Vicodin : Drug Information
What is Vicodin?
Vicodin is the trade name of the combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Doctors use it to treat pain ranging from moderate to severe when other pain medications do not work correctly. The doctors also prescribe it to treat cough. Vicodin is a highly addictive medication; therefore, it is only available under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program. You can avail of this medication only with a proper prescription from a doctor.
What to know before taking Vicodin?
You should avoid taking Vicodin if you are allergic to it or any of its components or have recently taken alcohol, narcotic medication, sedatives, and tranquilizers. It would be best if you do not use Vicodin when you have:
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- Asthma or other breathing problems
- Used an MAO inhibitor in the past two weeks; it may result in dangerous interaction
- Blockage in stomach or intestine
To ensure that Vicodin is safe for you, you should tell your doctor if you have or ever had the following health issues:
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- Breathing problem
- Sleep apnea
- Liver disease
- Addiction to drugs or alcohol
- Kidney disease
- Head injuries
- Seizures
- Urination problem
- Thyroid
- Problem in pancreas
- Problem with gallbladder
- Symptoms of serotonin syndrome
Expecting women and lactating mothers should avoid taking Vicodin as it may harm the baby. It would be best if you tell your doctor that you are on this medication before any surgery.
How to take Vicodin?
It would be best if you take Vicodin as prescribed by the doctors. You must follow all the directions given on the prescription label and medical guide carefully. You should not take this medication more often or in an extra amount as prescribed by the doctors. Doctors may change your dose if they think fit to do so.
Vicodin is a habit-forming medication; the result of misuse of this medication can be fatal.
It would be best to never share your medicines with anyone, especially those who had a past of drug abuse and overdose. You must be aware that buying or selling Vicodin without a proper prescription is an offense under the prevailing law.
You should consult your doctor if you do not feel any improvement in the symptoms or feel that they are getting worse. You should consult your doctor before leaving Vicodin; otherwise, you may experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Keep it out of the reach of children and store it at room temperature away from heat and moisture. After completion of treatment, you must dispose of all the leftover medicines properly with the help of a pharmacist nearby you, or you can flush it down in the toilet.
Vicodin dosage
The dosage of Vicodin prescribed by the doctor is dependent on several factors, such as :
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- The age and weight of the patient
- Symptoms
- The seriousness of the condition
- Other medical issues that the patient is having
- Other medications that the patient is using
- How the patient reacted to the first dose of the medication
The doctor may prescribe the dosage of Vicodin according to the different medical conditions of the patient:
Vicodin (Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 5 mg/300 mg)
Vicodin’s typical dose for an adult is one or two tablets after every 4-6 hours or as prescribed by the doctor. However, this medication’s maximum daily amount should not exceed more than eight tablets in a day.
Vicodin ES (Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 7.5 mg/300 mg)
Vicodin’s typical dose for an adult is one tablet after every 4-6 hours or as prescribed by the doctor. However, this medication’s maximum daily amount should not exceed more than six tablets in a day.
Vicodin HP (Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 10 mg/300 mg)
Vicodin’s typical dose for an adult is one tablet after every 4-6 hours or as prescribed by the doctor. However, this medication’s maximum daily amount should not exceed more than six tablets in a day.
Overdose.
If you ever feel symptoms of an overdose of the medication, you must consult your doctor and seek medical help immediately. You can avail of medical assistance by calling the poison helpline number at 1-800-222-1222. Some of the common overdose symptoms are as follows:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Confusion
- Weakness
- Sweating
- Pain in upper stomach
- Dark urine
- Yellowness in the eyes and skin
- Extreme drowsiness
- Pinpoint pupil
- Cold and clammy skin
- Fainting
- Weak pulse
- Shallow breathing
- Blue lips
- Slow heart rate
It would be best if you do not ignore overdose symptoms; otherwise, the situation can become dangerous.
What to avoid while using Vicodin?
You should avoid taking alcohol after taking Vicodin, as the interaction between these two can be dangerous. Taking this medication can impair your thinking process or reaction to that. You must be very careful while driving and doing activities that require alertness. Question your doctor or pharmacist before taking any cold, allergy, pain, sleeping pills while you are on this medication. They may contain acetaminophen (also present in Vicodin), resulting in an overdose of the drug, which can be fatal.
Vicodin side effects
Some of the common side effects of using Vicodin are as follows:
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Upset stomach
- Constipation
It is perfectly fine if you experience a few mild side effect symptoms, but if these symptoms bother so much and are unbearable, you should immediately consult your doctor.
You should stop taking Vicodin and tell your doctor if you experience the following health issue while taking this medication:
- Noisy breathing
- Sighing
- Sleep apnea
- Shallow breathing
- Lightheadedness
- Confusion
- Irrational thoughts
- Mood swings
- Seizures
- Bleeding or bruising
- Infertility or missed menstrual periods
- Intimacy problem
- Impotence
- Liver problems – nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, jaundice, dark urine, clay-colored stools, etc
- Low cortisol level – weakness, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc
- symptoms of serotonin syndrome – agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
What drugs can interact with Vicodin?
If your doctor is treating you with Vicodin, he must be knowing all the possible interactions with other drugs. It is your responsibility to tell the doctor about all the over the counter medicines you take or taken in the past few days. Some of the following medications which can interact with Vicodin are:
- Cold or allergy medications
- Asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder medications
- Medicine for motion sickness
- Medication to treat irritable bowel syndrome
- Medicines for the overreactive syndrome
- Narcotic medication such as opioid medications
- Sedative drugs such as diazepam, lorazepam, xanax, versed, etc.
- Sleeping pills
- MAO inhibitor
- Medicines to treat mental illness
- Anti-anxiety
- Anti-depressants
- Medicines to treat migraine
- Stimulants
- Medication for nausea and vomiting