Lucemyra

Lucemyra is a prescription medication used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms to help facilitate abrupt opioid discontinuation in adults.

Lucemyra belongs to a group of drugs called central alpha-2 adrenergic agonists. Lucemyra binds to specific receptors in the brain and decreases norepinephrine release. This reduction of norepinephrine can help adults better tolerate opioid withdrawal by lessening severity of the symptoms.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken four times daily, with or without food.

Common side effects of Lucemyra include low blood pressure, dry mouth, and slow heart rate. Lucemyra can also cause drowsiness and dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Lucemyra affects you.

Lucemyra is a non-opioid prescription medicine used in adults to help with the symptoms of opioid withdrawal that may happen when you stop taking an opioid suddenly.

Lucemyra will not completely prevent the symptoms of opioid withdrawal, which may include feeling sick, stomach cramps, muscle spasms or twitching, feeling of cold, heart pounding, muscular tension, aches and pains, yawning, runny eyes and sleep problems (insomnia).

Lucemyra is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. If you have been diagnosed with opioid use disorder (opioid addiction), your healthcare provider may prescribe Lucemyra as part of a complete treatment program for your opioid use disorder (opioid addiction).

It is not known if Lucemyra is safe and effective in children.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Lucemyra See the “Lucemyra Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Lucemyra include the following:

• Insomnia
• Slow heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Sleepiness
• Sedation
• Dry mouth
• Feeling faint at rest or when standing up

This is not a complete list of Luccemyra side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Methadone. Heart monitoring is recommended.
• Oral Naltrexone. Lucemyra may reduce the effectiveness of oral naltrexone if used within 2 hours of each other. This does not apply to non-oral naltrexone.
• CNS depressant drugs such a benzodiazepines (alprazolam, diazepam), alcohol, barbiturates, and other sleeping pills.
• Medications that block the enzyme CYP2D6 such as paroxetine.

This is not a complete list of Lucemyra drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Lucemyra including the following:

• Low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and fainting. If you get any of the following signs or symptoms, tell your healthcare provider right away: 
  • low blood pressure 
  • lightheadedness 
  • slow heartbeat 
  • feeling faint at rest or when standing up 
  • dizziness

If you take Lucemyra at home and have any of these signs and symptoms, do not take your next dose of Lucemyra until you have talked to your healthcare provider. You should avoid becoming dehydrated or overheated during treatment with Lucemyra, which may increase your risk of low blood pressure and fainting. You should also be careful not to stand up too suddenly from lying down or sitting.

When your treatment is complete you will need to stop taking Lucemyra gradually or your blood pressure could increase. 

• Increased risk of opioid overdose. After a period of time of not using opioid drugs, you can become more sensitive to the effects of opioids if you start using opioids again. This may increase your risk of overdose and death.

Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or perform any other dangerous activities until you know how Lucemyra affects you.

Do not take Lucemyra if you:

• are allergic to Lucemyra or to any of its ingredients
• have severe coronary insufficiency
• recent heart attack
• cerebrovascular disease
• chronic kidney failure
• marked low heart rate
• are on medications that decrease heart rate or blood pressure
• have congenital long QT syndrome

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Lucemyra, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Lucemyra, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

• have low blood pressure, slow heart rate, any heart problems including history of heart attack or a condition called long QT syndrome 
• have liver or kidney problems, or if you drink alcohol
• are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines that you take including prescription medicines, non-prescription medicines, herbal supplements, vitamins and any medications you may take for the individual symptoms of opioid withdrawal (such as pain relievers or medications for upset stomach). Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take benzodiazepines, barbiturates, tranquilizers, or sleeping pills, as taking these with Lucemyra can cause serious side effects.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Lucemyra crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Lucemyra.

Take Lucemyra exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Your healthcare provider may change your dose if needed. Do not change your dose or stop taking Lucemyra without talking to your healthcare provider. 

• Lucemyra dosing is usually three tablets taken orally, four times a day, for 5-7 days, followed by a gradual reduction in dosing over 2-4 days. Make sure you follow the exact dosing instructions provided by your healthcare provider.
• Be sure to wait 5 to 6 hours between each dose
• Lucemyra can be taken with or without food
• Lucemyra can be taken up to 14 days if you and your healthcare provider decide that you need continued symptom relief. 
• Do not stop taking Lucemyra without first talking to your healthcare provide

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• how you respond to this medication
• your opioid withdrawal symptoms

The recommended dose of Lucemyra for the treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms is three  tablets taken orally 4 times daily for the first 5 to 7 days. There should be 5 to 6 hours between each dose. The max dosage is 16 tablets, and no single dose should exceed 4 tablets.

Dose adjustments are recommended for patients with liver or kidney problems, depending on the degree of impairment.

Lucemyra treatment may be continued for up to 14 days with dosing guided by symptoms.

If you take too much Lucemyra seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Lucemyra at room temperature between 68ºF to 77ºF (20ºC to 25ºC).
• Keep Lucemyra in its original container.
• Keep Lucemyra away from heat and moisture.
• Do not remove the desiccant packs in the bottles which are used to keep the tablets dry.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.