Levorphanol

Brand Name(s): Levo-Dromoran®; also available generically

IMPORTANT WARNING: Levorphanol may be habit forming, especially with prolonged use. Take levorphanol exactly as directed. Do not take more of it, take it more often, or take it in a different way than directed by your doctor. While taking levorphanol, discuss with your health care provider your pain treatment goals, length of treatment, and other ways to manage your pain. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, has had an overdose, or has overused prescription medications, or if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. There is a greater risk that you will overuse levorphanol if you have or have ever had any of these conditions. Talk to your health care provider immediately and ask for guidance if you think that you have an opioid addiction or call the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Levorphanol may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment. Your doctor will adjust your dose carefully to control your pain and decrease the risk that you will experience serious breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing or asthma. Your doctor may tell you not to take levorphanol. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of lung diseases that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema), a head injury, brain tumor, or any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain. The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weakened or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath. Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Levorphanol may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Keep levorphanol in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose. Be especially careful to keep levorphanol out of the reach of children. Keep track of how many tablets are left so you will know if any medication is missing. Dispose of any unneeded levorphanol tablets properly according to instructions. (See STORAGE and DISPOSAL.) Taking certain other medications during your treatment with levorphanol may increase the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening breathing problems, sedation, or coma. Tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Your doctor may need to change the dosages of your medications and will monitor you carefully. If you take levorphanol with other medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care immediately: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness. Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Drinking alcohol, taking prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or using street drugs during your treatment with levorphanol increases the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening side effects. Do not drink alcohol, take any prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment with other levorphanol products. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take levorphanol regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with levorphanol and each time you fill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer's website to obtain the Medication Guide.

WHY is this medicine prescribed?

Levorphanol is used to relieve severe pain in people who are expected to need an opioid pain medication and who cannot be treated with other pain medications. Levorphanol is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.

HOW should this medicine be used?

Levorphanol comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It usually is taken every 6 to 8 hours as needed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take levorphanol exactly as directed.

Your doctor may adjust your dose of levorphanol during your treatment, depending on how well your pain is controlled. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment with levorphanol. Tell your doctor if you feel that your pain is not controlled or if your pain increases, becomes worse, or if you have new pain or an increased sensitivity to pain during your treatment with levorphanol. Do not take more of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Do not stop taking levorphanol without talking to your doctor. Your doctor may decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking levorphanol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness; teary eyes; runny nose; yawning; irritability; anxiety; sweating; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; chills; back, muscle, or joint pain; nausea; vomiting; loss of appetite; diarrhea; stomach cramps; weakness; fast heartbeat; or fast breathing.

Are there OTHER USES for this medicine?

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS should I follow?

Before taking levorphanol,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to levorphanol, any other medications, or any of the inactive ingredients in levorphanol tablets. Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the inactive ingredients.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any of the conditions mentioned in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or paralytic ileus (condition in which digested food does not move through the intestines). Your doctor may tell you not to take levorphanol.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had low blood pressure; adrenal insufficiency (condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough of certain hormones needed for important body functions); diabetes; seizures; urinary problems; gallbladder problems; or liver, pancreas, kidney, thyroid, or heart disease.
• tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. You should not breastfeed while you are taking levorphanol. Levorphanol can cause shallow breathing, difficulty or noisy breathing, confusion, more than usual sleepiness, trouble breastfeeding, difficulty breathing, or limpness in breastfed infants.
• you should know that this medication may decrease fertility in men and women. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking levorphanol.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking levorphanol.
• you should know that levorphanol may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• you should know that levorphanol may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
• you should know that levorphanol may cause constipation. Talk to your doctor about changing your diet or using other medications to prevent or treat constipation while you are taking levorphanol.

What should I do IF I FORGET to take a dose?

Levorphanol usually is taken as needed. If your doctor has told you to take levorphanol regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?

Levorphanol may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• nausea
• vomiting
• drowsiness
• headache
• stomach pain
• dry mouth
• sweating
• dizziness
• vision problems
• difficulty urinating

• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, or dizziness
• agitation, hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), fever, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat, shivering, severe muscle stiffness or twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• inability to get or keep an erection
• irregular menstruation
• decreased sexual desire
• rash; hives; itching; hoarseness; difficulty breathing or swallowing; or swelling of the face, mouth, tongue or throat
• chest pain
• changes in heartbeat

Levorphanol may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

What should I know about STORAGE and DISPOSAL of this medication?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, out of reach of children, and in a location that is not easily accessible by others, including visitors to the home. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). You must immediately dispose of any medication that is outdated or no longer needed through a medicine take-back program. If you do not have a take-back program nearby or one that you can access promptly, flush any levorphanol tablets that are outdated or no longer needed down the toilet so that others will not take them. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

What should I do in case of OVERDOSE?

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

While taking levorphanol, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available (e.g., home, office). Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of opiates in the blood. Your doctor may also prescribe you naloxone if you are living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs. Ask your doctor about other ways that you can obtain naloxone (directly from a pharmacy or as part of a community based program).You should make sure that you and your family members, caregivers, or the people who spend time with you know how to recognize an overdose, how to use naloxone, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and your family members how to use the medication. Ask your pharmacist for the instructions or visit the manufacturer's website to get the instructions. If symptoms of an overdose occur, a friend or family member should give the first dose of naloxone, call 911 immediately, and stay with you and watch you closely until emergency medical help arrives. Your symptoms may return within a few minutes after you receive naloxone. If your symptoms return, the person should give you another dose of naloxone. Additional doses may be given every 2 to 3 minutes, if symptoms return before medical help arrives.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• slow, shallow, or irregular breathing
• difficulty breathing
• sleepiness
• unable to respond or wake up
• limp muscles
• cold, clammy skin
• narrowed or widened pupils (dark circles in the middle of the eyes)
• slow heartbeat
• unusual snoring

What OTHER INFORMATION should I know?

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to levorphanol.

Before having any laboratory test (especially those that involve methylene blue), tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking levorphanol.

This prescription is not refillable. If you are taking levorphanol to control your pain on a long term basis, be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor so that you do not run out of medication. If you continue to have pain after you finish your levorphanol prescription, call your doctor.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

This report on medications is for your information only, and is not considered individual patient advice. Because of the changing nature of drug information, please consult your physician or pharmacist about specific clinical use.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. represents that the information provided hereunder was formulated with a reasonable standard of care, and in conformity with professional standards in the field. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to such information and specifically disclaims all such warranties. Users are advised that decisions regarding drug therapy are complex medical decisions requiring the independent, informed decision of an appropriate health care professional, and the information is provided for informational purposes only. The entire monograph for a drug should be reviewed for a thorough understanding of the drug's actions, uses and side effects. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. does not endorse or recommend the use of any drug. The information is not a substitute for medical care.

AHFS^® Patient Medication Information™. © Copyright, 2024. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists^®, 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.

Selected Revisions: April 20, 2024.

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