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Before Using
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Children younger than 2 years of age may be especially sensitive to the effects of narcotic analgesics. This may increase the chance of side effects.
Geriatric
Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects of narcotic analgesics. This may increase the chance of side effects.
Pregnancy
Although studies on birth defects have not been done in pregnant women, these medicines have not been reported to cause birth defects. However, in animal studies, many narcotics have caused birth defects or other unwanted effects when they were given for a long time in amounts that were large enough to cause harmful effects in the mother.
Use of a narcotic during labor and delivery sometimes causes drowsiness or breathing problems in the newborn baby. If this happens, your health care professional can give the baby another medicine that will overcome these effects. Narcotics are usually not used during the delivery of a premature baby.
Breastfeeding
Some narcotics have been shown to pass into the breast milk. However, these medicines have not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.
Drug Interactions
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Acecainide
- Ajmaline
- Amiodarone
- Amisulpride
- Amitriptyline
- Amoxapine
- Aprindine
- Astemizole
- Azimilide
- Bepridil
- Bretylium
- Brofaromine
- Chloral Hydrate
- Chloroquine
- Chlorpromazine
- Cisapride
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clorgyline
- Desipramine
- Dibenzepin
- Disopyramide
- Dofetilide
- Dolasetron
- Doxepin
- Dronedarone
- Droperidol
- Ebastine
- Encainide
- Erythromycin
- Flecainide
- Fluconazole
- Flucytosine
- Fluoxetine
- Fluvoxamine
- Foscarnet
- Furazolidone
- Halofantrine
- Haloperidol
- Hydroquinidine
- Ibutilide
- Imipramine
- Iproniazid
- Isocarboxazid
- Isradipine
- Itraconazole
- Lazabemide
- Lidoflazine
- Linezolid
- Lorcainide
- Mefloquine
- Mesoridazine
- Methdilazine
- Mexiletine
- Mibefradil
- Moclobemide
- Naltrexone
- Nialamide
- Nicardipine
- Nortriptyline
- Octreotide
- Olanzapine
- Pargyline
- Pentamidine
- Phenelzine
- Pimozide
- Pirmenol
- Prajmaline
- Primaquine
- Probucol
- Procainamide
- Procarbazine
- Propafenone
- Protriptyline
- Quinidine
- Rasagiline
- Risperidone
- Selegiline
- Sematilide
- Sertindole
- Sertraline
- Sotalol
- Spiramycin
- Sulfamethoxazole
- Sultopride
- Tedisamil
- Telavancin
- Terfenadine
- Thioridazine
- Tiapride
- Toloxatone
- Tranylcypromine
- Trimeprazine
- Trimethoprim
- Trimipramine
- Vasopressin
- Zimeldine
- Ziprasidone
- Zolmitriptan
- Zotepine
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Acebutolol
- Acetazolamide
- Acetophenazine
- Adinazolam
- Alfentanil
- Almotriptan
- Alphaprodine
- Alprazolam
- Alprenolol
- Amiloride
- Amiodarone
- Amitriptyline
- Amlodipine
- Amobarbital
- Amoxapine
- Amprenavir
- Anileridine
- Aprepitant
- Aprobarbital
- Arsenic Trioxide
- Asenapine
- Atenolol
- Azosemide
- Bemetizide
- Bendroflumethiazide
- Benzthiazide
- Bepridil
- Betaxolol
- Bevantolol
- Bisoprolol
- Brofaromine
- Bromazepam
- Bromperidol
- Brotizolam
- Bucindolol
- Bumetanide
- Buprenorphine
- Buspirone
- Butabarbital
- Butalbital
- Butorphanol
- Canrenoate
- Carbamazepine
- Carisoprodol
- Carteolol
- Carvedilol
- Castor Oil
- Celiprolol
- Chloral Hydrate
- Chlordiazepoxide
- Chlorpromazine
- Chlorprothixene
- Chlorthalidone
- Chlorzoxazone
- Cimetidine
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clobazam
- Clomipramine
- Clonazepam
- Clopamide
- Clorazepate
- Clorgyline
- Clovoxamine
- Clozapine
- Codeine
- Cyclobenzaprine
- Cyclothiazide
- Dantrolene
- Desipramine
- Desvenlafaxine
- Dexmedetomidine
- Dezocine
- Diazepam
- Difenoxin
- Digoxin
- Dihydrocodeine
- Diltiazem
- Diphenhydramine
- Diphenoxylate
- Docusate
- Dofetilide
- Dothiepin
- Doxepin
- Doxylamine
- Droperidol
- Duloxetine
- Eletriptan
- Enflurane
- Erythromycin
- Escitalopram
- Esmolol
- Estazolam
- Eszopiclone
- Ethacrynic Acid
- Ethchlorvynol
- Ethopropazine
- Etozolin
- Felodipine
- Femoxetine
- Fenquizone
- Fentanyl
- Fluconazole
- Flumazenil
- Flunitrazepam
- Fluoxetine
- Flupenthixol
- Fluphenazine
- Flurazepam
- Fluvoxamine
- Fosamprenavir
- Fospropofol
- Frovatriptan
- Furazolidone
- Furosemide
- Gatifloxacin
- Gemifloxacin
- Halazepam
- Halofantrine
- Haloperidol
- Halothane
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Hydrocodone
- Hydroflumethiazide
- Hydromorphone
- Hydroxyzine
- Ibutilide
- Iloperidone
- Imipramine
- Indapamide
- Iproniazid
- Isocarboxazid
- Isoflurane
- Isradipine
- Itraconazole
- Ketamine
- Ketazolam
- Ketoconazole
- Labetalol
- Lactulose
- Lapatinib
- Lazabemide
- Levobunolol
- Levofloxacin
- Levomethadyl
- Levorphanol
- Linezolid
- Lofepramine
- Lorazepam
- Lormetazepam
- Loxapine
- Magnesium
- Mannitol
- Medazepam
- Melperone
- Meperidine
- Mephenesin
- Mephobarbital
- Mepindolol
- Meprobamate
- Mesoridazine
- Metaxalone
- Methadone
- Methocarbamol
- Methohexital
- Methotrimeprazine
- Metipranolol
- Metolazone
- Metoprolol
- Midazolam
- Milnacipran
- Mirtazapine
- Moclobemide
- Molindone
- Morphine
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Moxifloxacin
- Nadolol
- Nalbuphine
- Naratriptan
- Nebivolol
- Nefazodone
- Nelfinavir
- Nialamide
- Nicardipine
- Nifedipine
- Nilotinib
- Nimodipine
- Nisoldipine
- Nitrazepam
- Nordazepam
- Nortriptyline
- Olanzapine
- Opium
- Oxazepam
- Oxprenolol
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Paliperidone
- Pargyline
- Paroxetine
- Penbutolol
- Penfluridol
- Pentazocine
- Pentobarbital
- Perphenazine
- Phenelzine
- Phenobarbital
- Pimozide
- Pindolol
- Pipotiazine
- Piretanide
- Polythiazide
- Prazepam
- Procarbazine
- Prochlorperazine
- Promazine
- Promethazine
- Propiomazine
- Propofol
- Propoxyphene
- Propranolol
- Protriptyline
- Quazepam
- Quinethazone
- Quinidine
- Quinine
- Ramelteon
- Ranolazine
- Rasagiline
- Remifentanil
- Remoxipride
- Risperidone
- Ritonavir
- Rizatriptan
- Secobarbital
- Selegiline
- Sertraline
- Sibutramine
- Sildenafil
- Sodium Oxybate
- Sodium Phosphate
- Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
- Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
- Sorbitol
- Sotalol
- Spironolactone
- Sufentanil
- Sulpiride
- Sumatriptan
- Sunitinib
- Talinolol
- Tapentadol
- Telavancin
- Telithromycin
- Temazepam
- Tertatolol
- Tetrabenazine
- Thiethylperazine
- Thiopental
- Thioridazine
- Thiothixene
- Ticrynafen
- Timolol
- Toloxatone
- Torsemide
- Tramadol
- Tranylcypromine
- Triamterene
- Triazolam
- Trichlormethiazide
- Trifluoperazine
- Triflupromazine
- Trimeprazine
- Trimipramine
- Troleandomycin
- Urea
- Vardenafil
- Venlafaxine
- Verapamil
- Xipamide
- Zaleplon
- Zolmitriptan
- Zolpidem
- Zuclopenthixol
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use your medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
- Ethanol
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Abdominal problems or
- Brain tumor or
- Head injury or
- Gallbladder disease or
- Heart disease or
- Kidney disease or
- Liver disease or
- Lung disease or
- Prostate disease or
- Thyroid disease or
- Urinary tract disease—Narcotic analgesics may make these conditions or the symptoms of these conditions worse.
