Taking Hydrocodone For Depression

I am wondering if anybody else out there has taken Hydrocodone and noticed that symptoms of depression are alleviated? I find that many of today's anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs come with unpleasant side effects, whereas while taking Hydrocodone they aren't there. The caveat to all of this is that yes, I know that Hydrocodone and opiates in general can be addictive. So long term use would result in withdrawal symptoms. I'm just wondering who else might agree with me on this?

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I have taken dozens of antidepressants as well as been prescribed antipsycotics and other meds for off-label usage, and nothing has worked effectively over the past 15 years.

I will take hydrocodone for a chronic pain condition, and, YES, oh my goodness, YES, it seems to make me immune to a depressive episode.

For obvious reasons, though, I don't take it until the evenings, so I don't get the benefit for most of the day. And I GENERALLY don't take it unless I'm having the physical pain, because I'd have to explain to my doc why I'm going through it so quickly.

I was actually on this site looking up info about Saphris, the latest med I'm trying for off-label use. I'm thinking the side-effects, if they continue, are not worth it at all.

At least we know what too much hydrocodone will do.

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I have been on zoloft for eleven years now...sometimes I feel like it doesn't work as it should. I suffered a herniated disk in my neck a year ago and ever since have been taking hydrocodone. It seems to be a good supplement to the zoloft as far as my depression goes.....

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What doctor would prescribe it for that though? Everyone's so stingy with narcotic distribution.

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When I was taking Hydocodone for pain, I noticed a significant difference in my mood. I have suffered from depression for about 30 years and was surprised at the benefits I received from this med. I told my Psychiatrist about this and he said that he has had several patients reporting a decrease in their depression. However, because you tend to need higher and higher doses of it, he felt it was not a good alternative for current medications. I wish the would look into it further.

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Well you go through withdraws from the anidepressants too, so whats tha difference. besides the fact you might have to increase your dose a little faster. Whatever works I say.

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Absolutely yes , hydrocodone has improved my mood better than any anti-depressant ever has and I've been on a lot of them. It also helps w/ chronic diarhea . I agree w/ Teri, whatever works!!

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I have been taking Hydrocodone for the past two years for cronic pain and I do agree because when I don't take it I become depressed and lethargic.

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Oh my gosh - so nice to know I'm not alone on this- I have tried all ssri's too- Paxil, Lexapro, Prozac, Ativan, and even mixtures with Ritalin, but I truly have never felt like me except when I have taken hydrochone- I only had 30 from a surgery, and then one day I took 1/2 of one, and I my depression was gone- I could actually focus, I was motivated and I felt like a normal person. I was trying to see how I could approach my doctor about perhaps putting me on this and he can monitor me, etc. Does anyone here know if there is any research on this or not? If so what are the links? Thank you all for sharing! I wonder if it has to do with brain chemestry and maybe that is why it works on some of our depressions? I will keep checking back here to see if there are any updates. Thanks again

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Yes yes Hydrocodone works for depression! I've been on every antidepressant known to mankind with minimal good results. Now I take hydrocodone for chronic pain and it's been amazing. I.ve taken the same dosage for yrs. and it works. I don't feel high or anything , just normal. Getting this used for depression would be a major problem though, because you can barely get Drs. to prescribe it for pain.The Gov. is so busy trying to protect us from ourselves.....

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I take Prozac and Wellbutrin everyday and it seems like most days it isn't working and I am so lowI can't get out of bed. I was perscribed Hydrocodone apap5/325 because I need a knee replacement. Just had shoulder surgery, have had a hip replacement and have arthritis in my back very bad says the Dr. While taking Hydrocodone I am not depressed , what on earth should I do. My directions say for pain in my knee take 1 every 6 hours. Should I tell my Dr. all this and see what he thinks.Plus I don't have the pain.

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I have had severe depression for years and no resulty from anything. I had an enlarged protrate and the severe pain was helped a little from Hydroco 500mg. But the side effect was I felt really good about myself and life. Since I really would not mind dying, this is the best way to live a normal life. Which is worst? I think this medice is a God sent. I am just trying to find out how to get more.

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I have been taking Lortabs for 4 years now. I got in a really bad motorcycle wreck and messed some stuff up. Lortab definately help me with depression. When I take them I feel better about everything. So yes I do take them for depression as well.

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I also find benefits of alleviating drepression symptoms from taking hydro's. When I take it I am better at everything: taking care of my kids, keeping up with housework, activities, and feeling a general purpose for my life. I take Cymbalta now but have been on Prozac and effexor but nothing comes close to the hydro's. But like someone mentioned before what doctor would prescribe hydro's for depression? I just wish I could get it regularly.

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I take hydrocodone 10/325 for rhumetoid arthritis pain, it not only does a great job on the pain but it is the only medicine I have ever taken that truly helps with my depression and anxiety. I have been able to remain on 4 to 5 pills a day for the last 2 years and have not had to increase my dose, however I also take Tramadol to help with the pain as well. If I didn't have the pain I think I would still be suffering from severe depression without the hydrocodone. My doctor is very cautious with the hydrocodone so sometimes I do go through withdraw symptoms which are nasty, mainly with depression and pain. I'm not sure which comes first the pain or the depression. I am going to a pain specialist again and I pray that he or she will allow me to stay on hydrocodone. It's a Godsend and I really could care less if I'm addicted, life is very hard to live without it.

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hydrocodone is an opiate an can induse a high like symptom it is addicting and can cause liver damage because of the blend with tylonol, beware.

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It's also true of antidepressant medication that you cant just STOP wothout feeling a withdrawal effect, you have to usually wean off it, so while taking hydrocodone causes physical dependency, like any other antidepressent or most psychotropics, that's NOT same as 'addiction'

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I have 2 problems hydrocodone tends to manage(besides pain). I have never been prescribed long term but when i take hydro i have complete remission of depression and chronic throat clearing/motor tics. I was diagnosed with depression several years ago and tried many SSRIs. They made me hazy, sleep alot, no motivation at all. They did get rid of tics and made me eat. I've always had trouble sleeping, always fidgeting, never relaxed, never task oriented. I always feel like a bee stung my central nervous system. We tried stimulants. Currently on Ritalin 20mg/day. It helps with the depression, anxiety, and tics althought when it wears off at night i'm constantly shrugging shoulders and clearing throat. Hydrocodone makes me want to accomplish tasks, want to talk to people, relax on the inside, never angry with anything, no motor tics, focused, no physical/psychological pains. Seriously with 5mg twice a day i will be awake when i want to be awake and sleep at night. And for those wondering how this works, it kills pain by binding to opioid receptors but it changes your outlook,motivation, and well-being through the dopamine reward system. FYI suboxone is written off-label for treatment resistant depression(by a few psych mds). However, I don't want to go this route bc it's a pretty strong narcotic and i think it's pretty expensive.

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I found, accidentally, that - YES - hydrocodone could do wonders for my depression. I was taking some for lower back pain. Besides helping my back pain, I found myself feeling awfully good mentally. I googled to see if I was having a unique experience. No, I was not. I knew this was a drug that had recreational potential, but what I found out on the Web was that others, like me, who were not trying to get high, incidentally found themselves greatly relieved of psychic angst. My back problem resolved just fine, so I no longer have a prescription for hydrocodone. It would be against my principles to lie to an MD just to get a script, which I knew I could do. I am able to get hydrocodone from a friend whose legitimate permanent access to the drug provides a few more tabs per month than are needed. So the unused tabs are available to me. I use them for severe depression only. At times, the hydrocodone, will interrupt a severe depressive episode and allow me to get back to a more normal level of functioning. For that, I am EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. I have longstanding serious issues with constipation, so I am not tempted to use the hydorcodone, except under severe duress. It always binds me up in the gut and I take stuff for that. But I don't enjoy getting my constipation aggravated beyond the problem it always is. However, if I get bad enough, hydrocodone is the only thing I have ever tried that actually relieves my mental distress. I am very, very lucky that I can get such benefit from just an occasional dose.

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I have suffered with depression for years. I know that no pill is the answer. Feeling good is somthing to be earned. Taking care of your mental, physical and spiritual self is a daily task. You have to work for it. Yes life will knock you down but using a pill to get back up is only putting a bandage on a gunshot wound. Peace and happiness is somthing that you to work for.

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I have suffered with depression for years. I know that no pill is the answer. Feeling good is somthing to be earned. Taking care of your mental, physical and spiritual self is a daily task. You have to work for it. Yes life will knock you down but using a pill to get back up is only putting a bandage on a gunshot wound. Working for peace and happiness is somthing that you will have work for.

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I would suspect that you feel depression because your brain is lacking dopamine rather than serotonin which is why SSRI don’t work as well for you as opioids.

You should ask to get checked for ADHD. It caused depression and anxiety symptoms in me and once I started taking Adderall that all went away. Instantly, it doesn’t take six weeks to work like SSRI claim to

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While several low-dose opioid medications are being tested by researchers to treat depression, hydrocodone is not a candidate for this use. In fact, the drugs most often prescribed for depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), interact poorly with hydrocodone.

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Re: Optimistic (# 503)

I tried adderall. Or adderall salts? I felt better but then no matter what dose I crashed. Then anxiety. I didn't get that from Norco.

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I have taken suboxone for over 6 years. I never developed a tolerance, so same dose for 6 years. I noticed immediately that it helps with my depression. I do not feel high. I started taking it from a heroin addiction. I haven’t touched anything since. I’m not interested in getting off the medication. I’ve had every psych med with horrible side effects and horrible withdrawals. Yes, I am dependent on suboxone - big difference from addiction, believe me I know. I consider suboxone my antidepressant and it curbs my appetite for drugs or alcohol. That’s my experience with it.

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It depends on the person.

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Yes I think that means you need to work on dopamine instead of serotonin. I don’t understand why most pcp doctors think serotonin is the end all be all for depression.

Dopamine is what controls the work/reward part of the brain. Dopamine is what gets us up to do things that don’t have an immediate payoff.
When SSRIs made me feel sick (because my serotonin levels were fine) I tried adderall and that helped INSTANTLY.
I started taking 10 mg twice a day in 2005 and now I take 5 mg 1-2 times a day because I don’t need more than that.
I have also found 0.5 mg of LDN in the morning really helpful. I don’t get anxiety that I need to medicate anymore. My own endorphins do the trick now.

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They do relieve depression in the short term... but it will come back eventually your body will adapt to the knew chemicals and try to normalize receptors to transmitter ratios. An then you will be depressed and have a dependency... even without addiction dependency develops in a matter of weeks. I would recommend you go to Mexico and try their ibogaine treatment it is great for opioids and decent for depression alone. You should really find the source of your depression... anti-depressants didn't work for me at all for years.

I found out later in life I had brain damage from a 60mph rear-ending from a giant suv when I was in high school. Caused my right prefrontal cortex to have low activity and some back region to be overactive. So I had no reward basically for day to day tasks and anxiety. It was a classic case of adhd but from brain damage. Unfortunately that means its physical and permanent as far as I know. An have to use Adderall but it works where anti-depressants didn't.

And while highly addicting even anti-depressants cause dependence its just slower without any compulsion so its not talked about much same type of changes in the brain happen over long periods of use if their altering the neurotransmitter levels. While pain killer make people happy and if your borderline suicidal treating addiction is better than treating suicide lol.. it will not work long term. If anti-depressants don't work for you your probably is probably not with your serotonin level or not only you should have brain scans done to check for damage. Especially if you remember a head injury sometime precipitating your depression... mine was so intermittent and complex that no previous treatments worked or if they did it was temporary like a few weeks tops.

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My guess is if you are given hydrocodone for pain .... the depression was a result of that pain ... you relieve the cause you relieve the symptoms of depression ..... yes it does relieve the causal. Depression I know this from experience...when I received pain meds I had symptoms of depression (imo say i had depression would be a misdiagnosis due to the pain relieve handled the symptoms) I would be confident in saying many chronic pain sufferers are misdiagnosed with depression (especially since idiots in govt butted their noses into my medical care)

For most people hydrocodone is not a stimulant it is actually listed as a drug that slows down your body but reread the above paragraph & substitute stimulation for depression

Be well
&
May much good be bestowed on us all

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The rx provides stimulation which reduces depression .

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Re: Joe B (# 11)

Do you know why hydrocodone reduces depression?

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