Is Vicadin addiction forming?

I'm 44 years old and recently I had a knee surgery because I hurt my knee on the skiing trip. The surgery went well and they gave me some painkillers to ease the pain I was experiencing. I was on ibuprofen for a longer period of time so I guess I gotten used to it so it doesn’t work now as it used to. The doctor suggested taking Vicadin instead. Now I have done some research and found out that Vicadin is a narcotic analgesic and that it can be very addiction forming. Could I get addicted to it and what are the side effects if any?

Vicadin is a mixture of two medications, one of them is non-narcotic analgesic called Acetaminophen and the other one is a narcotic called hydrocodon bitartarate. The former is just a regular pain killer and its purpose is to boost the effect of the latter which is by itself a strong narcotic. If the pain youre feeling is strong then the administration of this medication is justified. You could get addicted to it if you used it for a longer period of time but if you use it only for a shorter period of time there should be no danger of getting addicted. If you feel at any time that you are getting addicted to it you should immediately notify your doctor about it. There should normally be no side effects but if any of the following symptoms occur you should report them to your doctor: lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, constipation and difficulty in urinating. Since Vicadin causes drowsiness you shouldn’t drive or do any machinery related work while taking it, also you should not take other meds that are causing drowsiness. For more information about this you should consult your physician.

Yes hunnie, I have been there far too many times! It is not a good idea!

Thanks Heidi!
I've changed doc. Vicodin is real hell. I heard so many stories lately. It's so terrifying that doctors are sending us in this hell. It seems that we're just a routine in their f**** job! They should help us.
Could you share your story with us?

Gundy

Hello,
Well where do I begin? My girlfriend was getting them for her back problem but she was not taking them. So she gave them to me. I started taking them for the hell of it and begin to get addicted. I felt as if I needed them all the time. I was able to function on them a lot better than without. At least I thought that was the case. Until one night I did not have any and I suffered from horrible leg aches, I was sick to my stomach and I felt like one big toothache! It was horrible. I ended up going to work the next day and a friend of mine introduced me to Suboxen, I took one, It works like a charm. Till this day I will never touch a vikoden again. I do crave them once and awhile but I will never forget that day.
Thats my storie!

I suffered an MTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury) as result of being hit from behind by a car traveling at highway speed while riding bicycle. A strong headache relief was needed. Vicadin was prescribed. The Dr., Nurse and Pharmacist informed me of the addiction probability which is really quit low if recommended prescription directions followed. That's a personal responsibility! The vicadin was only taken when necessary. As the headaches eased the use of vicadin decreased. The accident occurred September 30, 2006. I have had "NO" complications with vicadin. My brother broke his wrist recently and vicadin prescribed when pain was excessive - again a personal responsibility issue. My brother had no complications or bad experiences with vicadin. Vicadin is not a recreational drug and it is up to our personal responsibility to follow prescription directions.