Drug interactions
Oxymorphone + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Oxymorphone and Pholcodine: moderate 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
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive, so adding it to oxymorphone adds opioid CNS depressant effects. Excess sedation and respiratory depression are possible, particularly at higher doses.
What this interaction means in plain words
Oxymorphone and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive mu-opioid receptor mediated CNS depression.
What to do
Avoid using pholcodine with a strong opioid when possible and monitor for sedation and slowed breathing.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Oxymorphone
- Alvimopan + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Ethanol + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Isocarboxazid + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Olanzapine / samidorphan + Oxymorphone Contraindicated
- Oxymorphone + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Oxymorphone + Selegiline transdermal Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Oxymorphone with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Oxymorphone and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive, so adding it to oxymorphone adds opioid CNS depressant effects. Excess sedation and respiratory depression are possible, particularly at higher doses.
How serious is the interaction between Oxymorphone and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid using pholcodine with a strong opioid when possible and monitor for sedation and slowed breathing.
What other medicines interact with Oxymorphone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Oxymorphone with, for example, Alvimopan, Ethanol, Isocarboxazid. The full list is on the Oxymorphone page.
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