PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

hydromorphone vs mirtazapine

Side-by-side comparison of hydromorphone and mirtazapine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that affect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).

Recommendation: Use this combination with caution and report any unusual changes in your mood or physical coordination to your doctor.

Drug Class
hydromorphone Opioid Analgesic
mirtazapine Noradrenergic and Specific Serotonergic Antidepressant (NaSSA)
Type
hydromorphone Prescription
mirtazapine Prescription
Summary
hydromorphone

Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe pain when other pain medicines do not work well enough.

mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is a medicine used to treat depression in adults. It can help improve your mood and energy levels.

What It Treats
hydromorphone

This medicine treats severe pain that requires an opioid pain medicine. It is for use when other treatments are not adequate. Do not use it for long periods unless your pain stays severe and other options are still not adequate. This medicine carries risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse.

mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This condition can cause you to feel sad, lose interest in activities, and have trouble with sleeping or eating. Mirtazapine can help improve these symptoms.

How It Works
hydromorphone

Hydromorphone works by binding to receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This blocks pain signals from reaching the brain. This results in a decreased feeling of pain.

mirtazapine

Mirtazapine works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. It helps to increase the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin. These chemicals can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

Common Side Effects
hydromorphone
  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness
  • Sleepiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
mirtazapine
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Increased appetite
  • Weight gain
  • Dizziness
FAERS Reports
hydromorphone
  • Addiction to the drug 35,077
  • Taking too much of the drug 22,994
  • Pain 22,132
  • Emotional upset 17,685
  • Death 14,869
mirtazapine
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 4,838
  • Feeling tired 4,714
  • Accidentally falling down 4,026
  • Loose or watery stools 3,961
  • Harm from different substances 3,705
Serious Warnings
hydromorphone

This medicine has a boxed warning. It can cause serious and life-threatening risks. Taking too much can cause overdose and death. It can cause addiction, abuse, and misuse. It can also cause very slow or stopped breathing. Accidental intake, especially by a child, can cause a fatal overdose. Taking with alcohol or other depressants can cause coma and death. If you are pregnant, long-term use can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn.

mirtazapine

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults. Your doctor should closely watch you for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Mirtazapine is not approved for use in children.

Pregnancy
hydromorphone

Using this medicine for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may not be recommended during labor.

mirtazapine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Mirtazapine should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This hydromorphone vs mirtazapine Comparison

hydromorphone is classified in the Opioid Analgesic drug class, while mirtazapine sits within the Noradrenergic and Specific Serotonergic Antidepressant (NaSSA) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, hydromorphone has 112,757 submissions while mirtazapine has 21,244. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to these medications both change how serotonin works in your brain, which increases the risk of a severe and potentially dangerous reaction.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between hydromorphone and mirtazapine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.