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How to taper off hydrocodone


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  • SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

    Also visit the online treatment locator.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The service is open 24/7, 365 days a year.

English and Spanish are available if you select the option to speak with a national representative. Currently, the 435748 (HELP4U) text messaging service is only available in English.

In 2020, the Helpline received 833,598 calls. This is a 27 percent increase from 2019, when the Helpline received a total of 656,953 calls for the year.

The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.

The service is confidential. We will not ask you for any personal information. We may ask for your zip code or other pertinent geographic information in order to track calls being routed to other offices or to accurately identify the local resources appropriate to your needs.

No, we do not provide counseling. Trained information specialists answer calls, transfer callers to state services or other appropriate intake centers in their states, and connect them with local assistance and support.

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Last Updated: 08/30/2022

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The use of hydrocodone in the treatment of children with cancer

analgesic

Trademarks:

Lortab®, Vicodin®, Norco®

Often used for:

Pain

Hydrocodone is an opioid used to relieve pain. Therapy with this drug can be done in a clinic, hospital, or outpatient setting.

Hydrocodone is available as a fast-acting drug and a slow-acting drug. Follow dosage instructions carefully. The family may be asked to keep a record of the patient's doses of the drug, so that the attending physician can prescribe the most effective regimen for reducing pain. The patient may be prescribed a genetic analysis to determine the work of enzymes in order to adjust the dose of hydrocodone received.

Some medicines may contain a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen.

Long-term use of this drug may cause addiction.

Oral tablets

Oral capsules

Oral liquid form

  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Dizziness
  • Dry mouth
  • Decreased respiratory rate
  • Low blood pressure
  • Itching and urticaria
  • Mood swings (greater feeling of joy or upset)
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Problems with urination

The listed side effects are not observed in all patients who are prescribed hydrocodone. The most common side effects are highlighted in bold, but others are not excluded. Report all possible side effects to your doctor or pharmacist.

Be sure to discuss these and other recommendations with your doctor or pharmacist.

  • If a patient experiences any of the above side effects, most of them should resolve after a few days of taking hydrocodone. Tell your doctor if side effects get worse during therapy with this drug.
  • If taken regularly, fluid and fiber intake should be increased to prevent constipation. Tell the doctor if the patient has not had a bowel movement for 3 to 5 days. A laxative may be needed.
  • In the case of regular or long-term use of the drug, you can stop taking it only at the direction of a doctor. Stopping hydrocodone abruptly can cause diarrhea, headaches, increased sweating, muscle cramps, sleep problems, vomiting, or feelings of restlessness. If these symptoms appear, tell your doctor immediately. This may indicate that the dosage has been reduced too sharply.
  • Pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding patients should notify the attending physician.
Hydrocodone home use:
  • Do not exceed the recommended dose and frequency of use.
  • This drug may cause dizziness or drowsiness. Do not drive or engage in hazardous activities until a drug reaction has been identified.
  • If hydrocodone causes stomach upset, take it with food.
  • When taking hydrocodone in combination with acetaminophen, do not take additional acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or preparations containing it. This can lead to an overdose of acetaminophen.
  • When taking hydrocodone in liquid form, measure the dosage using the measuring device that comes with the kit. Measure the required dose carefully.
  • Take your dose as soon as possible if you miss it. Do not do this only if there is little time left until the next appointment. In no case do not double the dose at the next dose!
  • Store at room temperature.
  • Long-term use of this drug may be habit-forming. Watch for signs of drug abuse.
  • Do not share this product with others or use it for other purposes.
  • Do not use an expired drug.
  • Follow instructions for safe storage and disposal of the drug.

Learn more about hydrocodone

Hydrocodone - instructions for use

Hydrocodone

Instruction:

  • Pharmacological action
  • Readings
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • Dosage and Administration
  • Side effects
  • Overdose
  • Interaction
  • Special instructions
  • Precautions
  • Classification

Pharmacological action

Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from the natural opiates codeine or thebaine, belongs to the morphine group. Hydrocodone is an orally effective narcotic analgesic and cough suppressant. In medical practice, it is used as an antitussive agent in the form of hydrocodone phosphate. Hydrocodone reduces pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. It is commonly available in tablets, capsules, syrup form, and is found in many medications. It acts as an analgesic and a powerful cough suppressant.

Indications

Pain, severe cough.

Pregnancy and lactation

Use in pregnancy

FDA fetal category C.

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies on the safety of hydrocodone during pregnancy.

Animal studies have shown no fetal malformations at doses 2 to 10 times the maximum recommended in humans.

Prescribing opioids can lead to physical dependence in newborns.

Hydrocodone may harm the fetus during pregnancy. The use of the drug during pregnancy is prohibited, it can lead to breathing problems and even miscarriage. Application is contraindicated.

Use during breastfeeding

During breastfeeding, the use of hydrocodone can cause drowsiness, central nervous system depression and even death in the baby. Newborns are especially sensitive.

Contraindicated during breastfeeding.

Dosage and administration

Inside.

Children, pain: 150 mcg/kg every 6 hours.

Adults, pain: 5–10 mg every 4–6 hours; cough: 5 mg every 4 to 6 hours.

Side effects

  • Headache;
  • swelling of the face, hands, feet;
  • body aches;
  • chills, fever;
  • cough, sore throat;
  • depression;
  • feeling of fear;
  • nervousness;
  • labored breathing;
  • nasal congestion;
  • fatigue;
  • unusual weight gain or loss;
  • allergic reactions.

Overdose

Symptoms of hydrocodone overdose

Difficulty breathing, extreme drowsiness, numbness, cold and/or clammy skin, bradycardia, hypotension, coma.

Effects of hydrocodone overdose

Severe overdose can lead to cardiac arrest, death.

Mixing hydrocodone with alcohol, narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates can cause serious adverse effects including cardiac arrest, heart attack, respiratory arrest, liver and/or kidney failure, jaundice, amnesia, blindness and coma.

Interactions

Drinking with alcohol may increase drowsiness.

Interaction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, as well as other drugs, may cause drowsiness.

Precautions

Hydrocodone intake should not exceed 40 mg in patients with opiate sensitivity. The typical therapeutic range is 5-60 mg per day, in 4-6 doses of 2.5-10 mg. When prescribing combined agents with paracetamol (acetaminophen/APAP in some countries), do not exceed 4,000 mg of paracetamol per day.

For chronic pain patients increase the dose to 180 mg of hydrocodone per day (only in opioid dependent, increase slowly! fatal for a new patient).

Precautions

Included in the list of narcotic drugs, the circulation of which is prohibited in Russia.

Classification

  • ATX

    R05DA03

  • Pharmacological group

    Opioid narcotic analgesics

  • ICD codes 10

    R07.0 Sore throat

    R05 Cough

  • FDA pregnancy category

    C (risk not excluded)

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Learn more about the active substance Hydrocodone:

  • Reviews
  • Questions
  • Latin name
  • Chemical formula

Information about the active substance Hydrocodone is intended for medical and pharmaceutical professionals, for reference purposes only.

Learn more