How long does it take for dilaudid to take effect?

I am on 4mg of Dilaudid every 4 to 6 hours and I start feeling pain so I take one and it takes almost two two and a half sometimes three hours to kick in and work. I haven't taken pain pills since I had my babies 20 years ago so I'm not sure if this is normal or not but I am going through pain management and I've heard the horror stories so I'm trying not to bother them.

It depends on the dose and what stage your pain was in when you took it. It shouldn't take more then 30 min to get into your system. If the dose is enough you should feel it. If its taken before the pain gets real bad, it will work better.