PALLADONE Prolonged release capsule Ref.[8904] Active ingredients: Hydromorphone

Hydromorphone should be administered with caution in the debilitated elderly and in patients with:

• Severely impaired respiratory function
• Sleep apnoea
• CNS depressants co-administration (see below and section 4.5)
• Head injury, intracranial lesions or increased intracranial pressure, reduced level of consciousness of uncertain origin
• Hypotension with hypovolaemia
• Pancreatitis
• Hypothyroidism
• Toxic psychosis
• Prostatic hypertrophy
• Adrenocortical insufficiency (e.g., Addison’s disease)
• Severely impaired renal function
• Severely impaired hepatic function
• Alcoholism
• Delirium tremens
• Convulsive disorders
• Constipation
• Shock or reduced respiratory reserve.

Respiratory depression

The major risk of opioid excess is respiratory depression.

Opioids may cause sleep-related breathing disorders including central sleep apnoea (CSA) and sleep-related hypoxemia. Opioid use may increase the risk of CSA in a dose-dependent manner in some patients. Opioids may also cause worsening of pre-existing sleep apnoea (see section 4.8). In patients who present with CSA, consider decreasing the total opioid dosage.

Risk from concomitant use of sedative medicines such as benzodiazepines (and other CNS depressants):

Concomitant use of Palladone SR capsules and sedative medicines such as benzodiazepines or related drugs may result in sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Because of these risks, concomitant prescribing with these sedative medicines should be reserved for patients for whom alternative treatment options are not possible. If a decision is made to prescribe Palladone SR capsules concomitantly with sedative medicines, the lowest effective dose should be used, and the duration of treatment should be as short as possible. The patients should be followed closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. In this respect, it is strongly recommended to inform patients and their caregivers to be aware of these symptoms (see section 4.5).

Palladone SR capsules are not recommended for pre-operative use or in the first 24 hours post-operatively. After this time they should be used with caution, particularly following abdominal surgery.

Palladone SR capsules should not be used where there is the possibility of paralytic ileus occurring. Should paralytic ileus be suspected or occur during use, Palladone SR capsules should be discontinued.

Patients about to undergo cordotomy or other pain relieving surgical procedures should not receive Palladone SR capsules for 24 hours prior to surgery. If further treatment with Palladone SR capsules is indicated then the dosage should be adjusted to the new post-operative requirement.

Drug dependence, tolerance and potential for abuse

For all patients, prolonged use of this product may lead to drug dependence (addiction), even at therapeutic doses. The risks are increased in individuals with current or past history of substance misuse disorder (including alcohol misuse) or mental health disorder (e.g. major depression).

Additional support and monitoring may be necessary when prescribing for patients at risk of opioid misuse.

A comprehensive patient history should be taken to document concomitant medications, including over-the-counter medicines and medicines obtained on-line, and past and present medical and psychiatric conditions.

Patients may find that treatment is less effective with chronic use and express a need to increase the dose to obtain the same level of pain control as initially experienced. Patients may also supplement their treatment with additional pain relievers. These could be signs that the patient is developing tolerance. The risks of developing tolerance should be explained to the patient.

Overuse or misuse may result in overdose and/or death. It is important that patients only use medicines that are prescribed and do not give this medicine to anyone else.

Patients should be closely monitored for signs of misuse, abuse or addiction.

The clinical need for analgesic treatment should be reviewed regularly.

Drug withdrawal syndrome

Prior to starting treatment with any opioids, a discussion should be held with patients to put in place a withdrawal strategy for ending treatment with hydromorphone.

Drug withdrawal syndrome may occur upon abrupt cessation of therapy or dose reduction. When a patient no longer requires therapy, it is advisable to taper the dose gradually to minimise symptoms of withdrawal. Tapering from a high dose may take weeks to months.

The opioid drug withdrawal syndrome is characterised by some or all of the following: restlessness, lacrimation, rhinorrhoea, yawning, perspiration, chills, myalgia, mydriasis and palpitations. Other symptoms may also develop including irritability, agitation, anxiety, hyperkinesia, tremor, weakness, insomnia, anorexia, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, increased blood pressure, increased respiratory rate or heart rate.

If women take this drug during pregnancy there is a risk that their newborn infants will experience neonatal withdrawal syndrome.

Hyperalgesia

Hyperalgesia may be diagnosed if the patient on long-term opioid therapy presents with increased pain. This might be qualitatively and anatomically distinct from pain related to disease progression or to breakthrough pain resulting from development of opioid tolerance. Pain associated with hyperalgesia tends to be more diffuse than the pre-existing pain and less defined in quality. Symptoms of hyperalgesia may resolve with a reduction of opioid dose.

The prolonged release capsules may be opened and their contents sprinkled onto soft cold food.

The content (pellets) of the prolonged release capsules must be swallowed whole, and not broken, chewed or crushed. The administration of broken, chewed or crushed hydromorphone pellets leads to a rapid release and absorption of a potentially fatal dose of hydromorphone (see section 4.9).

Concomitant use of alcohol and Palladone SR capsules may increase the undesirable effects of Palladone SR capsules; concomitant use should be avoided.

Abuse of oral dosage forms by parenteral administration can be expected to result in serious adverse events, which may be fatal.

Opioids, such as hydromorphone, may influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal or –gonadal axes. Some changes that can be seen include an increase in serum prolactin, and decreases in plasma cortisol and testosterone. Clinical symptoms may be manifest from these hormonal changes.

Sedative medicines such as benzodiazepines or other drugs that depress the CNS:

The concomitant use of opioids with sedative medicines such as benzodiazepines or other drugs that depress the CNS increases the risk of sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death because of additive CNS depressant effects. The dose and duration of concomitant use should be limited (see section 4.4). Drugs which depress the CNS include, but are not limited to: other opioids, anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives (including benzodiazepines), anaesthetics (e.g. barbiturates), antiemetics, antidepressants, antipsychotics (e.g. phenothiazines), antihistamines and alcohol.

Co-administration with monoamine oxidase inhibitors or within 2 weeks of discontinuation of their use is contraindicated (see section 4.3).

Alcohol may enhance the pharmacodynamic effects of Palladone SR capsules; concomitant use should be avoided.

Pregnancy

There are no well-controlled studies of hydromorphone in pregnant women.

Hydromorphone should not be used in pregnancy unless clearly necessary.

Palladone SR capsules are not recommended during pregnancy and labour due to impaired uterine contractility. Regular use in pregnancy may cause drug dependence in the foetus, leading to withdrawal symptoms in the neonate.

If opioid use is required for a prolonged period in pregnant women, advise the patient of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available.

Administration during labour may depress respiration in the neonate and an antidote for the child should be readily available.

Breast-feeding

Administration to nursing women is not recommended as hydromorphone is excreted into breast milk in low amounts and may cause respiratory depression in the infant.

Fertility

Non clinical toxicology studies in rats have not shown any effects on male or female fertility or sperm parameters.

Hydromorphone may cause drowsiness and patients should not drive or operate machinery if affected.

This medicine can impair cognitive function and can affect a patient’s ability to drive safely. This class of medicine is in the list of drugs included in regulations under 5a of the Road Traffic Act 1988. When prescribing this medicine, patients should be told:

• The medicine is likely to affect your ability to drive.
• Do not drive until you know how the medicine affects you.
• It is an offence to drive while you have this medicine in your body over a specified limit unless you have a defence (called the ‘statutory defence’).
• This defence applies when:
• The medicine has been prescribed to treat a medical or dental problem; and
• You have taken it according to the instructions given by the prescriber and in the information provided with the medicine.
• Please note that it is still an offence to drive if you are unfit because of the medicine (i.e. your ability to drive is being affected)."

Details regarding a new driving offence concerning driving after drugs have been taken in the UK may be found here: https://www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law.

Hydromorphone may cause constipation, nausea and vomiting. Constipation may be treated with appropriate laxatives. When nausea and vomiting are troublesome, PALLADONE SR capsules can be readily combined with anti-emetics.

The following frequency categories form the basis for classification of the undesirable effects: Very common ≥1/10, Common ≥1/100 to <1/10, Uncommon ≥1/1,000 to <1/100, Rare ≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000, Very rare <1/10,000, Not known: Cannot be estimated from the available data.

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

None known.