Dipipanone

Dipipanone (Pipadone) is a strong opioid analgesic drug, used for very severe pain in cases where other analgesics are unsuitable, for instance where morphine is indicated but cannot be used due to the patient being allergic to morphine.

Dosage forms

The main preparation of the drug commercially available is mixed with cyclizine (Diconal, Wellconal) which has the advantage of reducing nausea, vomiting and histamine release associated with strong opioid therapy.

Dipipanone was also available as an oral mixture 10 mg/5ml without the cyclizine during the 1970s–1980s in the United Kingdom. This form was rare and used normally only in drug trials and in specialist diconal addiction clinics.

With the exception of oxycodone, dipipanone is now the only alternative opioid left to use in the UK that is of equal strength to morphine that can be prescribed instead. All the other opioids are either weaker like codeine, dihydrocodeine and pethidine or stronger like hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and fentanyl.