Opiates: Oxymorphone

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Opiates: Oxymorphone

Oxymorphone Metabolism
  • Oxymorphone is metabolized to oxymorphone-3-glucuronide.
  • It is also metabolized to noroxymorphone by demethylation by CYP3A4.
Oxymorphone has a half-life of 7 to 9 hours and can be detected in the urine for up to 3 days after ingestion.
Interpretation
  • For patients taking only oxymorphone, oxymorphone alone will be detected in the urine.
  • If oxycodone is detected, oxymorphone could be present as a metabolite rather than ingestion.
  • Oxymorphone alone may be detected at low concentrations due to metabolism of oxycodone if it has been several days since ingestion because oxymorphone has a significantly longer half-life than oxycodone.