ABSTRACT
Oxymorphone rectal suppositories also may be of benefit for elderly, frail, or debilitated patients who may require a potent, rapid-acting analgesic and generally are unable to tolerate oral or injectable opiate analgesic pharmacotherapy. The oxymorphone injectable formulation contains sodium dithionite, a sulfite. Oxymorphone is a potent opiate analgesic that appears to elicit its analgesic action primarily by binding to the endorphin receptors in the CNS. Oxymorphone pharmacotherapy has been associated with abnormal contraction of the pupils or “pin-point pupils”, drowsiness, dysphoria, GI complaints, headache, itching, lightheadedness, nausea, respiratory depression, and vomiting. The signs and symptoms of oxymorphone overdosage resemble those associated with other opiate analgesic overdosage. Oxymorphone overdosage requires emergency symptomatic medical support of body systems with attention to increasing oxymorphone elimination. The opiate analgesic antagonist, naloxone, usually is required to reverse the respiratory depression associated with oxymorphone and other opiate analgesic overdosage.
