Naldemedine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Naldemedine is an opioid antagonist sold in the U.S. under one brand, for constipation. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Opioid Antagonist
- Treats
- Constipation
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- Symproic
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How naldemedine is dosed
From the FDA label for Symproic (application NDA208854). Other naldemedine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Administration ( 2.1 ) : Alteration of analgesic dosing regimen prior to initiating SYMPROIC is not required Patients receiving opioids for less than 4 weeks may be less responsive to SYMPROIC Discontinue SYMPROIC if treatment with the opioid pain medication is also discontinued Dosage ( 2.2 ) : In adults, the recommended dosage is 0.2 mg once daily with or without food 2.1 Administration Alteration of analgesic dosing regimen prior to initiating SYMPROIC is not required. Patients receiving opioids for less than 4 weeks may be less responsive to SYMPROIC [see Clinical Studies (14) ] . Discontinue SYMPROIC if treatment with the opioid pain medication is also discontinued. 2.2 Adult Dosage The recommended dosage of SYMPROIC is 0.2 mg orally once daily with or without food.
Naldemedine side effects
Serious and important adverse reactions described elsewhere in labeling include: Gastrointestinal perforation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Opioid withdrawal [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Most common adverse reactions (≥2%) are: abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and gastroenteritis ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. at 1-800-469-0261 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The data described below reflect exposure to SYMPROIC in 1163 patients in clinical trials, including 487 patients with exposures greater than six months and 203 patients with exposures of 12 months. The following safety data are derived from three double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in patients with OIC and chronic non-cancer pain: two 12-week studies (Studies 1 and 2) and one 52-week study (Study 3) [see Clinical Studies (14) ]. In Studies 1 and 2, patients on laxatives were required to discontinue their use prior to study enrollment. All patients were restricted to bisacodyl rescue treatment during the study. In Study 3,…
Who shouldn’t take naldemedine
SYMPROIC is contraindicated in: Patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction and patients at increased risk of recurrent obstruction, due to the potential for gastrointestinal perforation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. Patients with a history of a hypersensitivity reaction to naldemedine. Reactions have included bronchospasm and rash [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction or at increased risk of recurrent obstruction ( 4 , 5.1 ) Patients with a history of a hypersensitivity reaction to naldemedine ( 6.1 )
Naldemedine drug interactions
Table 3 includes drugs with clinically important drug interactions with SYMPROIC and instructions for preventing or managing the interaction. Table 3: Clinically Relevant Interactions Affecting Naldemedine When Co-Administered with Other Drugs Strong CYP3A Inducers (e.g., rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, St. John's Wort) Clinical Impact Significant decrease in plasma naldemedine concentrations, which may reduce efficacy [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] Intervention Avoid use of SYMPROIC with strong CYP3A inducers. Other Opioid Antagonists Clinical Impact Potential for additive effect of opioid receptor antagonism and increased risk of opioid withdrawal. Intervention Avoid use of SYMPROIC with another opioid antagonist. Moderate (e.g., fluconazole, atazanavir, aprepitant, diltiazem, erythromycin) and Strong (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, saquinavir) CYP3A Inhibitors Clinical Impact Increase in plasma naldemedine concentrations [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] Intervention Monitor for potential naldemedine-related adverse reactions [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . P-glycoprotein (P-gp) Inhibitors (e.g., amiodarone, captopril, cyclosporine, quercetin, quinidine, verapamil) Clinical Impact Increase in plasma naldemedine concentrations [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] Intervention Monitor for potential naldemedine-related adverse reactions [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Strong CYP3A inducers (e.g., rifampin) : Decreased naldemedine concentrations; avoid concomitant use ( 7 ) Other opioid antagonists : Potential for additive effect and increased risk of opioid withdrawal; avoid concomitant use ( 7 ) Moderate (e.g., fluconazole) and strong (e.g., itraconazole) CYP3A4 inhibitors : Increased naldemedine concentrations; monitor for adverse reactions ( 7 ) P-gp inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine) : Monitor for adverse reactions ( 7 )
Every naldemedine product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Symproic.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is naldemedine?
SYMPROIC (naldemedine), an opioid antagonist, contains naldemedine tosylate as the active ingredient.
What kind of drug is naldemedine?
The FDA classifies naldemedine as an opioid antagonist. Opioid antagonists attach to the same brain and body receptors that opioids use, but without switching them on. By occupying those receptors, they block opioids from binding and can rapidly reverse an overdose or curb opioid cravings. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take naldemedine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run naldemedine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does naldemedine come in?
Across the brands we track, naldemedine is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic naldemedine?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled naldemedine product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Naldemedine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/naldemedine
- MLA
- “Naldemedine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/naldemedine.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for naldemedine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.