Vicodin Side Effects Center

What Is Vicodin?

Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is a combination of the narcotic hydrocodone and non-narcotic pain reliever acetaminophen used for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain. Vicodin is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Vicodin?

Common side effects of Vicodin include:

• lightheadedness,
• dizziness,
• anxiety,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• upset stomach,
• drowsiness,
• constipation,
• headache,
• mood changes,
• blurred vision,
• ringing in your ears,
• dry mouth, and
• difficulty urinating.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Vicodin including shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, fainting, confusion, fear, unusual thoughts or behavior, seizures (convulsions), upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).

Vicodin may cause serious side effects including:

• noisy breathing
• sighing
• shallow breathing
• feeling lightheaded
• nausea
• upper abdominal pain
• tiredness
• loss of appetite
• dark urine
• clay-colored stools
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• vomiting
• dizziness
• tiredness or weakness

Get medical help right away, if you have any of the symptoms listed above.

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms such as fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in your chest; shortness of breath; and sudden dizziness, lightheartedness, or passing out;
• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors.

This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

Dosage for Vicodin

The usual dose for adults is 1 to 2 tablets or capsules every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Vicodin?

Combining alcohol and other sedatives with hydrocodone can lead to increased sedation and even cause confusion. Combining carbamazepine with acetaminophen may increase the risk of liver toxicity.

Vicodin During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies of hydrocodone/acetaminophen in pregnant women. Hydrocodone/acetaminophen is excreted in breast milk, and, therefore should be used cautiously by nursing mothers.

Additional Information

Our Vicodin Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: 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 this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• liver problems--nausea, upper stomach pain, tiredness, 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; o
• high levels of serotonin in the body--agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

Serious breathing problems may be more likely in older adults and in those who are debilitated or have wasting syndrome or chronic breathing disorders.

Common side effects include:

• dizziness, drowsiness, feeling tired;
• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;
• constipation; or
• headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.