Hydromorphone belongs to a class of drugs called “opioids,”
which includes morphine. It has an analgesic potency of two to
eight times that of morphine, but has a shorter duration of action
and greater sedative properties.
- Commonly names:
D, Dillies, Dust, Footballs, Juice, Smack
- Looks like:
Hydromorphone comes in: tablets, rectal suppositories, oral solutions, and injectable formulations.
Methods of abuse
Users may abuse hydromorphone tablets by ingesting them. Injectable solutions, as well as tablets that have been
crushed and dissolved in a solution may be injected as a substitute for heroin.
- Affect on mind:
When used as a drug of abuse, and not under a doctor’s supervision, hydromorphone is taken to produce feelings of
euphoria, relaxation, sedation, and reduced anxiety. It may also cause mental clouding, changes in mood,
nervousness, and restlessness. It works centrally (in the brain) to reduce pain and suppress cough. Hydromorphone
use is associated with both physiological and psychological dependence.
- Affect on body:
Hydromorphone may cause: constipation, pupillary constriction, urinary retention, nausea, vomiting, respiratory
depression, dizziness, impaired coordination, loss of appetite, rash, slow or rapid heartbeat, and changes in blood
pressure.
- Drugs causing similar effects:
Drugs that have similar effects include: heroin, morphine, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and oxycodone.
- Overdose effects:
Acute overdose of hydromorphone can produce: severe respiratory depression, drowsiness progressing to stupor or
coma, lack of skeletal muscle tone, cold and clammy skin, constricted pupils, and reduction in blood pressure and
heart rate. Severe overdose may result in death due to respiratory depression.
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