Hydrocodone/acetaminophen may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop taking hydrocodone/acetaminophen and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction. Hydrocodone/acetaminophen works to change how your body feels and responds to pain. Hydrocodone works by binding to and activating specific receptors in your body, resulting in pain relief. Hydrocodone/acetaminophen is a combination medicine that is commonly taken for severe pain.
Follow patients for respiratory depressionand sedation at frequent intervals. If a CYP3A4 inhibitor is discontinued, consider increasing thehydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets dosage until stable drug effects are achieved. Inform patients that hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets could cause adrenal insufficiency,a potentially life-threatening condition. Adrenal insufficiency may present with non-specific symptomsand signs such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and low blood pressure.Advise patients to seek medical attention if they experience a constellation of these symptoms see WARNINGS.
Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse
Check with your doctor or health care provider if you have any questions about the medication. Mental and physical dependence can occur but are unlikely when used for short-term pain relief. The pain-relieving effects of Vicodin generally last for 4-6 hours. However, traces of the medication can be detected in urine for up to 4 days and in blood for up to 24 hours. Open communication about any side effects you experience will help ensure you receive the most effective and safe Vicodin treatment.
- Liver damage, also called hepatotoxicity, can happen when taking hydrocodone/acetaminophen.
- However, severe withdrawal symptoms can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.
- Opioid analgesics, including hydrocodone bitartrate andacetaminophen tablets, can prolong labor through actions which temporarily reduce the strength,duration, and frequency of uterine contractions.
- Your doctor may want you or your child to gradually reduce the amount you are using before stopping it completely.
Anticholinergic Drugs
Do not take hydrocodone/acetaminophen unless it has been prescribed to you by a health care provider. While less common, the most serious side effects of hydrocodone/acetaminophen are described below, along with what to do if they happen. RxList does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
- Hydrocodone/acetaminophen can increase your sensitivity to pain.
- This is not a complete list of all side effects or adverse reactions that may occur from the use of this drug.
- Do not change your dose or suddenly stop using this medicine without first checking with your doctor.
- The pain-relieving effects of Vicodin generally last for 4-6 hours.
Monitor patients with biliary tract disease, including acute pancreatitis, for worseningsymptoms. Life-threatening respiratory depression is more likely tooccur in elderly, cachectic, or debilitated patients because they may have altered pharmacokinetics oraltered clearance compared to younger, healthier patients see WARNINGS; Life-ThreateningRespiratory Depression. It is important to always tell your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider of all prescription and over-the-counter medications you use, as well as the dosage for each, and keep a list of the information.
Inhibitors Of CYP3A4 And CYP2D6
The concomitant use of hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets with all cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors may result in an increase in hydrocodone plasma concentrations , which could increase or prolong adverse reactions and may cause potentially fatal respiratory depression. In addition, discontinuation of a concomitantly used cytochrome P450 3A4 inducer may result in an increase in hydrocodone plasma concentrations . Monitor patients receiving hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets and any cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitor or inducer for signs of respiratory depression or sedation see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, WARNINGS, DRUG INTERACTIONS.
Treatment Of Overdose
Patients with renal impairment may have higher plasma hydrocodone concentrations than those withnormal function. Use a low initial dose hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets in patients withrenal impairment and follow closely for adverse events such as respiratory depression and sedation. Patients with hepatic impairment may have higher plasma hydrocodone concentrations than those withnormal function. Use a low initial dose of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets in patientswith hepatic impairment and follow closely for adverse events such as respiratory depression andsedation. Alternatively, consider the use of non-opioid analgesics in these patients.
Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets are for oral use only. Hydrocodone bitartrate andacetaminophen tablets pose a risk of overdose and death. The risk is increased with concurrent abuse ofhydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets with alcohol and other central nervous systemdepressants. If concomitant use is warranted, follow patients for signs and symptoms of urinary retention or reducedgastric motility when hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets are used concomitantly withanticholinergic drugs. If concomitant use is warranted, monitor patients for signs of respiratory depression that may be greaterthan otherwise expected and decrease the dosage of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tabletsand/or the muscle relaxant vicodin vs norco as necessary. If the level of pain increases after dosage stabilization, attempt to identify the source of increased painbefore increasing the hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets dosage.
If you develop a rash, stop hydrocodone/acetaminophen and call your health care provider right away. The administration of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets or other opioids may obscurethe diagnosis or clinical course in patients with acute abdominal conditions. Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression has been reported with the use of opioids,even when used as recommended. Respiratory depression, if not immediately recognized and treated,may lead to respiratory arrest and death. Management of respiratory depression may include closeobservation, supportive measures, and use of opioid antagonists, depending on the patient’s clinicalstatus see OVERDOSE.
What drugs interact with hydrocodone/acetaminophen?
In an individual physically dependent on opioids, administration of the recommended usual dosage of theantagonist will precipitate an acute withdrawal syndrome. The severity of the withdrawal symptomsexperienced will depend on the degree of physical dependence and the dose of the antagonistadministered. If a decision is made to treat serious respiratory depression in the physically dependentpatient, administration of the antagonist should be initiated with care and by titration with smaller thanusual doses of the antagonist.
Therapeutic doses of acetaminophen have negligible effects on the cardiovascular or respiratorysystems; however, toxic doses may cause circulatory failure and rapid, shallow breathing. Inform patients that chronic use of opioids may cause reduced fertility. It is not known whether theseeffects on fertility are reversible see ADVERSE REACTIONS.
It reduces fever through its action on the temperature-regulating center of the brain. Vicodin dependence is a medical condition, not a moral failing. The Waismann Method offers a proven medical solution, providing safe and effective detoxification and comprehensive support to break free from the grip of opioid dependence.
Instruct patients to seek medical attention immediately uponingestion of more than 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen per day, even if they feel well. The risk of acute liver failure is higher in individuals with underlying liver disease and in individualswho ingest alcohol while taking acetaminophen. Infants born to mothers physically dependent on opioids will also be physically dependent and mayexhibit respiratory difficulties and withdrawal signs see PRECAUTIONS; Pregnancy. The most frequently reported adverse reactions are light-headedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea andvomiting.