Vicodin
Vicodin combines a narcotic analgesic (painkiller) and cough reliever with a non-narcotic analgesic for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain.
Cautions: Vicodin 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.
Vicodin also contains acetaminophen which can cause liver damage when taken in sufficient amounts.
Use caution in taking Vicodin 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 Vicodin 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).
Side Effects: Dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, sedation, vomiting. These may be alleviated by lying down.
Interactions
: 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 Vicodin with the following: anti-anxiety 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.If you are sensitive to or have ever had an allergic reaction to hydrocodone or acetaminophen (Tylenol), you should not take this medication. Health Square