What is Talwin?
Pentazocine is narcotic pain medication
Pentazocine is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is also used as part of anesthesia for surgery.
Pentazocine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about Talwin?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to pentazocine.
Before using pentazocine, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease, a history of head injury or brain tumor, heart disease, high blood pressure, recent heart attack, asthma or other breathing disorders, mental illness, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
Pentazocine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Pentazocine should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.
Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Never use pentazocine in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
Do not stop using pentazocine suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as stomach pain, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, anxiety, or restless feeling. Talk to your doctor about how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication.
Avoid drinking alcohol while using pentazocine. Alcohol may increase some of the side effects of pentazocine.
Pentazocine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Talwin?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to pentazocine.
Pentazocine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Pentazocine should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.
If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication. Before using pentazocine, tell your doctor if you have
- liver or kidney disease
- a history of head injury or brain tumor
- epilepsy or other seizure disorder
- heart disease, high blood pressure, recent heart attack
- asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders
- a dependence on narcotic pain medications
- mental illness; or
- a history of drug or alcohol addiction
Pentazocine may be harmful to an unborn baby. It could also cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother uses pentazocine during pregnancy. Before you use this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
Pentazocine is sometimes used during early labor, but using it just before childbirth can cause breathing problems in a newborn.
Pentazocine may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medication.
Talwin Side Effects
What are the possible side effects of Talwin?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
- skin or muscle changes, or a hard lump where the medicine was injected
- confusion, hallucinations
- feeling like you might pass out
- weak or shallow breathing; or
- increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure)
Less serious side effects may include:
- mild stinging from the injection
- drowsiness, dizziness, headache, ringing in your ears
- feeling restless or excited
- nausea, vomiting, constipation
- sleep problems (insomnia), strange dreams
- warmth or redness under your skin
- blurred vision
- sweating; or
- mild itching or skin rash
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any
unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Talwin Interactions
What other drugs affect Talwin?
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:
- sibutramine (Meridia)
- phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine), promethazine (Phenergan, Adgan, Anergan 50, Pentazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), or trifluperazine (Stelazine); or
- other narcotic medication such as codeine, fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Ionsys), hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone), levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran), levomethadyl (Orlaam), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph), nalbuphine (Nubain), oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicodone), oxymorphone (Opana), or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon)
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with pentazocine. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
What should I avoid while taking Talwin?
Avoid drinking alcohol while using pentazocine. Alcohol may increase some of the side effects of pentazocine.
Pentazocine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by pentazocine.
Talwin Dosage
How should I take Talwin?
Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Never use pentazocine in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
Pentazocine is given as an injection under the skin, into a muscle, or into a vein. Your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be shown how to inject your medicine at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of used needles and syringes.
Do not mix pentazocine with other medicines in the same syringe or IV line.
Use each disposable needle only one time. Throw away used needles in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Keep this container out of the reach of children and pets.
If you are giving pentazocine as an injection under the skin, use a different place on your body each time you give yourself an injection. Your care provider will show you the places on your body where you can safely inject the medication. Do not inject into the same place two times in a row. Pentazocine can cause damage to the skin and underlying tissues or muscles if it is injected multiple times into the same skin area.
Do not stop using pentazocine suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as stomach pain, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, anxiety, or restless feeling. Talk to your doctor about how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication.
Store pentazocine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I overdose on Talwin?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
Symptoms of a pentazocine overdose are not known.
What happens if I miss a dose of Talwin?
Since pentazocine is often used as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are using the medication regularly, use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Edited from everydayhealth.com