Arymo ER 15 mg: Uses, Benefits, Safety and Important Information

Arymo ER 15 mg was a prescription extended-release medication that contained morphine sulphate, a powerful opioid pain medicine. Doctors used this type of medicine for severe pain that required daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options were inadequate. However, it is important to differentiate Arymo ER from the morphine products currently on the market because the Arymo ER brand was discontinued in the United States in September 2018.

What is Arymo ER 15mg?

Arymo ER 15 mg contained 15 mg of morphine sulphate in an extended release tablet . The extended-release formulation was designed to provide sustained opioid analgesic activity rather than short-term, as-needed pain relief. It was therefore intended for selected patients with severe and persistent pain, and not for occasional mild pain.

Arymo ER also was a Schedule II controlled substance and an opioid agonist. Morphine can be addictive and can lead to misuse, physical dependence and potentially fatal overdose. Healthcare professionals had to carefully assess the patient’s condition and treatment options before prescribing it.

What is Arymo ER 15mg used for?

Arymo ER was indicated for the management of severe pain requiring continuous, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options were inadequate. It was not meant as an opiate to be used as needed.

For example, a healthcare professional might consider extended-release opioid therapy if other appropriate pain treatments were not providing sufficient relief or were not tolerated. The decision was based, however, on the patient’s medical history, prior opioid exposure, severity of the pain, and the individual’s risk factors.

Long-Acting Morphine

The ER formulation provided sustained morphine delivery. Thus, patients did not take it in the same manner as they would an immediate-release pain medication. Careful administration of extended-release opioids. Crushing, chewing or dissolving the tablet alters the risk of dangerous morphine exposure.

Uses of Arymo ER 15 mg

The main therapeutic advantage of Arymo ER was its ability to provide prolonged opioid pain relief to properly selected patients with severe, persistent pain.

Potential clinical benefits were:

• Extended release delivery of Morphine
• Management of chronic severe pain
• 24-hour opioid analgesia when clinically indicated
• A formulation specifically formulated with abuse deterrent properties

But abuse-deterrent technology does not remove the risks of addiction, misuse, overdose or other complications of opioids.” Arymo ER has physicochemical properties designed to make certain forms of manipulation and abuse more difficult, according to FDA information.

Elavil 25 mg side effects

Like other morphine-containing medications, Arymo ER can cause side effects related to opioid use. Extended-release morphine is commonly reported to have effects such as constipation, nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, vomiting and itching.

Serious reactions can also occur. Morphine in particular can cause life threatening respiratory depression especially with initiation of treatment or change in dose.

If you have trouble breathing, are very sleepy, cannot wake up, faint, or have other signs of a severe reaction, get medical help right away.

Interactions with Drugs

Arymo ER can cause dangerous interactions with other drugs and substances that depress the central nervous system. For instance, the risk of sedation and respiratory depression is enhanced when opioids are combined with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other CNS depressants.

Therefore, patients should give their doctor and chemist a complete list of prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements before they take morphine-containing medicines.

How Arymo ER 15 mg was taken?

The original prescribing information recommended individualisation of therapy by a healthcare professional experienced in the use of potent opioids. The label also warned that the extended-release tablets should be taken whole and not be crushed, broken, dissolved or chewed.

People should not decide or change a dose of morphine themselves, as opioid requirements vary greatly between patients. Also, someone who has developed a physical dependence should not suddenly stop long-term opioid therapy without medical supervision, as this can result in significant withdrawal symptoms.

Is there a generic of Arymo ER 15 mg?

None. The original Arymo ER brand is discontinued. In September 2018, Egalet Corporation informed the FDA that it was ceasing production and marketing of Arymo ER due to business reasons. Then the product was moved to the discontinued drug list.

Importantly, it was said that the discontinuation was a business decision, not because of safety or efficacy concerns.

Generic morphine sulphate extended-release products are different products and should not be automatically considered as Arymo ER. Product availability may vary country by country and pharmacy by pharmacy.

Concluding Thoughts on Arymo ER 15 mg

Arymo ER 15 mg was an extended-release formulation of morphine sulphate for the treatment of severe pain requiring continuous, long-term opioid treatment. The product continued to carry significant risks including addiction, misuse, respiratory depression, overdose and physical dependence, despite the abuse-deterrent formulation.

Because the Arymo ER brand has been discontinued, patients should speak with a qualified healthcare professional to discuss available and appropriate pain-management options, not try to obtain old or discontinued products.