Which is stronger lortab or vicodin

This is important because of the risk of addiction. In many European countries, hydrocodone has been highly restricted for many years. Until the fall of , hydrocodone and oxycodone were in two different drug schedules. A drug schedule is a number that is assigned to a medicine, chemical, or substance.

Today, both hydrocodone and oxycodone are schedule II drugs. Schedule II drugs have a high potential for being misused. Frequently, both oxycodone and hydrocodone are combined with other painkillers or chemicals. Pure oxycodone is available in a brand name drug called Oxycontin.

You take Oxycontin tablets orally usually every 12 hours. The tablets come in several different doses. The dose you use depends on the severity of your pain. Pure hydrocodone is available in an extended-release form, which is designed to release into your body slowly, not all at once. This allows the medication to work over a long period of time. The brand name for this drug is Zohydro ER.

You can take a capsule orally every 12 hours. This medication can be used to treat long-term pain problems.

In the event of an emergency situation, researchers have found the two medications treat pain equally. In a study with both drugs, researchers found that both oxycodone and hydrocodone were equally effective at treating pain caused by fractures. Participants experienced equal pain relief 30 and 60 minutes after the medication was taken.

However, those who were given hydrocodone experienced constipation more frequently than participants who used oxycodone. Another study found that the combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen was 1. Both oxycodone and hydrocodone are sold as brand-name drugs and as generic alternatives.

Generic medications are cheaper than their brand-name counterparts. For that reason, you may wish to try the generic versions. Before you do that, consult your doctor. Some generic versions of medications have different ratios of active and inactive ingredients.

To be classified as generic by the U. Food and Drug Administration, the drug must include the same strength of active ingredients, but may not have the same amount of inactive ingredients. If you need to use the brand name but find that the price tag is too high, prescription drug insurance and prescription coupons may help reduce your total cost. The most common side effects of oxycodone and hydrocodone are similar.

These side effects include:. Oxycodone is more likely to cause side effects of dizziness and drowsiness, as well as fatigue, headaches, and feelings of euphoria. Hydrocodone is more likely to cause constipation and stomach pain. People who have asthma or breathing difficulties may need to avoid these pain medications entirely. That period of time varies, but it can be as long as 20 years.

You may have noticed many new medications are only available in the brand name form. This is usually because the patent has not expired yet. Once a patent expires, other companies are free to make their own versions of the same drug. These may include a generic version.

These medications must have the same active ingredient as the name brand, that is the medicine part. The rest of the medication can vary. That includes things like fillers, coatings, color, flavor and so forth. When you ask what is the difference between Lortab and Norco, that last sentence is your answer. Lortab and Norco are both formulations which include hydrocodone as the primary active ingredient. Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid medication.

What is Lortab? Well, both medications have acetaminophen aka Tylenol as a secondary ingredient. The rest of each table the inactive ingredients may vary, but that has little bearing on the effect of the medicine.

In the United States, hydrocodone is always combined with another non-narcotic pain medication. Acetaminophen he most common choice by far. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.

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