Vicodin (IP110) 10/325mg

Description

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Vicodin if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol) or hydrocodone, or if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications.

Do not use this medicine if you have taken a MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

Some medicines can interact with hydrocodone and cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Be sure your doctor knows if you also take medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. Ask your doctor before making any changes in how or when you take your medications.

You should not use Vicodin if you have:

• severe asthma or breathing problems; or
• a blockage in your stomach or intestines.

To make sure Vicodin is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• breathing problems, sleep apnea (breathing stops during sleep);
• liver disease;
• a drug or alcohol addiction;
• kidney disease;
• a head injury or seizures;
• urination problems; or
• problems with your thyroid, pancreas, or gallbladder.

Vicodin is more likely to cause breathing problems in older adults and people who are severely ill, malnourished, or otherwise debilitated.

If you use narcotic medicine while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Ask a doctor before using opioid medicine if you are breastfeeding. Tell your doctor if you notice severe drowsiness or slow breathing in the nursing baby.

What to avoid

Vicodin may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how Vicodin will affect you. Dizziness or severe drowsiness can cause falls or other accidents.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Vicodin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Vicodin: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking Vicodin and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you have this type of reaction, you should never again take any medicine that contains acetaminophen.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops during sleep;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior;
• seizure (convulsions);
• easy bruising or bleeding;
• infertility, missed menstrual periods;
• impotence, sexual problems, loss of interest in sex;
• liver problems – nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• low cortisol levels – nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness; or
• high levels of serotonin in the body – agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

Common Vicodin side effects include:

• drowsiness, headache;
• upset stomach, constipation;
• blurred vision; or
• dry mouth.