hydromorphone vs phenelzine
Side-by-side comparison of hydromorphone and phenelzine. 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: Phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and linezolid.
Recommendation: Seek medical help immediately if you experience a high fever, extreme confusion, or agitation while taking these together.
Dilaudid
Nardil
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe pain when other pain medicines do not work well enough.
Phenelzine (Nardil) is a medicine used to treat depression. It belongs to a class of drugs called MAO inhibitors.
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.
This medicine treats depression, especially when it involves anxiety, phobias, or hypochondria. It is often used when other antidepressants haven't worked. It may not be as effective for severe depression with 'endogenous' features.
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.
Phenelzine works by blocking an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) in your body. MAO breaks down certain chemicals in the brain, like serotonin and norepinephrine. By blocking MAO, phenelzine helps increase the levels of these chemicals, which can improve mood.
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Sleepiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Drowsiness
- • Trouble sleeping
- • Tiredness
- Addiction to the drug 35,077
- Taking too much of the drug 22,994
- Pain 22,132
- Emotional upset 17,685
- Death 14,869
- Feeling sad or hopeless 187
- Head pain 136
- Feeling worried or nervous 129
- Gaining weight 120
- Trouble sleeping 104
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.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children, teens, and young adults. Your doctor will monitor you closely for worsening depression, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should also watch for these changes and report them to the doctor. This medicine is not approved for use in children.
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.
It is not known if phenelzine can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
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How to Read This hydromorphone vs phenelzine Comparison
hydromorphone is classified in the Opioid Analgesic drug class, while phenelzine sits within the Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) 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 phenelzine has 676. 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 this medicine is an mao inhibitor that can cause a severe reaction by changing how your body processes serotonin.. 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 phenelzine - 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.