Narcotic Analgesics For Surgery and Obstetrics (Systemic)
Before Receiving This MedicineIn deciding to use a medicine, the risks of using the medicine must be
weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor
will make. For narcotic analgesics, the following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or
allergic reaction to a narcotic analgesic. Also tell your health care professional
if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives,
or dyes.
Pregnancy - Although studies on birth defects have not been done
in pregnant women, these medicines have not been reported to cause birth defects.
However, in animal studies, many narcotics have caused birth defects or other
unwanted effects when they were given for a long time in amounts that were
large enough to cause harmful effects in the mother. Use of a narcotic during labor and delivery sometimes causes drowsiness
or breathing problems in the newborn baby. If this happens, your health care
professional can give the baby another medicine that will overcome these effects.
Narcotics are usually not used during the delivery of a premature baby.
Breast-feeding - Some narcotics have been shown to pass into the
breast milk. However, these medicines have not been reported to cause problems
in nursing babies.
Children - Children younger than 2 years of age may be especially
sensitive to the effects of narcotic analgesics. This may increase the chance
of side effects.
Older adults - Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects
of narcotic analgesics. This may increase the chance of side effects.
Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used
together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together
even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, it may be necessary to
change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. It is very important
that you tell the person in charge if you are taking:
-
Any other medicine, prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter
[OTC]), or
-
�Street� drugs, such as amphetamines (�uppers�),
barbiturates (�downers�), cocaine (including �crack�),
marijuana, phencyclidine (PCP, �angel dust�), and heroin or other
narcotics - Serious side effects may occur if anyone gives you an anesthetic
without knowing that you have taken another medicine
-
Benzodiazepines or
-
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicine that causes drowsiness) - The
CNS depressant and other effects of either these medicines or the narcotic
analgesics may be increased
-
Buprenorphine or similar medicines - The narcotic analgesics
may not work if you are taking buprenorphine or other similar medicines
-
Cimetidine or
-
Erythromycin - Increased chance of side effects with some narcotic
analgesics
-
Naltrexone - The narcotic analgesics will not work if you are
taking naltrexone
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of narcotic analgesics. Make sure you tell your
doctor if you have any
other medical problems,
especially:
-
Abdominal problems or
-
Brain tumor or
-
Head injury or
-
Gallbladder disease or
-
Heart disease or
-
Kidney disease or
-
Liver disease or
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Lung disease or
-
Prostate disease or
-
Thyroid disease or
-
Urinary tract disease - Narcotic analgesics may make these conditions
or the symptoms of these conditions worse
.
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