If you are a everyday pain sufferer such as myself, sometime you feel hopeless. With help from my Pain Management Docter, I was finally put on something which has reduced the pain dramatically. That medicine is called Hydrocodone. This pain reliever allows me to live my life as I would like by reducing inflamation in areas hurting and eases the pain to an extent. Before I was perscribed this medecine, going out all day was impossible, but now I'm able to work for a few hours a day and try to live as normal life as possible.

wallauer

Jacksonville, FL

I've been on hydrocodone for over two years for my back injury. I've had back surgery with some relief and went through so much physical therapy and injections, yet I have struggled the most with trying to get off hydrocodone. Because it is very quickly addicting for your body. When you take Hydrocodone it causes your brain to release dopamine, giving you that "happy feeling."  It can also cause liver and kidney damage when continuously taken in high doses for extended periods of time. Even trying to cut your dose down weekly is very difficult and withdrawl and depression have been my experience. Most people end up having to go through counseling and a detox clinic of some sort. I tried cold turkey and after the 3rd day my withdrawl symptoms were even worse and since I am a single mom and it severly hindered my ability to take care of my son I had to go back on hydrocodone and have been trying to wean myself off now for 3 months. It is not going well. My suggestion to anyone just starting or thinking of starting to take hydrocodone is to really reconsider and discuss with your doctor what will be the plan for getting off it, what if you struggle getting off it, and  should you struggle what would your doctor recommend at that point for getting of it? Find out all your options for other kinds of pain management that are less addictive.

smoochiekam

Prescott, AZ

I am currently suffering from Osteo-Arthritis and have had cervical fusion (C5-C7), lumbar fusion (S1,L5) and double hip replacement in the last 6 years.  The only thing that has allowed me to lead a normal life is Hydrocodone, which I've been taking just prior to my first surgery.  My level of pain is strictly associated with my level of activity.  I love to hike, bike ride, weight lift and do yard work but there are days when I just can't get myself going or I can't get to sleep because of the discomfort.  All I need to do is take one 500mg Hydrocone and within 30 to 45 minutes my pain usually disappears allowing my muscles to relax and the tension in my body to ease up.  It's a fairly powwerful medication and I usually do not need to take more than the one tablet to get me back to my normal routine except under extreme circumstances.  I've also found this drug to be non addictive at least in my case.  I usually try to get through my days without taking any medications at all but there are those times when it just can't be helped and Hydrocodone works wonders without that feeling of drowsiness. 

ANDY99

Croton On Hudson, NY

I am very pleased with this break through pain medicine.I am a spinal cord injury patient and a chronic pain sufferer.I broke my neck at the C-6/C-7 vertebra and punctured my spinal cord.I started out on morphine and moved down to Oxycontin.Oxycontin is a powerful pain medicine that has to build up in your system and then continue without stopping to help with long term chronic pain. The constipation that comes along with these powerful daily drugs is terrible.When I was finally able to go home my rehabilitation doctor put me on Vicodin 5/500mg.It was in the winter time and my nerve pain was unbearable.I found that if I took two of these generic Vicodin/Hydrocodone 5/500mg that within about 45 minutes the pain would start to subside. I was able to wean myself off of Oyxcontin in about three to four weeks.You just can't stop taking some of these narcotics like this or it could kill you.I can now take the hydrocodone as soon as I feel the intense pain coming on.I know I will feel some relief within an hour.

UncleB

Independence, MO

first of all, let me just say, thank goodness for hydrocodone and other strong pain killers like it!!!  i could not live without them!!! i have chronic back pain and i would not be able to hold down a job if i didn't have a strong pain medication like hydrocodone. i do not suffer any negative side effects from it that other people have reported such as constipation, nasuea, headaches, dry mouth, etc. i get a little dizzy from it sometimes, but this is no big deal. hydrocodone is well worth the money and time and effort it takes to get it. doctors are sometimes hesitant to prescribe strong, possibly addictive painkillers, but if you have chronic pain, don't give up. you can find a doctor who will give it to you eventually and you will be so glad when you do. even on my worst pain days, hydrocodone helps me out immensly. and it works quite fast too. besides pain relief, it also makes you just feel good in general.

mariolntn

Watertown, NY

I suffer from Chronic Pain and I would not be able to function daily without Hydrocodine.  Thank God for Hydrocodine. It is an expensive drug. This medicine can be very addictive so please be careful, however it does work short term that it.  If you want a long term drug you might want to disscuss that with your doctor.

iluvdaffy

Hayward, CA

I was placed on Vicodin or hydrocodone after having several teeth extracted.  It really helped with the pain.  I did find that it caused nause but taking it with food helped.  The medication is a combination of acetaminaphin - tylenol - and hydrocodone.  Together they work in sync to relieve pain.  Taken in higher doses than prescribed tylenol can be very damaging to the liver and some studies suggest that even in smaller dosages it can be harmful.  I wouldn't want to be on hydrocodone on a long term basis but for the dental work it really helped.

PaperChaser

Flat Rock, MI

A couple of months ago, I was playing baseball with my two boys in the backyard. At some point during the game, I must have either swung the bat too hard or threw the ball wrong because the next day and everyday since, I have had terrible pain in my neck and shoulder. I went to the doctor and although we don't yet know what is wrong, he recommended Ibuprofen for inflammation and **Hydrocodone 5MG/500MG Pain Reliever** for the pain. The Ibuprofen did its job but I wasn't very impressed with the Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen. ***About Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen ***According to Drugs.com, Hydrocodone (also known as Lortab) is in a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers and Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of Hydrocodone. The combination of Hydrocodone and acetaminophen is used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Some side effects of Hydrocodone and acetaminophen may include feeling anxious, dizzy, or drowsy; mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, constipation; headache, mood changes; blurred vision; ringing in your ears; or dry mouth. ***My Experience ***I had an x-ray that didn't show anything other than the Degenerative Disc Disease that I already knew I had. An MRI was scheduled but in the interim, I was to take the medication Hydrocodone. The doctor told me to be sure to take the medicine at night either before bed or when I was staying home because it was common to get dizzy or drowsy after taking it. I was nervous at first to take this because I have read about how addictive it could be. The pain was getting so bad that the Ibuprofen alone wasn't cutting it anymore. One night, I decided to put my fears aside and take one of the 5 mg pills. I waited and I waited but I didn't feel a single thing. The pain wasn't relieved nor did I have any side effects. Hmm. I figured that the dosage might have been a little low and the directions on the bottle said to take 1-2 pills as needed for pain. The next night I took two pills and within about twenty minutes, I started to feel lightheaded whenever I stood up and within about forty-five minutes, my mouth was very dry. I even felt a bit anxious and couldn't sleep. A little of the pain was relieved but not enough to outweigh the side effects that I had. Honestly, I am very surprised that this medication didn't work for me because I have heard and read so many things about how good of a pain reliever it was supposed to be. I recently had my MRI and I am awaiting the results. I hope that once I actually know what is wrong, the doctor will be able to prescribe a more appropriate pain medication for me. ***My Final Viewpoint*** ***Hydrocodone 5MG/500MG Pain Reliever ***didn't relieve enough pain for me to continue to take it on a regular basis. The side effects outweighed the pain relief. For now, I will continue to take Ibuprofen and use the heating pad until the doctor can come up with a diagnosis and a way to properly relieve the pain. Due the side effects that I experienced and the pain relief that I didn't, I am going with a*** 2 star rating***.

LaurieM

Somewhere in, NY