Hydrocodone: MedlinePlus Drug Information

Before using this medication, women of childbearing age should talk with their doctor(s) about the risks and benefits. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant. During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. It may slightly vicodin addiction increase the risk of birth defects if used during the first two months of pregnancy. Also, using it for a long time or in high doses near the expected delivery date may harm the unborn baby. To lessen the risk, take the smallest effective dose for the shortest possible time.

• Long-term abuse of painkillers can cause serious medical problems.
• They may be able to put hydrocodone in an easy-open container.
• Moreover, people with kidney or liver impairment may be prescribed a lower dose to avoid toxicity.
• This article refers to hydrocodone/acetaminophen as Vicodin to minimize confusion.
• Hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets expose patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death.

Drug Abuse and Dependence

Do not use it later for another condition unless your doctor directs you to do so. This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Tell the doctor right away if your baby develops unusual sleepiness, difficulty feeding, or trouble breathing. Daily alcohol use, especially when combined with acetaminophen, may damage your liver.

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

This combination medicine contains acetaminophen (Tylenol®). Carefully check the labels of all other medicines you are using, because they may also contain acetaminophen. It is not safe to use more than 4 grams (4,000 milligrams) of acetaminophen in one day (24 hours). Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of hydrocodone and acetaminophen combination oral solution in children 2 years of age and older.

What should be done in case of overdose?

• Your doctor may want you or your child to gradually reduce the amount you are using before stopping it completely.
• Patients known to be hypersensitive to other opioids may exhibit cross sensitivity to hydrocodone.
• The typical schedule for these medications is every 4–6 hours as needed for pain.
• Consult your prescribing physician if you suspect you’ve developed a tolerance.

For information about drug-condition interactions with hydrocodone, see the “Other warnings” section below. These drugs don’t interact with each other https://ecosoberhouse.com/ or cause similar side effects, so they’re usually safe to take together. Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to hydrocodone.

• Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there.
• Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a pharmacy that offers these options if your current pharmacy doesn’t.
• Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc.
• Talk with your doctor if you drink alcohol and think you may have trouble avoiding it while taking hydrocodone.

Warnpatients of the symptoms of serotonin syndrome and to seek medical attention right away if symptomsdevelop. Instruct patients to inform their healthcare providers if they are taking, or plan to takeserotonergic medications [see DRUG INTERACTIONS]. In addition, discontinuation of a concomitantly used cytochrome P450 3A4 inducer may result in an increase in hydrocodone plasma concentrations .

Symptoms of overdose

• Vicodin contains hydrocodone, and Percocet contains oxycodone.
• Strategies to reduce these risks include prescribing the drug in the smallestappropriate quantity and advising the patient on the proper disposal of unused drug [see PATIENT INFORMATION].
• The concomitant use of opioids and MAOIs, such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine, or linezolid, maymanifest as serotonin syndrome, or opioid toxicity (e.g., respiratory depression, coma) [see WARNINGS].

Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. Leah has worked in several treatment settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and in-home therapy, both as a therapist and a clinical supervisor. She currently serves as a Director of adult outpatient services in a community health center. Since hydrocodone is used for pain, you are not likely to miss a dose.

If a CYP3A4 inducer is discontinued, consider hydrocodone bitartrate andacetaminophen tablets dosage reduction and follow for signs of respiratory depression. While taking hydrocodone, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available (e.g., home, office). Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of opiates in the blood.

A single or multiple drug overdose with hydrocodone and acetaminophen is a potentially lethal polydrug overdose, and consultation with a regional poison control center is recommended. Hydrocodone and the major metabolites of acetaminophen are known to be substantially excreted by the kidney. Thus the risk of toxic reactions may be greater in patients with impaired renal function due to accumulation of the parent compound and/or metabolites in the plasma. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection, and it may be useful to monitor renal function.

Signs & Symptoms of Vicodin Withdrawal