along with extreme nausea! The nurse said, 'Yeah, a lot of people don't like Dilaudid, it makes them feel pretty funny.' Good thing I was also taking Zofran, or I would have been vomiting my brains out."

• I...
• December 1, 2009

Hydromorphone "After breaking 3 ribs and taking Vicodin and Tramadol to no relief, I asked the doctor for Dilaudid 2 mg every 6 hrs. It took the pain from 9 down to 4 in about 20 minutes. Now I can finally get some sleep and get a few things done around the house... great medicine."

• Nee...
• June 6, 2010

Hydromorphone "I was given Dilaudid after a painful hemorrhoid surgery. Just writing this, I'm taken back to the excruciating pain following surgery. It was initially administered by I.V. in the hospital. I was then sent home with a prescription for it. This medicine is very potent and should be taken only under the close watch of a physician. No side effects other than much-needed pain relief and much-needed sleep."

• Rgk...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 3, 2015

Hydromorphone "I have many years' experience as both the patient and caregiver. Dilaudid is an excellent chronic and acute pain medication. Well-tolerated and easily adjustable. All around, I give it a score of 9 out of 10."

• Ter...
• April 7, 2017

Hydromorphone "I had broken my heel in 3 places and fractured my ankle. I was given morphine for the intense pain, but morphine didn't last long. I finally received Dilaudid through an IV, which made all the difference in the world! Dilaudid, for me, took away the horrible pain and made me sleep a lot. Spent 5 days in the hospital and don't remember much."

• T...
• July 31, 2009

Hydromorphone "I have high pressure in my head from a brain injury last year. Morphine won't touch what Dilaudid can. It has worked great for my headaches, which they say is the worst head pain ever experienced. So anyway, a lot of narcotics will give me rebound pain, but this one does not. Only side effects, if not given with Zofran, it makes me vomit."

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2010

Hydromorphone "I was hospitalized for 2 months with partial paralysis and neuropathy from an autoimmune syndrome. I had severe pain, 7 to 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 mg IV Dilaudid every 4 hrs during the early part of my hospitalization with a saline flush erased my pain in minutes without creating drowsiness, mental impairment, or euphoria. I was able to think clearly and solve complex problems. I was switched to the pills after a few weeks. Dilaudid allowed me enough relief so I could go to sleep without distracting pain and wake up in the morning without residual effects. YOUR CONSTITUTION MAY BE DIFFERENT. I was able to stop cold turkey after 2 months without withdrawal symptoms. Your experience may be different. Follow doctor's instructions EXACTLY."

• I...
• April 30, 2010

Hydromorphone "I've had 6 back surgeries in the past 2.5 years, and two of those surgeries in the last month (I've also had 61 spinal injections), and Dilaudid is the ONLY pain medication that has worked to help reduce my pain and keep it to a tolerable level."

• Jer...
• October 24, 2009

Hydromorphone "I had an abscessed streptococcus infection, which is a really painful occurrence. They treated me with 2-10cc Dilaudid IV injections, and it was really great. I got really drowsy, but felt nothing, even when they stuck a huge needle into my insanely infected tonsil (it was only one tonsil). I went from a 9 on the pain scale to a 1 in ten minutes (or what I perceived as 10 minutes at least). I also hear about people getting very sick from hydromorphone. The staff at the medical center were great though. The technician who administered the drug in the ER knew just how to administer it to minimize nausea. I am definitely glad that they knew how much pain I was in and pulled no punches to treat it."

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2020

Hydromorphone "I have bad pain from spinal stenosis - severe. I had been up to 50 mcg Fentanyl patches, and you never know how much is really in your system. I live way down south, and the hot weather made Dilaudid an obvious choice."

• dsf...
• June 20, 2010

Hydromorphone "I pass chronic kidney stones and have had numerous stones removed via surgery. A few times, my kidneys have shut down via urine back pumping from obstructing stones. In this case, a shot of Dilaudid every 15 minutes kept me laughing and giggling with the nurses. Amazing stuff. For my day-to-day pain from stones and stone-related damage to my urinary tract, Dilaudid is really the only medicine that is proven to help time and time again. I've been on every pain medicine, it seems, over the years, and while Demerol is a close second, Dilaudid is what keeps me productive at work. I'm on 8 mg but cut them in half as needed."

• Anonymous
• June 4, 2011

Hydromorphone "After being on various hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine drugs for a couple of years with no pain relief, I was prescribed Dilaudid (hydromorphone). I was amazed at how well it worked to eliminate 100% of my back pain. However, I quickly built up a tolerance to it, and within a year, I went from being prescribed 2mg 3x/day to 8mg 3x/day (very few pharmacies even have 8mg Dilaudid)."

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2019

Hydromorphone "I’m a cancer patient with severe back pain. At some point, the pills stopped helping me (maybe after 2-3 days, especially after my second chemo and lack of calcium in my bones). However, IV is still working. I made several attempts in the last 3 days to move to pills but was unsuccessful. I need to find a way to control the back pain before I discharge, otherwise, I will be in the ER again."