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Medical Information > Hydrocodone Description - Hydrocodone ES

Pronounced: VY-koe-din Generic ingredients: Hydrocodone bitartrate, Acetaminophen Other brand names: Anexsia, Co-Gesic, Hydrocet, Lorcet, Lortab, Maxidone, Norco, Zydone INFORMATION ONLY FOR GENERAL READING. CANNOT BE TAKEN AS MEDICAL FACTS

Hydrocodone combines a narcotic analgesic (painkiller) and cough reliever with a non-narcotic analgesic for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain.

Hydrocodone can be habit-forming. If you take this drug over a long period of time, you can become mentally and physically dependent on it, and you may find the drug no longer works for you at the prescribed dosage.

Take Hydrocodone exactly as prescribed. Do not increase the amount you take or the frequency without your doctor's approval. Do not take this drug for any reason other than the one prescribed.

Do not give this drug to others who may have similar symptoms.

--If you miss a dose...

If you take Hydrocodone regularly, take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to your regular schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

--Storage instructions...

Store at room temperature in a tightly closed container, away from light.

Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Hydrocodone.

More common side effects may include:
Dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, sedation, vomiting
If these side effects occur, it may help if you lie down after taking the medication.

Less common or rare side effects may include:
Allergic reactions, anxiety, blood disorders, constipation, decreased mental and physical capability, difficulty urinating, drowsiness, fear, hearing loss, itching, mental clouding, mood changes, restlessness, skin rash, slowed breathing, sluggishness
If you are sensitive to or have ever had an allergic reaction to hydrocodone or acetaminophen (Tylenol), you should not take this medication. Make sure your doctor is aware of any drug reactions you have experienced.

Hydrocodone may make you drowsy, less alert, or unable to function well physically. Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or perform any other potentially dangerous activities until you know how this drug affects you.

Use caution in taking Hydrocodone if you have a head injury. Narcotics tend to increase the pressure of the fluid within the skull, and this effect may be exaggerated by head injuries. Side effects of narcotics can interfere in the treatment of people with head injuries.

Use Hydrocodone with caution if you have a severe liver or kidney disorder, an underactive thyroid gland, Addison's disease (a disease of the adrenal glands), an enlarged prostate, or urethral stricture (narrowing of the tube carrying urine from the bladder).

Older adults and those in a weakened condition should be careful using this drug, since it contains a narcotic.

Narcotics such as Hydrocodone may interfere with the diagnosis and treatment of people with abdominal conditions.

Hydrocodone suppresses the cough reflex; therefore, be careful using Hydrocodone after an operation or if you have a lung disease.

High doses of hydrocodone may produce slowed breathing; if you are sensitive to this drug, you are more likely to experience this effect.

Hydrocodone slows the nervous system. Alcohol can intensify this effect.

If hydrocodone is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either may be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Hydrocodone with the following:

Antianxiety drugs such as Valium and Librium
Antidepressant medications classified as "tricyclics," such as Elavil and Tofranil
Antihistamines such as Tavist
Drugs classified as MAO inhibitors, including the antidepressants Nardil and Parnate
Major tranquilizers such as Thorazine and Haldol
Other narcotic analgesics such as Demerol
Other central nervous system depressants such as Halcion and Restoril

The effects of Hydrocodone in pregnancy have not been adequately studied. Do not take this drug if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant unless you are directed to do so by your doctor. Drug dependence occurs in newborns when the mother has taken this drug regularly prior to delivery. If you take it shortly before delivery, the baby's breathing may be slowed. Acetaminophen does, and hydrocodone may, appear in breast milk and could affect a nursing infant. If this medication is essential to your health, your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding your baby until your treatment is finished.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

 •  Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. 

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