What happens if you miss a dose of Alvimopan?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
**Alvimopan is a hospital-only medicine handed to you by nursing staff, so a missed or late dose is something your care team manages, not something you correct on your own.** It is dispensed under a restricted FDA program to inpatients recovering from bowel surgery, and it is not sent home with you. The usual pattern is one capsule before surgery, then one capsule twice a day starting the day after, with a hard cap of 15 total doses and no more than 7 days. If a dose is late, staff give it when they can and continue the regular schedule instead of doubling up. A single skipped dose does not cause withdrawal and does not undo the earlier doses, though the return of normal bowel function may take slightly longer. Speak up if a scheduled dose never arrives, since the count and the calendar both matter here.
What to do
- Ask your nurse first: If a dose seems to have been skipped, tell the nurse caring for you rather than waiting for the next round.
- Never double up: Two capsules at once is not the fix for a late dose, and the total is capped at 15 doses.
- Watch the 7 day limit: Treatment stops at 7 days or at discharge, whichever comes first, so late doses are not added to the end.
- Do not expect a home supply: Alvimopan is not prescribed for use after you leave the hospital, so there is nothing to refill or restart.
- Mention your opioid history: Tell the team if you took opioids daily for more than 7 days right before surgery, since that changes whether this drug is safe for you.
- Report new symptoms: Call the team for chest pain, severe belly pain, or bowel function that stalls, and get urgent care for chest pain that does not ease.
Related questions
- Can i see what my doctor wrote about me
- Can kids take adult medicine in smaller doses
- Can you drink alcohol while taking alvimopan
- Can you overdose on allergy medicine