Hydromorphone and Headaches: What Users Say

• Rhe...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 10, 2015

Dilaudid (hydromorphone) for Chronic Pain "Dilaudid has been beneficial to my daily activities. Without Dilaudid, I literally cannot move. The chronic pain from fibromyalgia is indescribable. And every case is different, but it helps me. The only side effect that I must pay close attention to is headaches... If I already have a headache, I don't take Dilaudid. It will make it worse. Once in a while, Dilaudid will cause a headache."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2012

Exalgo (hydromorphone) for Chronic Pain "All I have to say is, give them a bit of time to work. Especially if you were on high doses of another opiate. Your body will not even feel them for the first 4 or 5 days. I was taking 3x40mgs of methadone along with 6x15mgs of oxycodone per day for 4 years until I had a heart attack. My doctor sent me for an EKG and my 'QT' interval was in the 500s along with leg and body swelling, tightness in the chest along with severe constipation (most likely from methadone). Once they got me weaned down from the methadone they prescribed 2x16mg Exalgo per day keeping the oxycodone as breakthrough. I started taking them as directed with no relief, and I felt nauseous with afternoon headaches. On the 4th day, I started feeling more relief. Give it time."

• Psk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2016

Dilaudid-HP (hydromorphone) for Chronic Pain "Given instead of oxycodone, was told it is much stronger/potent. Since I started requiring higher doses because my body became used to the dose. Did not help me, made me nauseous and gave me a headache. I get the whole government trying to crack down on opiate abuse, but for those of us that live in constant intolerable pain, it is an endless battle to get pain relief, whether it's from DR, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies manufacturing bad generics. Sometimes I feel it would be easier to... well, you can imagine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2017

Dilaudid (hydromorphone) for Pain "I had Dilaudid every two hours on IV after my bowel resection. I needed this every two hours or else my body would start going into shock from trauma and pain. The IV was wonderful but doesn't last long at all. They tried giving me the pills two days before leaving, but they never worked like the IV. They sent me home with 1 mg oral Dilaudid, and taking one or two did not do a thing. I had to take 3 to even slightly feel relief. It seems their pill form isn't quite effective as the IV but does last longer but just isn't as great. I agree, as well as it being severely addictive. I weaned myself off 4 or 5 days ago after every day use for almost 2 weeks (mostly hospital IV), and I'm still having headaches and slight nausea."

• Jul...
• November 2, 2011

Dilaudid (hydromorphone) for Pain "I had surgery for a colon resection. I can't take Hydrocodone because it upsets my stomach, gives me headaches, nausea, and constipation. The morphine (patient-administered pump) didn't work for me at all, but Dilaudid worked wonderfully, 2 mg every 6 hours. I had no unpleasant side effects, which is very unusual for me with any medicine. I had no withdrawal problems when I left the hospital. If I ever have surgery again, I'm going to request Dilaudid. It gave me great relief and let me rest and heal!"

• Anonymous
• January 23, 2010

Dilaudid (hydromorphone) for Pain "I was given this after an appendectomy, my head hurt so much I cried for 4-6 hours while the nurse kept giving me more Dilaudid. When I got home, I read the pamphlet, which indicated that Dilaudid can cause severe headaches. I took Demerol, and the headache was gone within 1/2 hour."