Another New Painkiller

Prescription painkillers may be a godsend for many dealing with chronic pain, but with the rise in new brand names and retooled formulas has come a growing problem with prescription abuse. In the midst of this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved another new painkiller, slated to hit the market by summer 2010.

Exalgo is a new extended-release formula of hydromorphone manufactured by Covidien. The once-daily medication for the management of moderate to severe pain comes in tablet form and offers physicians another option for treating opioid-tolerant patients. The extended-release capability is newsworthy because it allows those taking it to avoid the peaks and valleys that other pain formulas may cause as the drug moves through the body.

While Exalgo is brand new, hydromorphone HCl has been used in the treatment of chronic pain for more than 80 years. Also known by the brand name Dilaudid, it’s a synthetic narcotic analgesic that inhibits ascending pain pathways in the central nervous system, increases pain threshold and alters pain perception, according to the medical dictionary definition.

As with many other prescription pain medications, misuse of Exalgo or combining with depressants, including alcohol, increases risk of respiratory depression, hypotension, and profound sedation, potentially resulting in coma or death.

Prescription Drug Addiction

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