How Does Hydrocodone Work, Know its Effectiveness, Side Effects, Dosage

Hysingla ER may halt or reduce your breathing. Do not use it in excess or longer than prescribed. Never open, break or crush the extended release tablet. Take it whole to prevent exposure to a probable deadly dose. Hydrocodone can be addictive even at normal doses. Do not share your dosage with another person, particularly those with a record of drug addiction or abuse. Store this drug where people cannot find it.

How Does Hydrocodone Work?

How Does Hydrocodone Work?

Hydrocodone works on narcotic receivers in the spinal cord and the brain and is utilized to alleviate mild to serious pain that does not heed to less powerful pain relieving drugs.

Effectiveness of Hydrocodone

Hydrocodone is a narcotic pain medicine. Narcotic medications are also known as opioids. Hydrocodone has two type of extended release medications namely hysingla ER and Zohydro ER. They are utilized around the clock for effective treatment of chronic pain. The extended release forms of hydrocodone are not utilized on as required basis for pain alleviation.

  • Hydrocodone is available in forms of long use slow release tabs
  • Alleviates mild to serious chronic and acute pain that are not manageable with other pain medications
  • Low probability in causing vomiting, nausea and constipation compared to morphine
  • Check for breathing issues mainly in the initial few days of use or when the dosage is increased.
  • Hydrocodone is found in abuse deterrent formulations
  • Effectiveness and assimilation of hydrocodone is not affected by meals
  • When long term use is suddenly stopped, you may experience bone and muscle pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting. The dosage should be discontinued gradually.
  • Hysingla ER is linked with stacked throat and chocking. Take the tablet whole with a lot of water. Never suck or wet the tablet before taking it.
  • Do not use alcohol while on hydrocodone treatment.
  • Vomiting and nausea as a result of hydrocodone can be treated using antiemetics while constipation can be treated using laxatives.
  • Can cause death in children. Store it away from children.
  • Never presoak, chew, crush or try to dissolve.
  • Can reduce your blood pressure when standing from a lying position. Do not stand in a hurry.
  • Progressive treatment requirements should be monitored frequently.

The response and effectiveness of hydrocodone is excellent. Slow release types should administered daily for the set treatment period of time and not on as needed basis. Slow release category effects will be evident from between 5 to hours.

What is the Recommended Dosage of Hydrocodone?

Normal Adult Dosage of Hydrocodone for treating Pain:

The use of hydrocodone must only be prescribed by a qualified and certified doctor who knows the usage of powerful narcotics in alleviating severe pain.

Initial dosage: Administer orally 10 milligrams in every 12 hours.

Titration: The dosage amount to be enlarged at 10 milligrams orally in every 12 hours between 3 to 7 days of intake to attain sufficient analgesia. Hydrocodone use should be changed to a dosage that gives enough analgesia and reduces severe reactions. Patients must be checked regularly to evaluate the sustainability of pain control and prevalence of serious side effects as well as looking at the increase of addiction, misuse or abuse. Patients with advancing pains may need increase in dosage or a rescue drug with correct dosage of the immediate release analgesic.

In case of serious side effects the dosage amount will be reduced. The dosage amount should be changed to attain correct balance in pain management and serious side effects.

Maximum dosage: Each hydrocodone dosage larger than 40 or 50 milligrams, or a daily dosage larger than 80 milligrams are only for people in who have been confirmed to have tolerance to narcotics of equivalent strength.

Approved indication: Hydrocodone is approved for managing serious pain which needs daily and around the clock narcotic long term treatment in situations where other treatment options have not been successful or are not enough.

What are the Side Effects of Hydrocodone?

Seek emergency medical assistance if you experience allergic reactions to hydrocodone; like breathing difficulty, hives or swelling if your tongue, face, throat and lips.
Stop your hydrocodone intake immediately and inform your doctor if you have;

  • Burning or pain when urinating
  • Peripheral or weak breathing
  • Shaking, confusion or serious drowsiness
  • Skipping menstrual periods or infertility
  • Fainting and light headed feeling
  • Lack of interest in having sex, sexual issues, impotency
  • Symptoms of low cortisol amounts such as vomiting, nausea, lack of appetite, escalating fatigue or weakness.

Get medical help immediately if you suffer signs of serotonin syndromes like hallucinations, agitation, shivering, fever, sweating, twitching, stiff muscles, vomiting, and nausea, lack of coordination or diarrhea.

Hydrocodone has a high probability of causing breathing complications in elderly patients, seriously sick people, malnourished or incapacitated patients.

Common side effects of hydrocodone can include:

People of between 18 and 60 years who have no other illnesses and are not using any other medicine are most likely to suffer the following side effects of hydrocodone;

  • Damage of reaction skills making it difficult to operate machinery or to drive.
  • Vomiting, nausea and constipation; but less compared to effects of other opioids
  • Leads to addiction and dependence and can be misused by drug addicts. This risk is greater in psychiatric patients.
Conclusion

Hydrocodone is an effective pain reliever but its intake is limited due to possible addiction.

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:July 27, 2017

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