Vicodin is a combination opioid narcotic analgesic drug consisting of hydrocodone and paracetamol. Hydrocodone has the same basic structure as morphine, has the same effect as morphine, but is twice as potent as morphine by mouth. Hydrocodone containing combination products with up to 15 mg of hydrocodone per dosage unit is listed in Schedule III medication in the United States.
In 2007, 99% of Vicodin was consumed in the United States! Its recreational use has escalated hugely and in 2010, it was the second most-frequently encountered opioid pharmaceutical drug. It was the most commonly prescribed opiate in the United States in 2012. One hundred forty-two million prescriptions were dispensed in the US alone! It is supposed to be prescribed to relief moderately severe, acute, or chronic post-operative pain.
Common side effects are nausea, vomiting, constipation, and dry mouth, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel aired it's concerns for liver damage in 2009. The panel voted to advise the FDA to remove Vicodin from the market because of "a high likelihood of overdose from prescription narcotics and acetaminophen products."
According to Vicodin rehab statistics experts, the estimated number of people that are addicted to Vicodin in the US is about two million, and the addiction cost Americans over $484 billion annually.
