What is Hydrocodone / Watson 10/325mg?

The medication is used by patients who have moderate to severe pain. It helps in relieving the opioid pain (hydrocodone) and a non-opioid pain reliever (acetaminophen) as well. Hydrocodone enters your brain and changes its reaction to how it responds to pain. The Acetaminophen in the medication can reduce fever too. 

This medicine is not suitable for children to use under 6 years because it has to increase serious side effects risks. 

How to Use Hydrocodone?

When you agree to use hydrocodone, you must read the patients instruction on the leaflet carefully as it will include all the do’s and don’ts you must follow while consuming the medicines.

In case you have further any questions, you can ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Take a note of below things if you are using Hydrocodone either with the food or without.

• If you have nausea, then you must take the medication with food. And, you may even ask your doctor on ways to reduce nausea such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with very less head movement.
• In any other case or problem, you can consult your doctor about Hydrocodone usage.
• If you are consuming the liquid form of medicine then be careful while ensuring the quality to take. You must only use a measuring device to get the exact measurement of the medicine. 
• If children are taking the medication then the dosage amount will depend upon their weight. 
• In case you have regular and long-lasting pain such as due to cancer then take long-acting opioid medications. This will cause a sudden breakthrough of the pain. 
• Your doctors may even prescribe other pain relievers (like ibuprofen, naproxen).
• Also, stay alert while taking the Hydrocodone dosage or if taking for a long time as it may cause withdrawal symptoms.

What are the possible Hydrocodone side effects?

Some of the common Hydrocodone side effects include:

• Nausea, 
• vomiting, 
• constipation, 
• lightheadedness, 
• dizziness, or drowsiness. 

To stop constipation, you must indulge more in healthy dietary fibre foods, drink a good amount of water, and exercise regularly. 

And, to decrease the chance of dizziness and lightheadedness, you should wake up slowly from your bed. 

Remember to stay calm if you are taking this medication as if your doctor has prescribed you this medicine, they know your condition better and the risks associated with it.

Call your doctor immediately if you have any serious side effects, including:

• interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), 
• mental/mood changes (such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations), 
• stomach/abdominal pain, 
• the problem in urination, 
• lack of appetite, 
• extreme tiredness, 
• weight loss,
• fainting, 
• seizure, slow/shallow breathing, and 
• severe drowsiness/difficulty waking up.

Though very serious reaction or side effects to Hydrocodone is rare and if you notice any of the below symptoms then also you can take help from the health centre:

• rash, 
• itching/swelling of the face/tongue/throat, 
• severe dizziness, and
• trouble breathing.

What precautions should I take?

If you are taking the medication then you should be careful with its ill-effects and must take the careful precautionary measures.

• Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets should be consumed with caution by elderly and debilitated patients or those who suffer from any critical impairment of hepatic or renal function, hypothyroidism, prostatic hypertrophy or urethral stricture, and Addison’s disease. 
• In the case of respiratory depression problem, you should be careful while taking the medication.
• Hydrocodone contains the cough reflex such as all other narcotics. Therefore, patients with pulmonary disease should be careful while exercising or using hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets.
• Hydrocodone can even cause impair to the mental and physical abilities during the execution of possibly dangerous tasks such as driving a car or operating machinery.
• Hydrocodone and Alcohol may generate an additive CNS depression when taken with this combination.
• Hydrocodone can become a habit of a patient. Hence, patients should only take this medication as and when prescribed to them by the doctor. 
• Patients with critical hepatic or renal disease must be careful with the effects of therapy and they must monitor with serial liver or renal function tests.

Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Different brands of this medication have different storage needs. Check the product package for instructions on how to store your brand, or ask your pharmacist. Keep all medications away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. For more details, read the Medication Guide, or consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.

See also Warning section.

Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval.

Some products that may interact with this drug include: certain pain medications (mixed opioid agonist/antagonists such as pentazocine, nalbuphine, butorphanol), naltrexone.

The risk of serious side effects (such as slow/shallow breathing, severe drowsiness/dizziness) may be increased if this medication is taken with other products that may also cause drowsiness or breathing problems. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products such as other opioid pain or cough relievers (such as codeine, oxycodone), alcohol, marijuana (cannabis), drugs for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine), or antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine).

Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely.

Other medications can affect the removal of hydrocodone/acetaminophen from your body, which may affect how hydrocodone/acetaminophen works. Examples include azole antifungals (such as ketoconazole), macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), mifepristone, HIV medications (such as ritonavir), rifamycins (such as rifabutin, rifampin), certain drugs used to treat seizures (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin), among others.

This medication may interfere with certain laboratory tests (including amylase/lipase levels), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.