March 12, 2007 - 9:49pm
Im new to medicine, and Im curious. Is there a real purpose for the acetaminophen in pills such as lortabs, or is it just to take away from the high to try and keep junkies away? Does 10 mg of hydrocodone in syrup like tussionex stronger then in lortab cuz the lortab has acetaminophen. Or does it mean that pills like norco's with 325 mg of acetaminophen are stronger than the lortabs with 500 mgs? I know they all have the same amount of hydrocodone in it but i didnt know if the acetaminophen weakens the effect. I know this is poorly written and i'm very sorry.
March 12, 2007 - 10:31pm
#2
Lvcien is correct in stating
Lvcien is correct in stating that the acetaminophen acts as a potentiator of the hydrocodone. However; the pill was never invented to be abused, so the acetaminophen is not a built in anti-abuse measure. If acetaminophen intake exceeds 4g, (4000mg) you could experience acetaminophen poisoning, and if taken over a long period of time, it is quite possible that it will affect your liver. If taken as prescribed, the liver problems should not come into play. But, if taken for extended periods, the doctor may want to switch to a pure opiate, such as duragesic or MSContin, and reduce or eliminate the acetaminophen intake.
As for the Tussionex inquiry, if I'm not mistaken, the hydrocodone is formulated a little bit differently to be released slowly, instead of rapidly as in a pill form.
Gtrplayer
March 12, 2007 - 10:38pm
#3
Thank you both for your
Thank you both for your replies. So the acetaminophen actually increases the strength of the pill. If im reading and comprehending right.
March 12, 2007 - 10:42pm
#4
Not really increases the
Not really increases the strength, but rather, increases it's effectiveness.
Gtrplayer
March 12, 2007 - 10:46pm
#5
I'm sorry to be a burden,
I'm sorry to be a burden, but could you elaborate more on how it increases the effectivness but not the strenth? I'm just trying to learn.
March 12, 2007 - 10:54pm
#6
You're not a burden at
You're not a burden at all. Some people swear that tablets with less tylenol in them work better, some swear that the lack of tylenol makes the tablet seem weaker.
For a chronic pain patient, a doctor will usually go with the 10/325 combination, to spare the unnecessary possible liver damage. For someone who has just had a tooth extraction, or a sprain or something similar, or is experiencing acute pain, the 10/500 may be a better choice, since the acetaminophen helps to make the medicine work faster.
Personally, my doc Rx's 10/325 since it's a pain management issue. I found that at first, when I switched from the 7.5/500 to the 10/325, the tablet actually seemed weaker. A lot of it just depends on the individual taking the tablet.
In general, I have found that with 500mg apap combinations, the medicine kicks in sooner, but wears out sooner as well. With 325 of apap, the medicine seems to be distributed over a steadier period of time because it doesn't hit you all at once.
I know that this answer is clear as mud right now, I'll repost it if I can think of a better way to state this. Or, in the morning, there is another poster that is familiar with these issues, and maybe they will post.
Please don't feel like it's a burden, but also remember, we are not doctors or pharmacists. A lot of the information you get here is either first hand knowledge, or things we have learned through ID'ing other pills and reading up on what the medicines are used for.
Gtrplayer
March 12, 2007 - 11:20pm
#7
I appericiate all your help
I appericiate all your help and patients with me. So the more acetaminophen makes it kick in faster but not last as long.
March 12, 2007 - 11:27pm
#8
WHAT GTRPLAYER IS SAYING...
what gtrplayer is saying is that pharmaceutical scientist found that acetaminophen acts as a catalyst when mixed with hydrocodone (thereby making it more effective)...one who takes a 10/650 should feel or get more relief than someone who takes just 10mg hydro...get it? Then, the longer the patient will be on the med, the less apap they will prob be rx'd as it can be damaging to the liver over time. What gtrplayer explains is fairly common, many people incl. myself feel, or have felt that a 10/650 is stronger than my current norco (10/325)...but the norco lasts and seems to have less side effects when many are taken...
well hope this helps you-
March 13, 2007 - 1:17pm
#9
The acetaminophen (tylenol)
The acetaminophen (tylenol) in combination narcotic analgesics does help to make the medicine more effective. I am rx'd Percocet 10/325 and take 1-2 tabs every 6-8 hours as needed along with 10mg oxycontin twice daily. I find that the acetaminophen helps to make that tabs last longer and does make them more effective. If I took one 10mg oxycontin vs. 1 percocet 10/325, the percocet would definitely be more effective for me. If you have a tolerance and are going to be taking multiple pills multiple times daily, go for the pill with the lowest amount of apap. As far as noticing a difference in effectiveness between a percocet 10/325 and 10/650, I wouldnt notice any difference in effectiveness. They both hit me the same and last the same amount of time. There are so many different variables that go into how fast a pill will kick in and how long it will last that you can experience vastly different times with the exact same medication. I know I have.
So, to answer the original question. No, acetaminophen does not weaken the pill, it makes it stronger.
Hope this helps
PDX
(edited by TeamPharmer)
April 19, 2007 - 9:24am
#10
percocet /tylenol
so do u take a tylenol along with with your percocet?
April 19, 2007 - 10:52am
#11
Tussionex is "hydrocodone
Tussionex is "hydrocodone resins". It is stronger than "hydrocodone"
I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST. I HAVE GAINED MY KNOWLEDGE THRU EXPERIENCE AND/OR RESEARCH.
April 19, 2007 - 12:28pm
#12
doc,From the Tussionex
doc,
From the Tussionex website.
Tussionex website wrote:
each teaspoonful (5 mL) of TUSSIONEX® contains hydrocodone polistirex equivalent to 10 mg hydrocodone bitartrate and chlorpheniramine polistirex equivalent to 8 mg chlorpheniramine maleate
Gtrplayer
April 19, 2007 - 12:44pm
#13
No, I do not take tylenol
No, I do not take tylenol with my percocet but I do sometimes add it to my continuous release oxycontin. It potentiates oxycodone the same way it does hydrocodone in my opinion. , although I would never reccomned taking more apap with a pill that already has apap in it.
PDX
The acetaminophen strengthen's the effect of the pill versus the opiate alone and also prevents abuse by basically destroying the liver.