Hydrocodone

Hydrocodone, also known as dihydrocodeinone, is a semi-synthetic <a href="/facts/Opioid/EGnE2x99">opioid</a> used to treat <a href="/facts/Pain/70E79oUn">pain</a> and as a <a href="/facts/Cold_medicine/2Qe0AjMx">cough suppressant</a>. It is taken by mouth. Typically, it is dispensed as the combination <a href="/facts/Hydrocodone%2fparacetamol/dvnKDv5S">acetaminophen/hydrocodone</a> or <a href="/facts/Hydrocodone%2fibuprofen/g8h9SMxJ">ibuprofen/hydrocodone</a> for pain severe enough to require an opioid and in combination with <a href="/facts/Homatropine_methylbromide/UqUq6UzN">homatropine methylbromide</a> to relieve cough. It is also available by itself in a long-acting form sold under the brand name Zohydro ER, among others, to treat severe pain of a prolonged duration. Hydrocodone is a controlled drug: in the United States, it is classified as a <a href="/facts/Schedule_II_Controlled_Substance/8laeNsgD">Schedule II</a> <a href="/facts/Controlled_substance/Hx9cKG4f">Controlled Substance</a>.
Common side effects include <a href="/facts/Dizziness/eI8UvmS5">dizziness</a>, <a href="/facts/Sleepiness/mIlFhyf0">sleepiness</a>, <a href="/facts/Nausea/dyhkcbeD">nausea</a>, and <a href="/facts/Constipation/l4DHHM6L">constipation</a>. Serious side effects may include <a href="/facts/Low_blood_pressure/BhrdVVRS">low blood pressure</a>, <a href="/facts/Seizures/zuIrQyze">seizures</a>, <a href="/facts/QT_prolongation/kX1NAAUh">QT prolongation</a>, <a href="/facts/Respiratory_depression/ruqIr4oa">respiratory depression</a>, and <a href="/facts/Serotonin_syndrome/PqLvx901">serotonin syndrome</a>. Rapidly decreasing the dose may result in <a href="/facts/Opioid_withdrawal/zkdA4X7x">opioid withdrawal</a>. Use during <a href="/facts/Pregnancy/vEKYGpep">pregnancy</a> or <a href="/facts/Breastfeeding/cdWXyYDX">breastfeeding</a> is generally not recommended. Hydrocodone is believed to work by activating <a href="/facts/Opioid_receptor/eDIAqgV3">opioid receptors</a>, mainly in the brain and spinal cord. Hydrocodone 10 mg is equivalent to about 10 mg of <a href="/facts/Morphine/8ngpXHDc">morphine</a> by mouth.
Hydrocodone was patented in 1923, while the long-acting formulation was approved for medical use in the United States in 2013. It is most commonly prescribed in the United States, which consumed 99% of the worldwide supply as of 2010. In 2018, it was the 402nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 400,000 prescriptions. Hydrocodone is a semisynthetic opioid, converted from <a href="/facts/Codeine/lr7WHXmX">codeine</a> or less often from <a href="/facts/Thebaine/Jvu7PDmK">thebaine</a>. Production using genetically engineered yeasts has been developed but is not used commercially.

Hydrocodone open-in-new

Hydrocodone