Painkillers, like Vicodin and Norco, allow people improve their quality of life and get back to their normal habits, even if they have to live with constant or intermittent pain. Post-operative pain or severe chronic pain stopped being a sentence.
Comparing the composition of Vicodin vs Norco, it is obvious that both medications contain the same active substances:
- Acetaminophen (mild non-opioid analgesic)
- Hydrocodone (semisynthetic opioid analgesic).
Both Vicodin and Norco provide a strong pain relief effect and are often prescribed to patients after a serious surgical intervention or an injury or health condition, which results in constant severe pain.
Mechanism of action of Vicodin and Norco
So, since both drugs contain the same active substances, it is logic that their action mechanism is the same, and specifically:
- Suppress the CNS functions
- Increase the pain threshold
- Alleviate pain.
It means that the drug affects some areas of your brain and makes your body perceive less pain, when it remains at the same level. At that, it also lowers the painful sensations, thus providing a double pain-relief effect.
Vicodin vs Norco. Main differences
So what’s the difference between the two, and why some medics prefer prescribing one drug over another?
The thing is that a disadvantage of Norco vs Vicodin is that it comes in a single Acetaminophen dosage of 325 mg. At that the dosage of Hydrocodone varies:
- 5 mg
- 7.5 mg
- 10 mg.
Vicodin, in its turn, comes in various dosages of Acetaminophen, namely:
- 500 mg
- 750 mg
- 660 mg.
The dosage of Hydrocodone in each of the listed Vicodin options is 5 mg, 7.5 mg and 10 mg, correspondingly.
Why is it so important to have a selection of different Acetaminophen dosages? Because this pain relieving agent is quite toxic for your liver. Therefore, it is a good thing when your doctor can control the amount of this drug that you get on a daily basis.
It is impossible to achieve such dosage control with Norco. Vicodin, therefore, remains a preferred choice, especially in patients with liver diseases.
Warnings for Norco and Vicodin
With all the advantages that patients get with both Norco and Vicodin, there are some serious drawbacks of both medications. And you should be aware of possible unfavorable consequences of their use.
First and foremost, you will not be able to address your pain issues if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is contraindicated. Any previous or suspected allergic reaction to either of the two active substances is a serious reason not to use these analgesics.
Alcohol dependence, certain medical issues, including gastrointestinal disorders and liver diseases create a serious concern on whether you can or not use Norco and Vicodin without aggravating your condition. Besides, you will not be able to combine the use of these combined painkillers with a long list of drugs and substances.
Make sure that you inform your doctor about the entire range of health concerns and diseases that you currently have or had in the past, as well as about the drugs that you take on a daily basis or on as needed basis.
The main concern, when it comes to the use of Vicodin or Norco, is the high possibility of drug dependence. Therefore, you need to always comply with the recommended dosing schedule and never double the dose on your own, without discussing this possibility with your doctor.
Where to buy Norco or Vicodin
Since both meds are classified as Schedule II drugs, you will not be able to buy them without a prescription. However, if you ran out of stock and don’t have time/are incapable of visiting the doctor, you can search for a reliable online pharmacy and order Norco, Vicodin or their generics at an affordable price. They will be delivered to your doorstep within the shortest possible time.