Xtampza ER Capsule: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Xtampza ER Capsule is a long-acting (extended-release) opioid pain medicine that contains oxycodone. It is used to manage severe and persistent pain in adults that requires extended treatment with a daily opioid medicine, when other pain medicines do not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. It is not meant to be used on an as-needed basis and works by acting on opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord to change how the body feels and responds to pain.

What is Xtampza ER Capsule

Xtampza ER is a long-acting (extended-release) opioid pain medicine that contains oxycodone. It is used to manage severe and persistent pain in adults that requires an extended treatment period with a daily opioid pain medicine, when other pain medicines do not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. It is not meant to be used on an as-needed basis.

Xtampza ER Capsule uses

• Manage severe and persistent pain in adults that requires extended treatment with a daily opioid pain medicine, when other pain medicines do not treat the pain well enough or cannot be tolerated
• Relieve severe ongoing pain, such as pain due to cancer

Benefits of Xtampza ER Capsule

• Provides long-lasting relief of severe, persistent pain that requires an opioid analgesic
• Helps reduce continuous pain intensity when alternative treatments are inadequate or not tolerated
• Provides around-the-clock pain control through its extended-release formulation
• May improve comfort and daily functioning when severe pain is appropriately controlled
• Is designed for patients who need daily, extended opioid treatment, rather than occasional as-needed pain relief

How Xtampza ER Capsule works

Xtampza ER contains oxycodone, an opioid that acts on opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord to change how the body feels and responds to pain. Its exact pain-relieving mechanism is not fully known.

Xtampza ER Capsule dosage

Take your prescribed dose every 12 hours at the same time every day. Do not use this medicine on an as-needed basis for sudden pain. Xtampza ER must be taken with food, and you should always take the capsules with approximately the same amount of food each time to make sure enough medicine is absorbed.

Swallow the capsules whole; do not crush, chew, snort, or inject them. If you cannot swallow the capsules, the contents can be sprinkled on soft food and swallowed right away without chewing, or sprinkled into a cup and poured directly into the mouth, or given through a nasogastric or gastrostomy tube. After sprinkling on soft food, rinse your mouth and swallow the rinse to make sure you got the full dose; do not prepare a dose in advance.

If you have nausea, lying down for a short time with as little head movement as possible may help; ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to reduce nausea. Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medicine unless your doctor says it is safe.

If you miss a dose, take your next dose at your usual time; do not double up to make up for a missed dose. Do not change your dose or stop taking this medicine without talking to your healthcare provider first. Call your healthcare provider if your current dose does not control your pain, rather than taking extra doses.

Available forms and strengths

• Extended-release capsule

Side effects of Xtampza ER Capsule

Common

• Constipation
• Nausea
• Sleepiness
• Vomiting
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Abdominal pain

Serious

• Trouble breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Fast heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Swelling of your face, tongue, or throat
• Extreme drowsiness
• Light-headedness when changing positions
• Feeling faint
• Agitation
• High body temperature
• Trouble walking
• Stiff muscles
• Mental changes such as confusion
• Interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea)
• Severe stomach/abdominal pain
• Difficulty urinating
• Signs of adrenal glands not working well (such as loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, weight loss)
• Trouble swallowing
• Fainting
• Seizure
• Slow or shallow breathing
• Severe drowsiness or difficulty waking up
• Rash, itching, or swelling of the face/tongue/throat (allergic reaction)

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine is a long-acting opioid that can cause overdose and death, even when taken exactly as prescribed. There is a risk of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse.
• Serious or life-threatening breathing problems that can lead to death may happen when starting the medicine, after a dose change, or if too much is taken.
• Taking this medicine with other opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) can cause severe drowsiness, decreased awareness, breathing problems, coma, and death.
• Never give this medicine to anyone else. It could cause their death, and sharing or selling it is against the law.
• Accidentally swallowing even one dose, especially by a child, can cause a fatal overdose.
• Do not take this medicine if you have severe asthma, trouble breathing or other lung problems, or a bowel blockage or narrowing of the stomach or intestines.
• If your pain gets worse after taking this medicine, do not take more without talking to your healthcare provider first.
• Stopping this medicine suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms, especially after long-term or high-dose use.
• Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Using this medicine for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby that could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated.
• Xtampza ER passes into breast milk and may harm your baby. Watch infants closely for increased sleepiness, breathing difficulties, or limpness, and get medical care right away if these occur.
• Tell your healthcare provider if you have a history of kidney problems before taking this medicine.
• Tell your healthcare provider if you have a history of liver problems before taking this medicine.
• Do not drink alcohol or use products that contain alcohol while taking this medicine, since it may cause you to overdose and die.
• Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how this medicine affects you, since it can make you sleepy, dizzy, or lightheaded.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature
• Keep in a cool, dry place away from excessive heat and moisture
• Keep capsules in the original, tightly closed container
• Protect from direct light and avoid hot or humid storage areas
• Store securely to prevent accidental ingestion, misuse, or unauthorized access
• Keep out of reach and sight of children and pets

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help or call for emergency medical services right away if you take too much of this medicine (overdose)
• Get emergency medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, chest pain, swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, extreme drowsiness, light-headedness when changing positions, feeling faint, agitation, high body temperature, trouble walking, stiff muscles, or mental changes such as confusion
• Get medical help right away if you notice slow or shallow breathing, unusual lightheadedness, severe drowsiness or dizziness, or difficulty waking up
• If someone has overdosed and shows serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, give naloxone or nalmefene if available, then get emergency help right away. If the person is awake with no symptoms, contact a poison control center right away
• Seek medical help right away if a child or anyone else accidentally swallows this medicine
• Get medical help right away if you notice signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as rash, itching or swelling especially of the face, tongue, or throat, severe dizziness, or trouble breathing

Alternatives

• OxyContin
• Buprenorphine
• Morphine Extended-Release
• Hydrocodone Extended-Release
• MS Contin