Dilaudid is a brand-name drug that contains hydromorphone, a semi-synthetic opioid produced from morphine. Dilaudid is a pain reliever used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Dilaudid is mainly restricted for short-term medicinal use due to its significant risk for addiction. Dilaudid is only around one-tenth as strong as fentanyl, despite being roughly 5 times more potent than morphine. It can take up to half an hour for Dilaudid to start acting before it will last for several hours. Fentanyl acts quickly, sometimes in under a minute. Fentanyl, on the other hand, has a limited duration of action and usually wears off in just 90 minutes. Dilaudid is, therefore, more commonly used for long-term pain treatment, whereas fentanyl is utilized for quick relief.