Taking Hydrocodone For Depression (Page 12) (Top voted first)

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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SADIESURRENDER Baltimore eh? My home town! Good ole Hopkins! They were the first to recognize vertigo in me instead of seizures...ask them if they acknowledge EDS Edogenous Deficient Syndrome--read the article Ignorance Kills...there is a self assessment and things to look for in folks who don't respond to antidepressants.... It's like Chemical Pica, some of us need an external source of opiates due to low production of our own. I wish you well at JHH and let us know how it turned out

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Hi Spyz, it's Sadie. Have been in a bit of a funk...you know how it is. Anyway, yeah I've been thinking about going inpatient at John Hopkins. I'm may be grasping at straws, but who knows, maybe the "Almighty" John Hopkins is a bit more advanced with their knowledge of mental illnesses and treatment compared to other hospitals that make us weave baskets all day. Lol Everything is supposedly approved. Just waiting for a bed I will certainly let you know what happens. Thanks for caring.

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Heart, I am a baby boomer. Over my dead body will anyone get rid of me. The medical profession and Big Pharma better get their acts together. There are drugs out there that can help. They have been approved to treat other conditions, but not chronic depression. People who suffer from this debilitating disease, are allowed to continue to suffer because I feel that the FDA and the DEA or whatever organization oversees and makes the decisions about medications, don't believe that treatment resistant depression is not a diagnosis of a real disease. I wish one of those a**holes who make the decisions that affect the lives of millions of people, especially by withholding medications that would finally give us our lives back, could walk in my shoes for one day. They wouldn't make it through the day, but I'm expected to make it through the rest of my life like this. No wonder there's a high suicide rate for people with this disease that sucks the life out of you. Would the docs allow someone who has cancer to remain in pain? I think not. Yet we continue to get pushed to the curb. Depression is a fatal disease and we need help before it's too late. Why can't these people see we just want our lives back, to feel joy again. That's all I want. I don't care about the big house, fancy cars, or traveling the world. I just want to wake up in the morning and be able to look forward to the day, not dread it. I want to be able to leave my house without feeling like a basket case. I want to smile and laugh again, but most of all I want to stop thinking of ways to kill myself. I wouldn't do it, I hope. I'm afraid what may happen if things got so bad that I don't have the strength to fight anymore or the willpower to keep going. I've lost so much hope, I don't want to become utterly hopeless. Maybe these drugs that are not approved for depression would actually work.

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yes being unable to go anywere without people saying can i call 911 because they see me so doubled over in pain. Its inhumane n used to be criminal to take away years of a persons life in suffering pain . I had hope for the only 2years before Gov. Scott took away my PPO ins away. it take me hours o get dressed n i hAVE TO CHOOSE TO GO WITHOUT FOOD TO MUCH PAIN. Sure would be nice to be able to leave my apt.. without someone wanting to call 911 the humalition is criminal.I am depressed i have twin daughters i cant go to there wedings now graduation from college , n to much pain when i get grandchildren just because ins . co playing Dr.

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Cat,
I'm not disputing your perception of next morning nervousness especially from a half of pill taken for bad pain but By compounding that with er Tramadol in fact may accentuate that spiral of pain and anxiety. You may want to discuss this with your prescriber to see if a more appropriate pain control protocol is better suited for your condition.

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RONNIE look up the article Ignorance Kills! It's about Edogenous Deficianvy Syndrome--it's not recognized yet my medical professionals yet it's very real for many and Opiates were at one time prescribed for depression.. Hydro and Oxycodone increase T levels in Thyroid boosting energy and enhancing mood. AlSo they are made from Thebaine which is the only NONNARCOTIC part of poppy and is in fact a STIMULANT!

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Hydrocodone will in fact give you an uplifting feeling in mood and body for a certain period of time depending on how much you take and how often you take it. The fda has only approved this medicine for pain so in most cases I would think that with the analgesic relief it brings a sense of well-being with it. The elephant in the room that is being overlooked in this topic is tolerance and self medicating will become an issue. After that comes oxy just to function until your waiting on the corner for your next dose of opiates. It's a downward spiral that will leave you in a gutter. I've seen this in patient's many times.

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Depending on the country you live in it can go both ways. If you're in constant pain your provider has the authorization to make sure that you have the best medication that will give you the best results. Keep in mind that if your focus of your doctor's visit comes across as being fully or even mostly an issue of needing more pain medicine then a majority of physicians will see red flags. I do not agree that this is an insurance issue. If any medicine is not controlling your pain then alert those around you with your distress. If there is nobody to look after you in distress than call your nurse or 911. I would be much more comfortable prescribing pain medicine if a family member or nurse was dispensing it unless it's a terminal condition. The reason I believe this is putting someone in charge of there own pain management for an injury or pain that doesn't equal up to their records and there prescribing history could mean that I would be as guilty as a smack dealer on the street. To be frank, Hydrocodone wrongly prescribed is a 70% certainty to be a gateway to an overdose of many different combinations.

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Wow. Try to tell any doctor that lol. Ur headed for loads of trouble using opiates for depression. Just wait till u stop taking the hydrocodone, then u will know what real depression is. Please do ur research

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Wow BRIAN! excellent post. . Your info is spot on! It's so very rare to see such as informative post.

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“hooked" on Narcotic Pain-Killers is a good way to bring in easy and very steady money. What does that refer to I wonder? How would a physician make money by prescribing meds that temporarily allow someone to 'clean the house' and in general feel better? There is no reason to believe that people using opiates occasionally in order to feel better, have more energy, and improve their quality of life would mean they're going to end up in a worse state eventually. Why would anyone assume they would not have the sense to ration their intake of oxycodene so that they could continue to feel more optimistic and happy? Why blow it?!

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Have to say from someone who is both Suffering from depression/anxiety & severe chronic pain. I will say- good luck finding a Dr willing to manage your depression with hydrocodone alone. Asking for an opiate/narcotic (controlled substance-requires a narcotic agreement & usually random drug panels) Many ppl who have chronic pain find it difficult to find Drs willing to prescribe basic opiate meds to control their pain often making them feel like 'drug seekers' Prescribing an opiate for depression is ridiculous. First- there is the risk of toxicity of acetaminophen you can only take so many combined pills that includes other meds -examples Excedrin or Tylenol with it. Then there is the risk of tolerance where after a short amount of time you need a higher dose or the hydrocodone doesn't work anymore and you are looking at Percocet/Oxycodone /OxyContin for relief. Yeah-not happening. Then you are having withdrawals and going to Rehab. Good Luck with that.... Actually- I am seeing my pain management Dr in 8 hrs. Will get back & let you know what he says... Will most likely get laughed in my face!

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As to the post being 6 years old, if it shows it's still in play.

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I suffered major depression for over ten years. During that time, I was prescribed over 45 antidepressants and combinations of drugs which made me sick but did nothing to aleve my symptoms. I had thoughts of suicide every day of those 10 years. In the past, I had taken opiates for pain following surgery and for a back condition and those were the only times I felt "normal". I became convinced that my brain was dopamine deficient and for that reason I was unable to feel pleasure. After all those years and all of those medications, I convinced my psychopharmacologist to let me try Hydrocodone. I take two 10/325 Norco three times a day and have for over four years without needing to increase the dose. Am I physically addicted? Hell yes! Do I care? Hell no! I've gone through major withdrawal from antidepressants and I don't care about being addicted to this medication because I now have a life. Instead of whining to my psychologist about how depressed I feel, I have been able to work through some major issues and life keeps getting better. Maybe I'm an anomaly but if you've tried everything without getting better, give it a try. Unless you abuse it, it won't kill you. It won't give you Tardive Diskinesia, Stevens Johnson Syndrome, Seritonin Syndrome and a host of other nasty side effects. Withdrawal is easy if you go off opiates slowly. If you are an addict, it won't work for you but until the drug companies come up with something that increases Dopamine in the right areas of the brain, I have finally found the best treatment for me.

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I was on hydrocodone for years. I became not a junkie but i had to have them on a daily basis. I have tried countless antidepressents with no results on any of them. I will agree i felt so much better on them. When i no longer could could get a script, they put me on suboxone and let me tell you that drug is the devil. I thought hydrocodone withdrawls were bad, but they were nothing compaired to suboxone withdrawls. It took me going into a medical coma to get off suboxone, or i would still be on them. Im currently talking to my
shrink about putting me back on hydrocodones for bipolar, borderline personality disorder, disasostive identity disorder, commonly refered as did, and ptsd. I would recommend talking to a psychiatrist about it, most seem more willing to dissuss it without looking at you like a junkie, unlike a M.D would. Hope this helps out and god be with you, cause this is no easy task, but when it comes to your sanity never give up the fight.

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Same here. I am 10 times more active and happier. Started to practice my piano again and planted a garden. Started working out again. When I am not on it I don't want to get out of bed, want to smoke and drink all the time.

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I took a couple of pain pills and asked my doctor for a prescription. He would not give me one. He could have cared less about me. He says he doesn't want to get in trouble. I am almost 80 yrs old and have been depressed most of my life. Plus I have the usual pains of old age. I think if I could try pain medication and it would help me, then I could stop taking all the other drugs that don't work anyway. Thanks for listening.

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Well, good luck with that! Think you need to focus your efforts on the DEA for help. The laws & rules just seem to be getting stronger. I suffer from 3 different auto-immune diseases and quality for being disabled starting with getting it on depression & anxiety because at that time they weren't acknowledged requirements. Fibromyalgia, RA, inflammatory arthritis and DDD. So, we went the depression & anxiety way. Now, I was on different depression meds that caused more inflammation, and it was a side effect -who knows off the meds caused it but I got off it and the only thing I can take Is a Benzodiazepine, Diazepam which is treating-- both depression & Anxiety. As far as chronic pain, pain management has a narcotics agreement with you & you do random drug panels. No drinking!! And you fill your meds at 1 pharmacy & don't think they don't know if you go somewhere else or if someone else gives you meds--- they know everything you are on. If you try and hide it - you get nothing. I tell them everything- I want my pain meds rotated (meaning every couple months - change it). No dependency on dosage tolerance. So we go Percocet, Dilaudid, Morphine ex.. no more than 10mg dosage 4 times/day. I have insomnia been on sleep meds--- was on Ambien CR. Had zero problems until I started sleepwalking. Which was a good thing- found out I had OSA, needed a CPAP got off Ambien CR and got Belsomra use now as needed. And now, turns. Out my Dr is leaving my plan but going to try for a continuation of care. Was told if that happens and want meds--- no Diazepam or Belsomra whaaaaaat!?!?! The Pharmacist was just as confused. My dosage is low enough. If there was a problem a red flag would have gone off. I am taking these legitimately & since 2001. It could be that ppl that take them for such wrong reasons are ruining it for the ppl that need it.

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Rather than making certain opioids harder to get on a long-term basis for people that suffer complex pain or depression issues, the government needs to start an education program about the risks of abuse. I don't think I've seen one advertisement talk about the risks of abuse, but they are all over the place about abuse of alcohol & cigarettes. Also, almost every medicine advertised today comes with a litany of deadly warnings about the risk of said medicine. Speaking for myself, I've tried at least 2 different anti-depressants, Paxil & Lexapro, and neither were anywhere near as effective as hydrocodone and to this point, my doctor has prescribed them for me. But now, he says that he is getting too much pressure from government regulators to cut down. The people that end up dying are the people that do dumb things ... like take too many at one time or mix them with other drugs. Those people that do that are the ones that are most at risk for abusing it, not people in real pain that have tried other treatments that didn't work. If you remove someone's medical treatment that absolutely works for their complex pain and/or depression issues, you are absolutely reducing their ability live a life free of pain and possibly, even their lifespan. If you agree, contact your Congressman now. We have to speak up or our hope of living the rest of our life pain-free will be taken away from us.

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Re: Butter (# 439)

I am sure of it. Insurance companies are going to want to limit our access to all meds, and health care regardless of need due to cost. Especially when there isn't a watch dog standing on guard. Make America Great! *sarcasm*

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