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Humans can enjoy life as it is, follow our usual ways, develop our creativity and skills endlessly with only one condition - we are not in pain! Consider it closely! Can you cook delicious dishes when your have a toothache? Can you dance your night away with your ankle sprained? Can you perform any routine task with delight when your mind is clouded with pain? The answer is definit - no, you cannot! Pain is the torture we all have to suffer from time to time. We hate pain and try to avoid it but we seldom think that pain is the best friend we have, too. Shocked to hear that? Well, don’t be, because pain is what makes all living beings survive and take good care of their health!

As the main character of Hugh Laurie’s novel “The gun seller” stated, “pain is something you cause to yourself”. It is true, when something is wrong with our body, either inside or outside, our mind generates strong throbbing signals that we perceive as pain or chronic ache. This way our organism cries for help and pleads us to handle the problem as soon as possible.

When humans develop severe chronic illnesses pain can torture them round the clock, turning their lives into a distressing ordeal. Of course, the main task of modern medicine is to help those persons diminish the pain and lead usual lives. Today opioid medicines, both synthetic and natural, are the most effective pain killers available.

Vicodin belongs to the class of synthetic narcotic analgesics, too. Containing Hydrocodone (synthetic opiate) and APAP (Paracetamol or Tylenol), Vicodin causes double pain decreasing effect bringing you swift relief. This successful compound of two pain killers is know by many brand names depending on the concentrations of Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen in them. So:

- Vicodin has 500 mg Paracetamol and 5 mg Hydrocodone;
- Vicodin HP comprises 750 mg Paracetamol and 7.5 mg Hydrocodone;
- Vicodin ES comprises 660 mg Paracetamol and 10 mg Hydrocodone;
- Anexsia is made up of 500 mg Paracetamol and 5 mg Hydrocodone or 650 mg Paracetamol and 7.5 mg Hydrocodone;
- Dolorex Forte; Hycet; Liquicet; Lorcet is made up of 500 mg Paracetamol and 5 mg Hydrocodone; 650 Paracetamol mg / 10 mg Hydrocodone; or 650 mg Paracetamol and 7.5 mg Hydrocodone;
- Lortab comprises 500 mg Paracetamol and 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10 mg Hydrocodone;
- Maxidone is made up of 750 mg Paracetamol and 10 mg Hydrocodone;
- Norco is 325 mg Paracetamol and 5, 7.5, or 10 mg Hydrocodone;
- Polygesic has 500 mg Paracetamol and 5 mg Hydrocodone;
- Stagesic has 500 mg Paracetamol and 5 mg Hydrocodone;
- Xodol is made up of 300 mg Paracetamol and 5, 7.5, or 10 mg Hydrocodone;
- Zamicet; Zydone comprises 400 mg Paracetamol and 5, 7.5, or 10 mg Hydrocodone.

Other non-active ingredients included in each pill of Vicodin are: colloidal silicon dioxide, starch, croscarmellose sodium, dibasic calcium phosphate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone and stearic acid. If you are allergic to any main or non-active components of the medicine, please, call your healthcare provider before you buy Vicodin and start taking it.

Vicodin, like any other narcotic analgesic, is recommended to to cope with moderate to moderately severe pain. This medicine is most commonly recommended for acute, chronic and/or post-operative states. Sometimes it can also be used to cure severe cough.

Semi-synthetic opioid analgesic Vicodin is available in different medical forms: tablets, capsules and liquid solutions. The usual dose for adults is 1-2 tablets of Vicodin with every meal 4 times a day. In fact you can take this drug with or without food but the majority of practitioners underline that full stomach protects gastrointestinal tract. For instance, if you suffer from nausea after taking Vicodin, it may help you to take this med after a square mealafter a substantial meal. Likewise, if you follow Vicodin therapy, drinking plenty of water during a day can help in preventing constipation typical for Vicodin takers.

Please, do not forget that each kind of brand or generic pill contains various amounts of Vicodin. That is why you should be very careful how many tablets you take. The maximum safe amount of Acetaminophen for grownups is only 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose or 4 grams (4000 mg) per day. If you take Vicodin, 1-2 tablets each time is needed, the max number of tablets a day is 8 tablets. If you take Vicodin ES, 1 tablet each time is needed, i.e. max 5 tablets a day. If you take Vicodin HP, 1 tablet each time is needed, i.e. max 6 tablets a day. Pain relieving capsules can contain 2.5 to 10 mg Hydrocodone and 300 to 750 mg Acetaminophen. You should take Vicodin every 4 to 6 hours or 15 ml of liquid solution every 4 to 6 hours as needed. If possible, take minimal dosage of Vicodin and keep to the time span of 6 hours to avoid numerous adverse effects and addiction to this med.

If you miss a scheduled dose of Vicodin, take it as soon as you remember the fact. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose skipping the previous one. Never take double or extra doses to avoid dangerous ovedose! The distressing point is that
Vicodin overdose can be lethal.

Talking about Vicodin adverse reactions, remember that this medicine can make you feel dizzy or drowsy. That is why you should be cautious participating in activities demanding alertness and quick reaction (driving, using complicated machinery ect).

Avoid alcoholic beverages because they increase the risk of Vicodin adverse effects. Remember that Vicodin contains Acetaminophen in it, and this substance is able of causing liver damage. If in addition to it you use alcohol daily, it interacts with Acetaminophen and increases the risk of severe liver damage.

Just as all synthetic narcotic drugs Vicodin can cause severe side effects, which are rather seldom. If you face a serious sign seek medical help immediately! Serious Vicodin side effects include:

- bad drowsiness,
- bad abdominal pain and constipation,
- slow heart rate,
- hyperventilation, troubled or slow breathing,
- hallucinations and altered mental status,
- confusion, anxiety or fear,
- unusual fatigue,
- hearing loss,
- decreased urination,
- cold and clammy skin,
- bluish tinge on the skin,
- blood disorders,
- low blood pressure,
- seizures,
- kidney and liver problems including failure.

Liver failure produces jaundice and a number of symptoms like pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes and dark urine.

What is more, persons allergic to Vicodin can have bad allergic reaction:

- itching, skin rash or hives,
- unusual swelling of the mouth, tongue and throat, wheezing and breathing difficulty.

If you take Vicodin therapy and feel uncomfortable when you have to rise from a seated or lying position you can minimize dizziness and lightheadedness doing it slowly.

If you are elderly great caution is advised when taking this med - you may be more sensitive to the adverse reactions of the medication, especially decreased breathing and drowsiness. It is forbidden to prescribe Vicodin to individuals under 18! Children should never be prescribed Vicodin, as its safety and effectiveness in children has not been established till now.

If you have to undergo any type of surgery, tell your surgeon that you are using Vicodin ahead of time. This drug weakens the effect of anaesthesia that is why you may need to stop using Vicodin for a short time.

The topic of Vicodin, pregnancy and breastfeeding is vital, too. The action of Vicodin during pregnancy and breastfeeding are not properly studied. To be on the safe side, do not take Vicodin if you are pregnant to keep your fetus safe. Discuss with your medical man all pros and cons before purchasing cheapest Vicodin online without a prescription and taking it. Although some medical reports state that this drug is safe for pregnant women, you should take it only if obvious positive effects outweigh the possible risks. Bear in mind that if Vicodin is regularly taken in the time before delivery, it may cause respiratory depression and withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby because the fetus becomes Vicodin dependant within the mother’s womb! Nursing mothers should not use Vicodin because Paracetamol and Hydrocodone easily gets into human milk effecting your baby.

Vicodin is sometimes prescribed in veterinary for dogs if they are allergic to Carprofen (Rimadyl Rx) or Etodolac (Etogesic Rx). But frankly speaking it is not the best choice of a pain reliever. The point is that although Hydrocodone that relieves pain is well tolerated but Tylenol is toxic to dogs and it causes numerous liver problems. All the same, Vicodin is sometimes the only option for chronic arthritis problems in older dogs.

Present-day medicine is rather careless about Vicodin addiction today - addiction to illicit street drugs and/or alcohol is considered to be a far more serious condition. Frankly speaking, Vicodin is not really viewed as a drug able of causing the same horrible troubles as other drugs! No wonder that this attitude of professionals often leads Vicodin addicts and their nearest and dearest to the idea that everything is under control and they do not require the withdrawal treatment. What a shame!

If you feel any withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking Vicodin, seek drug abuse treatment immediately! Males and females who have a problem with drugs or alcohol must be particularly careful and see their MD regularly. If you have to undergo Vicodin addictin treatment, be ready for the initial phase - the detoxification process. It cleanses the physical body of a man or woman and prepares him or her for further treatment.

Why is Vicodin so habit-forming? The matter is that the regular use of Hydrocodone causes certain changes you brain - in the way it handles narcotics. The longer you take Vicodine and the higher is the dosage you apply daily, the sooner you develop an opiate tolerance. Consequently you need increasingly greater doses of the medicine to feel the same pain decreasing effects.

If an opiate-tolerant person tries to drop taking Vicodine, he or she will experience severe opiate withdrawal symptoms. Vicodin addicts experience the first withdrawal symptoms within 6-24 hours following their last dose. They experience:

- runny nose, muscle aches and other flu-like symptoms;
- nausea;
- diarrhea;
- anxiety;
- depression;
- insomnia;
- irritability;
- chills;
- drug cravings;
- increased pain of the health disorder that forced them to take Vicodin.

Secondary Vicodin withdrawal symptoms that can last for months with varying degrees of intensity are:

- insomnia,
- lethargy,
- depression.

The withdrawal peak is located within 72 hours of the last Vicodin dose and it lasts for 4-5 days. Pain humans who are taking Vicodin for its analgesic effects experience increased sensitivity to pain during the withdrawal period.

Probably the best and the most realistic illustration of severe Vicodin withdrawal torture is the episode from the “House M.D” serial where the main character Greg House survives the most horrible Vicodin withdrawal symptoms. The best way to avoid Vicodin addiction is taking 1 tablet of Vicodin 3 times a day after meals and never prolonging the period of Vicodin therapy, then you will get back to normal painless life and will be able to enjoy every delightful moment of it with the people you love and care for.