Vicodin Side Effects You Should Know

Hydrocodone is one of the most frequently prescribed opioids in the United States. Millions of prescriptions for hydrocodone-containing products are dispensed each year. This potent drug is marketed under hundreds of different brand names. Generic hydrocodone is available by itself or in different combinations with other active drugs, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. A frequently prescribed combination contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen, sold under brand names such as Vicodin and Lortab. These prescription medications are classified as controlled substances. Please continue reading to learn more about the side effects of Vicodin.

What is Vicodin?

Vicodin is a brand name product that contains two active ingredients — hydrocodone (hye-droe-koe-done) and acetaminophen (ah-set-ah-mee-noe-fen). While the brand name medications Vicodin and Norco have been discontinued in the U.S., you can still get the generic equivalent of Vicodin, which contains the same active ingredients (hydrocodone and acetaminophen).

Hydrocodone is an opioid analgesic (narcotic pain reliever) and antitussive (cough suppressant). Acetaminophen is a non-opioid pain reliever and fever reducer.

Vicodin is used to treat moderate to severe pain, and it is usually reserved for when other pain medicines aren’t effective enough. Just like any narcotic pain medicine, Vicodin can be habit-forming and cause serious health complications such as life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, serious breathing problems, and fatal overdose.

How much Vicodin can you safely take in a day?

Vicodin oral tablets are available under different strengths of hydrocodone, and the maximum daily dose of Vicodin depends on which strength of Vicodin you are using. Keep in mind that the different strengths of hydrocodone in Vicodin tablets are 5 mg (milligrams), 7.5 mg, and 10 mg. However, these different formulations of Vicodin contain 300 mg of acetaminophen. Please see below for the maximum daily dose recommended for adults to be used as needed for pain:

Vicodin 5 mg/300 mg: take 1 to 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours, not to exceed 8 tablets in 24 hours;
Vicodin 7.5 mg/300 mg: take 1 tablet every 4 to 6 hours, not to exceed 6 tablets in 24 hours;
Vicodin 10 mg/300 mg: take 1 tablet every 4 to 6 hours, not to exceed 6 tablets in 24 hours;

You should pay attention to the amount of acetaminophen if you are taking other acetaminophen-containing products, such as medicine for colds and flu. Most healthy adults with no liver impairment can typically take up to 4,000 mg (4 g) of acetaminophen within a 24-hour period.

What are the major side effects of Vicodin?

Common side effects of Vicodin include dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

Other adverse reactions include skin rash and itching. This medicine can also cause foggy thinking, impaired mental performance, mood changes, and anxiety. In some people, Vicodin can cause side effects such as difficulty urinating and pain with urination.

Hydrocodone is an opioid medicine that acts on the central nervous system. It can cause respiratory depression, which is dangerously shallow, slow breathing that can be fatal.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects if they are severe or do not get better in a few days.

What effects does Vicodin have on the stomach?

Long-term use of Vicodin (acetaminophen-hydrocodone) can cause constipation.

What are the serious side effects of Vicodin?

You should seek emergency medical help if you develop the following serious side effects:

Irregular, slow, or noisy breathing, worsening tiredness, extreme sleepiness
Difficulty breathing
Seizure
Lightheadedness, feeling like you may faint
Chest tightness
Hallucinations, agitation, fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, shivering, muscle stiffness, muscle twitching, loss of coordination
Loss of appetite, upper stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Irregular menstrual periods
Erectile dysfunction (inability to achieve or sustain an erection)
Low libido

How to use Vicodin safely?

Prescription and dosage

You should talk to your doctor or get referred to a pain specialist if you experience severe pain due to different conditions. You should not take any type of pain medicine that is offered to you by friends or relatives because Vicodin and other opioid pain medicines are habit-forming.

With that said, you should only use prescribed Vicodin that is dispensed from a credible source, such as a community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy, to avoid drug products that are contaminated. Vicodin is typically only used when other pain medicines aren’t enough to relieve pain due to the associated risks; therefore, you should only take Vicodin as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

Read the prescription label carefully and take Vicodin exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if your pain is not well-controlled on your current dose. Do not increase the dose, dosage frequency, or duration of treatment without your doctor’s approval.

Precautions before starting Vicodin

Before starting Vicodin, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to acetaminophen, hydrocodone, or any other medications.

Give your doctor a complete list of your other medicines, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal products. This will help avoid serious drug interactions. Certain medications can make the side effects of Vicodin worse. Vicodin can interact with many commonly prescribed medications, such as antidepressants to treat mood disorders (tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, SNRIs, and MAO inhibitors), medications for migraine headaches, motion sickness, irritable bowel syndrome, antifungal medication, seizure medication, muscle relaxants, and many more.

Tell your doctor if you or someone in your family has a history of drug or alcohol addiction, mental illness, or has received medical treatment for substance abuse in the past. Also, tell your doctor if you have medical conditions or symptoms such as difficulty urinating, constipation, paralytic ileus, seizures, thyroid disease, kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatic disease, gallbladder disease, chronic breathing disorders, or lung disease.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Precautions during Vicodin use

Keep all your doctor appointments while you are on Vicodin. Your doctor may want to order certain lab tests to monitor your liver functions while keeping an eye on Vicodin side effects.

Check the labels of all your other medications, including over-the-counter cold or allergy medicines and prescription cough medicine. These products may contain hydrocodone and/or acetaminophen. Make sure you do not exceed the recommended daily maximum dose of Vicodin (acetaminophen-hydrocodone).

Vicodin is usually taken as needed to control pain. If you are taking it on schedule for severe chronic pain, in case of a missed dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and return to your regular schedule. Never take two doses of Vicodin together.

Tell your providers that you are taking Vicodin before any surgery or medical tests.

Call your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while on Vicodin.

An opioid overdose can be fatal. Talk to your doctor about having access to a rescue medication called naloxone should an overdose occur. Contact emergency services and seek emergency medical attention if you notice severe drowsiness, shallow breathing, or other overdose symptoms.

Stopping Vicodin

If you have been taking Vicodin for several weeks or more, do not stop taking it suddenly. This can lead to potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Your healthcare provider will tell you how to decrease the dose slowly.

What is the downside of Vicodin?

The downsides of taking Vicodin include:

This medication is habit-forming and has the potential for drug abuse and addiction.
Because Vicodin is a central nervous system depressant, it can cause respiratory depression (dangerously shallow, slow breathing).
Interactions with other drugs can lead to serious adverse reactions.
Suddenly stopping Vicodin can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
Hydrocodone is an opioid medicine. Taking too much Vicodin can lead to a fatal opioid overdose.
High doses of acetaminophen can cause liver damage.
Vicodin can cause drowsiness and dizziness. This can increase your risk of accidents, falls, and injuries. These side effects may be worse if you drink alcohol.
Vicodin can lower fertility in both men and women.
Taking Vicodin during pregnancy can lead to a serious condition called neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in the newborn baby.
Rarely, Vicodin can cause a severe skin reaction and anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.

Note: This medication guide is for information purposes only. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for medical advice if you have further questions about the side effects of Vicodin.

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