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Opana ER Dosage
Your individual Opana ER dosage will depend on the type and severity of your pain, other pain medications you have taken, and other medical conditions you may have, among other factors. The medication comes as a tablet that is taken twice a day, with about 12 hours between doses. It is important to take this medication on an empty stomach.
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The dose of Opana® ER (oxymorphone ER) your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How you respond to Opana ER
- The type and dosage of other painkillers you have taken
- The type and severity of your pain
- Other medications you are taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dosage unless your healthcare provider specifically tells you to do so.
Opana ER is usually given twice a day (every 12 hours) in equal doses. However, some people may benefit from a larger dose in the morning or at night, depending on their particular patterns of pain.
The starting dosage of Opana ER your healthcare provider recommends will depend mostly on the dose and type of painkillers you were previously taking. For immediate-release oral oxymorphone (Opana®), a straight mg-per-mg conversion is recommended. Simply add up the total mg of oxymorphone you take each day and divide by two; this is the recommended Opana ER dose given every 12 hours.
If you are switching from non-oxymorphone painkillers or from injected oxymorphone, your healthcare provider will need to convert your current dosage to an appropriate Opana ER dosage. It is often best to slightly underestimate the dose initially, in order to avoid dangerous side effects.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend a "rescue" medication (a short-acting painkiller) to use in addition to Opana ER. This short-acting pain reliever is used when your pain is especially severe; this is called "breakthrough pain," as it breaks through your baseline, long-acting painkiller. A rescue medication can be especially useful when you are first starting Opana ER, as many healthcare providers underestimate your initial oxymorphone requirement to avoid dangerous side effects.
If you are unaccustomed to opioid medications, the usual starting dosage of Opana ER is low and typically starts at 5 mg twice daily.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD