levorphanol (oral)

What is the most important information I should know about levorphanol?

What is levorphanol?

Levorphanol is an opioid medicine that is used to treat moderate to severe pain.

Levorphanol may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking levorphanol?

• severe asthma or breathing problems; or
• a stomach or bowel obstruction (including paralytic ileus).

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• breathing problems, sleep apnea (breathing stops during sleep);
• a head injury, or seizures;
• drug or alcohol addiction;
• liver or kidney disease;
• urination problems; or
• problems with your gallbladder, pancreas, or thyroid.

Ask a doctor before using opioid medicine if you are breastfeeding. Tell your doctor if you notice severe drowsiness or slow breathing in the nursing baby.

How should I take levorphanol?

Follow the directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides. Never use levorphanol in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Tell your doctor if you feel an increased urge to take more of this medicine.

Your dose needs may be different if you recently used opioid medicine and your body is tolerant to it (ask your doctor if you're not sure).

Do not stop using levorphanol suddenly after long-term use, or you could have serious withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to safely stop using this medicine.

Never crush or break a levorphanol pill to inhale the powder or mix it into a liquid to inject the drug into your vein. Doing so could result in death.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since levorphanol is used for pain, you are not likely to miss a dose. Skip any missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Your doctor may recommend you get naloxone (a medicine to reverse an opioid overdose) and keep it with you at all times. A person caring for you can give the naloxone if you stop breathing or don't wake up. Your caregiver must still get emergency medical help and may need to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on you while waiting for help to arrive.

Anyone can buy naloxone from a pharmacy or local health department. Make sure any person caring for you knows where you keep naloxone and how to use it.

What should I avoid while taking levorphanol?

What are the possible side effects of levorphanol?

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. 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.

• noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops;
• a slow heart rate or weak pulse;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• mood changes, unusual thoughts or behavior;
• severe stomach pain, severe constipation;
• high levels of serotonin in the body --agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; or
• low cortisol levels -- nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness.

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

Common side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;
• constipation;
• dizziness, drowsiness;
• tiredness; or
• headache.

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.

What other drugs will affect levorphanol?

You may have breathing problems or withdrawal symptoms if you start or stop taking certain other medicines. Tell your doctor if you also use an antibiotic, antifungal medication, heart or blood pressure medication, seizure medication, or medicine to treat HIV or hepatitis C.

• other narcotic medications --opioid pain medicine or prescription cough medicine;
• a sedative like Valium --diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam, Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and others;
• drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing --a sleeping pill, muscle relaxer, medicine to treat mood disorders or mental illness; or
• drugs that affect serotonin levels in your body --a stimulant, or medicine for depression, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or nausea and vomiting.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect levorphanol, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about levorphanol.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum'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. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 11.01. Revision date: 1/28/2021.