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This page presents data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the FDA-approved drug label. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event. Always consult a healthcare provider about medications.

Hydromorphone Hydrochloride

Last updated: June 18, 2026
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Hydromorphone Hydrochloride is a medication. According to the FDA-approved label, Hydromorphone hydrochloride oral solution and hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets are indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. FAERS contains 91,032 submissions naming this drug from 2002 through 2026; the top three reactions cited are drug dependence, overdose, and pain.

Most-Reported Reactions

Counts of the reactions most often cited in FAERS submissions that named Hydromorphone Hydrochloride. Inclusion here does not establish causation - submitters describe what was observed, not what was confirmed. One submission can list several reactions, so the totals exceed the report count.

DRUG DEPENDENCE 35,090 (38.5%) OVERDOSE 23,022 (25.3%) PAIN 22,205 (24.4%) EMOTIONAL DISTRESS 17,688 (19.4%) DEATH 14,895 (16.4%) DRUG WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME 14,323 (15.7%) TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 10,069 (11.1%) NAUSEA 4,673 (5.1%) DRUG INEFFECTIVE 4,409 (4.8%) FATIGUE 3,567 (3.9%) VOMITING 3,447 (3.8%) ANXIETY 3,366 (3.7%) OFF LABEL USE 3,323 (3.7%) DRUG ABUSE 3,110 (3.4%) HEADACHE 2,970 (3.3%)

Patient Demographics

Patient sex and age across the FAERS submissions that named Hydromorphone Hydrochloride. Percentages here are computed only from submissions where these fields were filled in - many leave them blank.

By Sex

Female Male Unknown

By Age Group

0-17 18-44 45-64 65+

Severity Outcomes

Severity flags recorded across the 91,032 FAERS submissions that named Hydromorphone Hydrochloride. Each bar shows the count of those reports carrying that flag. A single case can carry more than one (a hospitalization that became life-threatening, for example), so these bars are independent rates - they don't sum to 100%. Inclusion of a case under any flag does not establish that the drug caused the outcome.

DEATH 27,959 (30.7%) HOSPITALIZATION 16,859 (18.5%) LIFE-THREATENING 1,976 (2.2%) DISABLING 9,782 (10.7%)

Submissions Per Quarter

Quarterly count of FAERS submissions that named Hydromorphone Hydrochloride. Ups and downs on this chart can track prescribing volume, news cycles, or shifts in how reports get filed, rather than the drug becoming safer or more dangerous.

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

From the FDA-Approved Label

Excerpts from the official FDA-approved prescribing information for Hydromorphone Hydrochloride. This is the authoritative source on indications, warnings, and known adverse reactions.

Indications

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Hydromorphone hydrochloride oral solution and hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets are indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. Hydromorphone hydrochloride oral solution and hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets contain hydromorphone, an opioid agonist, and are indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. ( 1 ) Limitations of Use ( 1 ) Because of the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse with opioids, which can occur at any dosage or duration ( 5.2 ) , reserve hydromorphone hydrochloride oral solution or hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options [e.g., non-opioid analgesics or opioid combination products]: Have not been tolerated or are not expected to be tolerated, Have not provided adequate analgesia or are not expected to provide adequate analgesia Hydromorphone hydrochloride oral solution and hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets should not be used for an extended period of time unless the pain remains severe enough to require...

Adverse Reactions (from label)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions are described, or described in greater detail, in other sections: Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Interactions with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia and Allodynia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Adrenal Insufficiency [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] Severe Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10) ] Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12) ] Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions (5.13) ] Withdrawal [see Warnings and Precautions (5.14) ] Most common adverse reactions are lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, sweating, flushing, dysphoria, euphoria, dry mouth, and pruritus. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Rhodes Pharmaceuticals at 1-888-827-0616 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch 6. (continues in label)

FDA label effective date: 2025-12-04

Disclaimer

AdverseEvent.ai is not affiliated with the FDA. Adverse-event counts come from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug labels come from the FDA drug label dataset. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event — always consult a healthcare provider about medications. This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.