Kadian

Generic name: Morphine (oral)
Dosage form: oral capsules, extended release (10mg, 20mg, 30mg, 40mg, 50mg, 60mg, 80mg, 100mg, 200mg)
Drug class: Opioids (narcotic analgesics)

Usage of Kadian

Kadian is an extended-release prescription pain medicine that is used to manage pain severe enough to require daily around-the-clock, long-term treatment.

Kadian belongs to a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. Morphine works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.

Kadian is used when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines or immediate-release opioid medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.

Kadian extended-release capsules should not be used to treat pain that can be controlled by medication that is taken as needed.

Kadian side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic Reaction to Kadian: hives, difficult breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur, especially if you drink alcohol or use other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow breathing. A person caring for you should give Naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Kadian may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

slow heart rate, weak pulse, fainting, slow breathing (breathing may stop);

chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats;

extreme drowsiness, feeling like you might pass out; or

decreased adrenal gland hormones - nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, feeling tired or light-headed, muscle or joint pain, skin discoloration, craving salty foods.

Serious breathing problems may be more likely in older adults and people who are debilitated or have wasting syndrome or chronic breathing disorders.

Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Common Kadian side effects may include:

drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness, anxiety;

nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, gas, or constipation;

sweating, low oxygen levels (shortness of breath), feeling light-headed; or

feelings of extreme happiness or sadness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Kadian

You should not take Kadian capsules if you have ever HAD an allergic reaction to morphine or other opioid medicines, or if you have:

severe asthma or breathing problems;

a stomach or bowel obstruction (including paralytic ileus); or

if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine.

To make sure Kadian is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea, or other breathing disorder;

a head injury, brain tumor, high pressure inside the skull, or seizures;

a drug or alcohol addiction, or mental illness;

urination problems;

problems with your bile duct, gallbladder, pancreas, thyroid, or adrenal gland; or

liver or kidney disease.

Tell your doctor if you also use stimulant medicine, other opioid medicine, herbal products, or medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. An interaction with morphine could cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.

Morphine may harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you use morphine during pregnancy, your baby could be born with life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, and may need medical treatment for several weeks.

Long-term Kadian use may affect fertility in men or women. Pregnancy could be harder to achieve while either parent is using Kadian.

Do not breastfeed. Morphine in breast milk can cause life-threatening side effects in a nursing baby.

Relate drugs

How to use Kadian

Take Kadian exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Never use Kadian in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Tell your doctor if you feel an increased urge to use more Kadian.

Never share opioid medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug addiction. MISUSE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH. Keep the medicine where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away Kadian is against the law.

Never crush a pill to inhale the powder or inject it into your vein. This could result in death.

Swallow the Kadian extended release capsule whole to avoid exsure to a potentially fatal overdose. Do not crush, chew, or dissolve.

If you cannot swallow a Kadian capsule whole, you can open the capsule and mix the medicine with applesauce. Open the capsule and sprinkle the pellets over about one tablespoon of applesauce. Swallow all of the applesauce and pellets right away. Do not save any of the applesauce and pellets for another dose. Rinse your mouth to make sure you have swallowed all of the pellets. Do not chew the pellets. Flush the empty capsule down the toilet right away.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse.

You should not stop using Kadian suddenly. Stopping suddenly may cause withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor before stopping the medicine.

Your dose needs may change if you switch to a different brand, strength, or form of morphine. Avoid medication errors by using only the medicine your doctor prescribes.

Do not keep leftover medicine. Just one dose can cause death in someone using Kadian accidentally or improperly. Ask your pharmacist about a drug take-back program,or flush the unused medicine down the toilet.

Store tightly closed at room temperature, away from moisture, heat and light. Keep your medicine in a place where no one can use it improperly.

Warnings

You should not take Kadian if you have severe asthma or breathing problems, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or a bowel obstruction called paralytic ileus.

Morphine can slow or stop your breathing, and may be habit-forming MISUSE OF OPIOID MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH, , especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

Taking opioid medicine during pregnancy may cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the newborn.

Fatal side effects can occur if you use Kadian with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing.

What other drugs will affect Kadian

Many other drugs can be dangerous when used with opioid medicine. Tell your doctor if you also use:

medicine for allergies, cough, asthma, blood pressure, motion sickness, irritable bowel, or overactive bladder;

other opioid pain medicine or prescription cough medicine;

cimetidine, verapamil, Quinidine;

sleep medicine, muscle relaxers, or other drugs that make you drowsy; or

a benzodiazepine sedative like Valium, Klonopin, or Xanax.

This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect Kadian. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

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