Drug interactions
Ethanol + Oxymorphone
Severity: Contraindicated
Ethanol and Oxymorphone: contraindicated interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Alcohol taken with oxymorphone increases sedation and respiratory depression and can be fatal. With the extended-release oxymorphone formulation, alcohol can also cause rapid release of the whole dose (dose dumping), leading to a potentially lethal overdose.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ethanol and Oxymorphone are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression, plus alcohol-induced disruption of the extended-release formulation that raises peak oxymorphone exposure.
What to do
Instruct patients to avoid alcohol and any alcohol-containing medicines during oxymorphone therapy. Extended-release oxymorphone is contraindicated with alcohol.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Oxymorphone
- Alvimopan + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Isocarboxazid + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Olanzapine / samidorphan + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Oxymorphone + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Oxymorphone + Selegiline transdermal Contraindicated
- Oxymorphone + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ethanol with Oxymorphone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Ethanol and Oxymorphone are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Alcohol taken with oxymorphone increases sedation and respiratory depression and can be fatal. With the extended-release oxymorphone formulation, alcohol can also cause rapid release of the whole dose (dose dumping), leading to a potentially lethal overdose.
How serious is the interaction between Ethanol and Oxymorphone?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Instruct patients to avoid alcohol and any alcohol-containing medicines during oxymorphone therapy. Extended-release oxymorphone is contraindicated with alcohol.
What other medicines interact with Oxymorphone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Oxymorphone with, for example, Alvimopan, Isocarboxazid, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Oxymorphone page.
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