Health Library

Opioid Medicines, Going Home with

What are the Side Effects of Opioid Medicines?

Side effects may include:

• Feeling sleepy
• Dizziness
• Itching
• Nausea (upset stomach) or vomiting (throwing up)
• Constipation (trouble pooping)
• Urinary retention (trouble peeing)
• Slowed breathing – This is the most  serious side effect and can be fatal

When to Call Your Child’s Provider:

• Your child has trouble pooping or peeing.
• Your child is itching.
• Your child has signs of an allergic reaction: rash, hives, swelling in face or hands.
• The medicine does not reduce severe pain.

When to Call 911 (and give naloxone if available – see instructions below):

• Your child is too sleepy or hard to wake up.
• Your child has trouble breathing.

When to Call the Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) 1-800-222-1222:

• Your child takes more medication than was prescribed and is awake and alert.
• Someone other than the person who the medication was prescribed for takes any amount of the medication and is awake and alert.
• Note: the DPIC is open and can take calls 24/7.

General Safety Information

Store

• Store the medicine away from children and animals in a locked location if possible.
• Keep medicine in its original package.
• Keep track of how much medicine you have. Count it.
• Always use a child-resistant cap and relock after use.

Provide

• Read the insert that comes with the medicine to learn more about how it works and any possible side effects.
• Take the opioid medicine exactly as ordered.
• Tell your provider about other medicine your child is taking. Some medicines may need to be changed.
• Do not take over the counter (OTC) medicines without talking to your provider.
• Do not use medicines after the expiration date on the bottle/package.
• Never share medication with anyone.
• Do not give this medicine if your child is too sleepy or difficult to arouse (wake up).
• Do not break, chew, crush, dissolve or inject the medicine except as prescribed.
• Do not let your child climb, ride their bike or drive while taking opioid medicines.
• Do not drink alcohol or use marijuana or other illicit drugs while taking this medicine.

Dispose

• Do not save the medicine for future use. This helps prevent possible misuse, abuse and intake by accident.
• Do not share or give this medicine to anyone else.
• Dispose of unused opioid medicines as soon as possible.
• The safest way to get rid (dispose) of medicine is to drop it off at a medicine collection site. Year-Round Drop-Off Locations - Search Utility
• If a medicine collection program is not available:
• Use an opioid disposal kit.
• People living in Ohio can go to Medication Disposal Forms - Ohio Rx Disposal to request a drug disposal kit by mail.
• Flush the unused opioid medicine down the toilet.

Additional Risks of Opioid Medicines:

• Tolerance: People who take opioids for a long period of time can develop a tolerance to them. This means they may need more opioid for the same pain relief.
• Withdrawal: People who take opioids for a long period of time and suddenly stop taking these medicines may have withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms of withdrawal include anxiety, sweating, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and goosebumps.
• Substance Use Disorder: Opioid medicines are listed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as controlled substances. These medicines are regulated for safety because of their side effects and risk of addiction. Substance Use Disorder is a disease where people continue uncontrolled use of a substance even though it has harmful effects. It is rare in children, but possible with long-term use. The goal is to use the lowest amount of medicine for the shortest time needed.

Naloxone (Narcan) Administration

When to give naloxone:

• Your child is too sleepy or hard to wake up.
• Your child has trouble breathing.
• Another person in your house has issues with being too sleepy or having trouble breathing and you think they might have taken an opioid.

How to give naloxone:

1. Call 911 immediately.
2. Lay the person flat on their back.
3. Hold the naloxone device with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your pointer and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.
4. Put the nozzle into a nostril and push the plunger with your thumb.
5. Remove the nozzle from the nostril.
6. Roll the person on their side to prevent choking.
7. If the person does not start breathing or responding after 2-3 minutes, repeat steps 2-6 to give a second dose in the other nostril using a second device. Each device contains one dose.
8. Stay with the person until emergency workers arrive.

What to know about naloxone:

• Naloxone reverses the effects of opioid medications.
• The only risk of naloxone is the possibility of withdrawal symptoms (see above for symptoms). Withdrawal is uncomfortable but not life threatening.
• Naloxone only lasts for 30-90 minutes. Many opioid medications last longer than 90 minutes, so it is important to get medical care even if the patient responds to naloxone.