The effects of Dilaudid range from pleasure to nausea. When Dilaudid is injected, the user feels a surge of pleasure, then a state of gratification into which hunger, pain, and sexual urges do not intrude. The body feels warm and heavy and the mouth feels dry. The user goes into a stupor. The dose required for this effect may cause restlessness, nausea, and vomiting. Taken orally, the effects are felt more gradually. Physical effects include nausea, vomiting, insensitivity to pain, contraction of the pupils, increased urination, constipation, sweating, itchy skin, and slowed breathing. With very large doses of Dilaudid the pupils contract to pinpoints, the skin is cold, moist and bluish, and breathing may slow to a complete stop resulting in death. The effects of Dilaudid are visible within 15 minutes and remains in effect for more than 5 hours.

If Dilaudid is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Dilaudid with the following:

• Antiemetics (drugs that prevent or lessen nausea and vomiting such as Compazine and Phenergan)
• Antihistamines such as Benadryl
• General anesthetics
• Other central nervous system depressants such as Nembutal, Restoril
• Other narcotic analgesics such as Demerol and Percocet
• Phenothiazines such as Thorazine
• Sedative/hypnotics such as Valium, Halcion
• Tranquilizers such as Xanax
• Tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil and Tofranil