The most important thing you should keep in your mind is that it is not allowed to take alcohol with Vicodin in order not to increase the chance of having some Vicodin’s side effects. Alcohol strengthens all the side effects of Vicodin such as sleepiness, giddiness and some other, so that it can lead to loss of consciousness and even to death. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is the component of Vicodin, which combined with alcohol is very harmful for liver.
Besides, Vicodin can strengthen actions of some other drugs that cause sleepiness such as antidepressants, antihistamines and other anaesthetics, anxiety medications, anticonvulsant drugs and muscle relaxants. Simultaneous taking of Vicodin and the drugs listed above may result in a dangerous sedation, giddiness and sleepiness. You should tell your doctor about all the drugs you take. Do not to assign any drug yourself avoiding consultation with your doctor.
Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. You should follow all the precautions when driving, controlling industrial equipment and doing other work concerned with some risks. Hydrocodone, the main component of Vicodin may cause sleepiness and giddiness. So if you have such symptoms you should avoid any hard work in order not to do harm to yourself and other people surrounding you.
Besides, acetaminophen can be found containing in some other medications, especially in those pain killers, cough remedied and antiallergic drugs which are available without a prescription. This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Vicodin. You shouldn’t take drugs that contain acetaminophen without consulting with your doctor. Be careful, overtaking of acetaminophen may be dangerous to you.
Do not give up taking Vicodin at once in order to avoid getting sedation side effects. You should ask your doctor for instructions and appropriate dosage that will help you refuse taking Vicodin. Tell your doctor if Vicodin seems to stop working as well as it has before in relieving your pain.
You should always follow your doctor’s instructions in order not to get overdose. Symptoms of an overdose may include extreme drowsiness, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, confusion, cold and clammy skin, shallow breathing, slow heart rate, fainting, or coma.
Be careful deciding to take Vicodin during your pregnancy. Animal studies have reported the occurrence of teratogenic effects at doses 700 times the human dose. Withdrawal symptoms and respiratory depression have been reported in neonates whose mothers took other narcotic analgesics during pregnancy. Hydrocodone should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk. Acetaminophen has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. It is routinely used for short-term pain relief and as an antipyretic in all stages of pregnancy.