Hydrocodone

Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from two of the naturally occurring opiates, codeine Codeine

Codeine or methylmorphine is an opiate [i] used for its analgesic [i], antitussive [i] and antidi ...

and thebaine Thebaine

A minor constituent of opium [i], thebaine or paramorphine is chemically similar to both morphine [i] ...

. Hydrocodone is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive. Sales and production of this drug Medication

A medication is a licenced drug [i] taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness [i] or medical condit ...

have increased significantly in recent years, as have diversion and illicit use. Hydrocodone is commonly available in tablet, capsule and syrup form. As a narcotic, hydrocodone relieves pain by binding to opioid receptor Opioid receptor

Opioid receptors are a group of G-protein coupled receptor [i]s with opioid [i]s as ligand [i]s. ...

s in the brain Brain

In animal [i]s, the brain, or encephalon , is the control center of the central nervous system [i]. ...

and spinal cord Spinal cord

In vertebrates, the spinal cord is the part of the central nervous system [i] that is enclosed in and pr ...

. It may be taken with or without food.

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Encyclopedia

Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from two of the naturally occurring opiates, codeine Codeine

Codeine or methylmorphine is an opiate [i] used for its analgesic [i], antitussive [i] and antidi...

and thebaine Thebaine

A medication is a licenced drug [i] taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness [i] or medical condit ...

have increased significantly in recent years, as have diversion and illicit use.
Hydrocodone is commonly available in tablet, capsule and syrup form.

As a narcotic, hydrocodone relieves pain by binding to opioid receptor Opioid receptor

Opioid receptors are a group of G-protein coupled receptor [i]s with opioid [i]s as ligand [i]s. ...

s in the brain Brain

In animal [i]s, the brain, or encephalon , is the control center of the central nervous system [i]. ...

and spinal cord Spinal cord

In vertebrates, the spinal cord is the part of the central nervous system [i] that is enclosed in and pr ...

. It may be taken with or without food. When taken with alcohol, it can intensify drowsiness. It may interact with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, as well as other drugs that cause drowsiness. It is in FDA Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services [i]...

pregnancy category C: its effect on an embryo Embryo

An embryo is a multicellular [i] diploid [i] eukaryote [i] in its earliest stage of development [i] ...

or fetus Fetus

A fetus is a developing mammal [i] after the embryonic [i] stage and before birth [i] ...

is not clearly known and pregnant women should consult their physicians before taking it. Common side effects include dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, drowsiness, euphoria, vomiting, and constipation. Some less common side effects are allergic reaction Allergy

An allergy can refer to several kinds of immune reactions including Type I hypersensitivity in wh...

, blood Blood

Blood is a highly specialised circulating [i] tissue [i] consisting of se ...

disorders, changes in mood, mental fogginess, anxiety, lethargy Lethargy

Sorry, no overview for this topic

, difficulty urinating, spasm of the ureter, irregular or depressed respiration and rash Rash

A rash is a change in the skin [i] which affects its appearance or texture [i]....

.

Hydrocodone can be habit-forming , and can lead to physical and psychological addiction. In the U.S. United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a...

, pure hydrocodone and forms containing more than 15 mg per dosage unit are considered Schedule II drugs. Those containing less than or equal to 15 mg per dosage unit in combination with acetaminophen or another non-controlled drug are called hydrocodone compounds and are considered Schedule III drugs. Hydrocodone is typically found in combination with other drugs such as paracetamol Paracetamol

Paracetamol or acetaminophen, is a common analgesic [i] and antipyretic [i] drug [i] th ...

, aspirin Aspirin

Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a drug [i] in the family of salicylate [i]s, often ...

, ibuprofen Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug [i] widely marketed under various trademark [i]s inc ...

and homatropine methylbromide Homatropine

Homatropine is an anticholinergic [i] medication [i] that inhibits muscarinic acetylcholine receptor [i] ...

. The purpose of the non-controlled drugs in combination is often twofold. 1) To provide increased analgesia via drug synergy. 2) To limit the intake of hydrocodone by causing unpleasant and often unsafe side effects at higher than prescribed doses . In the UK United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ...

it is listed as a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Overdosing risks

The presence of acetaminophen in hydrocodone-containing products deters many drug users from taking excessive amounts. However, some users will get around this by extracting a portion of the acetaminophen using hot/cold water, taking advantage of the water-soluble element of the drug. It is not uncommon for addicts to have liver problems from consuming excessive amounts of acetaminophen over a long period of time; taking 10,000 to 15,000 milligrams of acetaminophen in a period of 24 hours typically results in severe hepatotoxicity, and doses in the range of 15,000-20,000 milligrams a day have been reported as fatal. It is this factor that leads many addicts to use only single entity opiates such as OxyContin Oxycodone

[i] synthesized from [[thebaine]...

.

Daily consumption of hydrocodone should not exceed 40 milligrams in patients not tolerant to opiates. However, it clearly states in the 2006 PDR that Norco 10, containing 10 milligrams of hydrocodone and 325 milligrams of APAP Paracetamol

Paracetamol or acetaminophen, is a common analgesic [i] and antipyretic [i] drug [i] th ...

, can be taken at a dosage of up to twelve tablets per day . Such high amounts of hydrocodone are only intended for opiate-tolerant patients, and titration to such levels must be monitored very carefully. This restriction is only limited by the fact that twelve tablets, each containing 325 milligrams of APAP, puts the patient right below the 24-hour FDA maximum of 4,000 mg of APAP. Some specially compounded products are routinely given to chronic pain patients in doses of up to 180 mg of hydrocodone per day. Tolerance to this drug can increase very rapidly if abused. Because of this, addicts often overdose from taking handfulls of pills, in pursuit of the high they experienced very early on in their hydrocodone use. Symptoms of hydrocodone overdosage include respiratory depression, extreme somnolence, coma, stupor, cold and/or clammy skin, sometimes bradycardia, and hypotension. A severe overdose may involve circulatory collapse cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest, or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood [i] ...

and/or death Death

Death is the full cessation of vital functions [i] in the biological life [i]. ...

.

Alcohol

It is not recommended to mix any amount of hydrocodone with any amount of alcohol as doing so could cause health problems. APAP is metabolized solely by the liver. Therefore the risk of fatal overdose due to hepatotoxicity can occur with significantly lower levels of APAP when mixed with ethanol. This fact is often neither known nor given credence as it does not stop people from mixing them due to the feeling of euphoria it provides.

Commercial medications containing hydrocodone

When sold commercially, hydrocodone often is combined with another medication. Those combined with acetaminophen Paracetamol

Paracetamol or acetaminophen, is a common analgesic [i] and antipyretic [i] drug [i] th ...

are known by various trademark names, such as Vicodin and Lortab. Hydrocodone also can be combined with aspirin Aspirin

Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a drug [i] in the family of salicylate [i]s, often ...

, ibuprofen Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug [i] widely marketed under various trademark [i]s inc ...

, and certain antihistamines Antihistamine

An antihistamine is a drug [i] which serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine [i], an ...

.

Below are some of the commercially available medications containing hydrocodone, listed by manufacturer.

Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories

Abbott Laboratories is a diversified pharmaceuticals and health care company....

Dosage	Appearance	Trademark Name
5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "VICODIN" on the other side	Vicodin
7.5mg	White tablets with tapered edges bisected on one side and debossed "VICODIN ES" on the other side	Vicodin ES
10mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "VICODIN HP" on the other side	Vicodin HP
7.5mg	Round white tablets debossed on one side with "VP" above the Abbott logo and blank on the other side	Vicoprofen

UCB Pharma

Dosage	Appearance	Trademark Name
2.5mg	White tablets with red specs bisected and debossed "901" on one side and debossed "UCB" on the other side	Lortab
5mg	White tablets with blue specs bisected and debossed "902" on one side and debossed "UCB" on the other side	Lortab
7.5mg	White tablets with green specs bisected and debossed "903" on one side and debossed "UCB" on the other side	Lortab
10mg	Pink tablets bisected and debossed "910" on one side and debossed "UCB" on the other side	Lortab
5mg	Red tablets mottled with white and debossed "500" on one side and debossed "UCB" on the other side	Lortab ASA
7.5mg per 15mL	Yellow, tropical-punch flavored liquid with 7% alcohol	Lortab Elixir

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dosage	Appearance	Trademark Name
2.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 388" on the other side	Generic
5mg	White tablets with orange specks bisected and debossed "Watson" on one side and "913" on the other side	Generic
5mg	White oblong tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 349" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	Light orange oblong tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 3203" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 385" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	Pink tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 502" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 387" on the other side	Generic
10mg	Yellow tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 853" on the other side	Generic
10mg	Blueish/purple tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 540" on the other.	Generic
10mg	Light green tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 503" on the other side	Generic
10mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 517" on the other side	Generic
10mg	Yellow tablets bisected on one side and debossed "WATSON 3228" on the other side	Generic

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Dosage	Appearance	Trademark Name
5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M365" on the other side	Generic
5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M357" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M366" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M358" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M359" on the other side	Generic
7.5mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M360" on the other side	Generic
10mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M367" on the other side	Generic
10mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M363" on the other side	Generic
10mg	Blue tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M361" on the other side	Generic
10mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M362" on the other side	Generic
10mg	White tablets bisected on one side and debossed "M364" on the other side	Generic

Vicodin and popular culture

Like Quaalude Methaqualone

Methaqualone1 [i] is a sedative [i] drug [i].
...

and Valium Diazepam

Diazepam is a drug which is a benzodiazepine [i] derivative. ...

in the 1970's, Vicodin has become not just a drug but a symbol, and its presence in a lyric or a screenplay can be seen as a comment on the obsessions of the early twenty-first century. It frequently appears in popular culture and news stories. As an example, the title character of the TV-series House, M.D. House (TV series)

House, also known as House, M.D., is an American [i] television series [i]. ...

, Dr. Gregory House Gregory House

Gregory House, M.D. [i], a fictional character [i] portrayed by Hugh Laurie [i], is the protagonist [i] ...

, has consistently been portrayed as a Vicodin addict.