Vicodin

When you are in deep pain, the number one thing that comes first in your mind is asking for the proper pain reliever. While the presence of over the counter pain relievers is relieving enough, there are still who ask for a higher dosage of pain relievers, that are very helpful and effective indeed, but can be very dangerous if not properly attended to. Vicodin is one of the many types of these painkillers.

What Is Vicodin?

Vicodin, scientifically called dihydrocodeinone or Hydrocodone, is one selective painkiller that we mostly see in a form of a white tablet. This tablet bears a name “Vicodin”, “Vicodin HP”, or “Vicodin ES” that is printed on a side of the tablet.

When taking Vicodin, do not take it with alcohol, as well as other pain medications that are narcotic, tranquilizers, sedatives, muscle relaxers, and any other form of medication that can slow down your breath and make you drowsy and sleepy. This is to avoid side effects that can be very dangerous. It is not advised to take this tablet with consulting your doctor first.

Vicodin is not given to a person who has some drug abuse or drug addiction histories. The medication contains hydroconone and can cause Vicodin addiction when not properly dealt with.

Contraindications And Interactions Of Vicodin

For the patient to avoid chances of side effects, drugs having isocarboxazid or Marplan should be avoided. Phenelzine, tranylcypromine, as well as other monoamine oxidase inhibitors are also drug contents that you should be careful about. When you are taking Vicodin, stay away with alcohol. This is basically because alcohol can relatively increase the drowsiness of the one taking the drug and can sometimes result to unconscious, and even on some sever cases, death. When taking alcohol moderately, this can also cause some liver failure because of the presence of acetaminophen on Vicodin. So you will not have a hard time dealing with the side effects, stay away with antidepressants and some other drugs that are said to induce drowsiness.

Vicodin Side Effects

Side effects of taking Vicodin include weakness in breathing, allergic reactions, clammy skin, seizures, hyperventilation, dizziness, unconsciousness, unusual fatigue, yellowing of the skin or the eyes, unusual fatigue, bleeding, constipation, bruising, dry mouth, vomiting, nausea, muscle twitches, loss of appetite, itching, sweating, tinnitus, decrease in urination, hearing loss, and decrease in sex drive. The drug also contains depressant effects, especially on ones central nervous system. There are also studies that links Vicodin to stomach ulcers.

Vicodin Addiction

This drug is addictive psychologically and physically. Vicidon addiction is somewhat the same with some other very powerful addictions. The content of the drug called hydroconone is basically the main reason why it is abused. The said content is considered an opoiod, and though not as strong, the effects are similar with the effects of heroin. In short, addiction to Vicodin is similar with heroin addiction.

Vicodin Withdrawal

Vicodin withdrawal include sever sensitivity to both sound and light, fever, muscle pain, restlessness, bone pain, diarrhea, insomnia, goose bumps, watery eyes, extreme appetite loss, runny nose, panic, irritability, depression, excessive sneezing, chills, and headache that can last up for a week.

On pregnancy as well as lactation, Vicodin is categorized under category C. This category comprises all of the drugs that have neither been tried nor tested in pregnancy, thus its effects on newborn babies cannot still be determined just yet. Therefore, for lactating mothers and the pregnant moms as well, are not given this type of painkillers.

The best way for you to deal with this kind of drug is to visit your doctors and ask them about it. Vicodin, or for that matter painkillers, are helpful provided that they are given and prescribed by doctors as well as other professionals in the world of medicine.

Should you have inquiries about this drug, you can try to visit the Internet to gather more information. Always remember, it is never wrong to take painkillers, as long as you do it properly.