Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 12, 2022.
Commonly used brand name(s)
In Canada
- Pantopon
Available Dosage Forms:
- Tincture
Therapeutic Class: Antidiarrheal
Chemical Class: Opium (class)
Uses for opium
Opium tincture is used to treat diarrhea. Opium belongs to the group of medicines called narcotics.
When a narcotic is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal side effects can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.
Opium is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Before using opium
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For opium, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to opium or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of opium tincture in the pediatric population. Use in children is not recommended.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of opium tincture in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, lung, or breathing problems which may require caution for patients receiving opium tincture.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Interactions with medicines
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicine...
