Taking Hydrocodone For Depression (Page 15) (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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Without question, it helps depression, and I only take 1 per day. I have for 4 years, and have not seen any "need" to increase the dosage. My day starts at 7 am and ends at 12 am. I take 1 at about 8 am and wow, what a depression relief. I am prescribed it for stenosis and nerve damage between the L5 and L6, and it alleviates that as well. I also do PT and home exercises which also may explain only needing 1 pill per day. Currently going through a divorce, mountain of debt, and just lost my job, so I guess depression won't be going away soon!!!

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Geez some of you guys are really light weight!!! For the last 10 yrs. I've been taking oxycodone 30 mgs & morphine 30 mgs to back the oxy. 4 oxy p/day & 3 morphine p/day. Needless to say after I got use to them...it was nothing to take 8 oxys at once. Yeah I ran out way too early & actually had to go through withdrawal. Fellows thats something u wouldn't wish on ur worse enemy. And it can last from 4 to 8 days. Depending on what & how much. Those of u who are amazed at it relieving ur depression... come on! Of course u don't feel depressed... your high! Hydrcodone may be weaker than oxy, but it is what it is...an opiate. You can have withdrawals with it to. My dr put me on oxy because most hydrocodone (Lortab, vicadan, Tylenol #3, etc.) all have acetaminophen in them U know it says 10/350...well the 350 is of acetaminophen. If u don't know & have scripts for hydrocodone....Acetaminophen destroys ur liver. I know I have cirrhosis. So while ur enjoying relief from depression thru opiates...don't let the fact that its destroying ur body stop u. Oh yea...I got off everything. Much more depressed; no energy BUT I'M ALIVE. The thing that got me was gastroperinesis (probably spelled wrong) but basically the opiates cause constipation & basically slows body functions. When u eat, food should be out of your stomach by 1 to 2 hours. I was rushed to hospital thinking it was either stroke or hear attack. After extensive evaluations they found when I ate it took over 5 hours & my stomach still wasn't empty. I had such horrible acid reflux from this. It can cause ulcers, the food can actually rot in ur stomach & poison you. Trust me when I say nobody loved opiates more than me. I'm bipolar & they helped that even. But please be realistic when ur turning to them for depression. At some point you've got to take more. Everybody builds a tolerance. And even tho u feel so good when u take them; trust me ur paying a high price. Basically I forgot how to live without them. But honestly when I had them I slept most of day & was too messed up to drive. Good luck & if nothing else get rid of the acetaminophen!

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Acetamenophen is probably one of the biggest problems from overdosing on opiates that contain it (Vicodin, etc..) I knew an addict who took up to 60 Vicodin a day, I don't know what happened to her, but I would assume she definitely destroyed her liver. Also, there seems to be a lot of middle aged women who end up overdosing and dying from opiates in the past several years. But, I still think there is something to opiates and treating depression. There are tons of medications out there that when are dangerous but with the correct usage can be miraculous (example Botox, which is a poison). I hope that there are researchers out there that are looking into using this (opiates) medication for depression.

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You are absolutely correct that hydrocodone Does INDEED Alleviate depression symptoms. And I am thrilled to have someone else talk about it. There's no secret that many drugs that Are originally created for one thing, have turned out to work great for another problem. I have been afraid to tell my Dr. About this for fear she would take them away. I do wake up with back pain, I am 60 years old, however for the last 18 years I have been on every anti-depressant made and nothing has worked. Until I was put on hydrocodone for pain. I am careful though, I take 2 pills in the morning when I awaken, 10-325. I have not experienced withdrawal from being without them if I am out. But I do experience the depression symptoms again. I hate what depression did to my life and the rest of my family members ( my son ) . I don't ever want to go there again full force. I'd rather be dead and I often thought of it during the depression that I could not escape from.

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The very first prescription I got I ate 6 and waited, and waited and the only thing that happened was two loads of laundry done, lunch made, walked the dog, and vacuumed. Ok that was 5 years ago. I guess I'm lucky for not feeling them since my dose is still 6 a day. Unfortunately I'm only prescribed 4 a day so I too run out early but Praise God, very, very minimum withdrawal. No doubt the debt patch helps me avoid w/d. Oxycodone is one of the safest drugs out there and has no cap. You can take as many as you need as long as the side effects don't bother you. I also don't have any of those either. I think it's because of such a low dose. I know I'm eds (endogenous deficient) 4-6 a day barely register in my body. How can you have a side effect or withdrawal from something that your body doesn't even know was ever there? Oxycodone is made from synthetic Thebaine. Thebaine is the ONLY NONNARCOTIC part of the poppy and is in fact a stimulant. It was used for depression for centuries and called Hul Gil-Plant of Joy/Gift from God.

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I also have been dx with severe depression since I was 17(I am65 now). I have jumped through every hoop the doctors presented me regarding antidepressant drugs and none worked. I can't tell you the amount of money I have spent on therapists and psychiatrists over the years. After knee replacement I realized after a few months that the heavy depressed feeling lifted. I was scared art first because I knew the rules were that you can't have opiates for longer than so many weeks after surgery. I don't understand why doctors aren't interested in helping the patient with pain ( and after a lifetime of depression) they wouldn't be interested in helping with that.
Of course I know there's abuse out there.
Depression is a hideous way to live out your life....big Pharma is in control. For God's sake can't someone have some compassion.

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Hi Dawn, couldn't agree more with your post. Having both lifelong depression (on ssd from that and recent Alzheimer's dx) the mental anguish is so much frickin worse. Just a thought I wanted to add, there is absolutely No reason a good compassionate doc should not give a script for pain meds, as technology has evolved they have total control with compliance. Offering to agree to a single pharmacy, contract, random drug panels, etc all but eliminates potential abuse and overuse. Sadly, most docs will not take the time or use off label for this. Very sad. Best wishes

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My exact situation and agree completely. I have seen good people struggle with similar situations over the years and unfortunately also suffered from addiction through no fault of their own. A truly sad spot to be in as most had to hide in the shadows needlessly. I have seen others who had docs that addressed the complex nature and prescribed methadone which addressed all issues

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You can cut the pills in half to stretch out the better feelings. I have spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis. Hydrocodone is the only thing that works. Get mris or catscans of your back and eat lots of fruits and veggies.

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The other part of this is you can only get pain meds for 3 days after surgery. They wean you off even if you are still in pain.
This is now a 3rd world country.

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I wanted to add that this is going to be a very individual or group practice thing. Of course anyone needing a new doc is better to search for an internal medicine doc instead of a general practitioner. Mine has "suggested" seeing a psychologist in addition to his prescribing, thus I already have an appointment made this coming week, more for his benefits, but I am hoping to get some new skills in dealing with memory decline, anxiety, depression in addition to my cp issues. In reading the new guidelines, this is one of the "suggestions" I've been with my doctor for many years and have a great trusting relationship, however I understand his need to do anything additional to protect himself.

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So I keep coming back to this hoping someone has created an antidepressant with similar properties to hydrocodone, but nothing. I am like everyone else here, I am on Zoloft and wellbutrin and have no motivation and have no interest most of the time. I have taken a loritab on occasion and I feel good not high but social and happy and extremely motivated, but of course my doctors will not prescribe me any even when I was in pain. I am so tired of being depressed.

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Hi Mickey, very sorry to hear of your needless suffering. Two thoughts. First, how about searching for a new internal medicine doc??? You interview them. It's not easy and there are ways to increase your chances of finding a compassionate doc. Namely, if you have a good relationship with a pharmacist, you could ask who they might recommend. Not all will provide you with this info but some will. Secondly, have you ever had a benzo (ativan or similar drug) which may help allivate some of those feelings. I hope you can get the help you need. Best wishes

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You're very welcome, Lucy. Are you looking for over the counter meds, or other narcotic pain medications? I would suggest Tylenol 4 as taking one of those is about equal in pain relief to a hydro 10mg. The benefit to your doctor is it's a schedule 3, so can be called in and not as tightly regulated.

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I do agree however the withdrawing of hydrocodone is pure hell. Went through it and it took a long time, almost a year of total depression. Being clean and realizing how much better life is without the dependence and big money wasted.......I will never go there again.

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Hi Lucy, sorry to hear you weren't able to try medical MJ. The idea behind the phychologist is twofold. First, reading the cdc guidelines they advise psychological therapy in addition to treatment with opioids. I've been dealing with my issues for 30 yrs and if seeing someone makes things more comfortable for my doctor, as well I do hope to get some positive things for myself. I tend to put on a mask, as most of us do that suffer from cp, and depression. If hydrocodone works the best for you, work with your gp that is willing to help you. I certainly don't want to scare or cause anyone anxiety over these guidelines, however if we understand how they are going to influence our doctors will help us to be proactive.

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I truly believe for me, that opiates elevate my mood and I no longer feel depressed. This to me is an anti depressant. With all of the antidepressants I have tried as well as the different types of pain medications like Neurontin and Lyrica, that none of these can even compare to the relief from depression that Vicodin and others give. What I think would be a great idea is for doctors to prescribe this type of medication for depression with pain and then carefully, I mean carefully monitor them, to prevent abuse. Maybe they could give a week Rx at a time. Or there could be a class about how to prevent abuse of this type of medication. I can also say that I believe that it is possible to stay on the same dose of an opiate for years and still benefit from the anti- depressant qualities and pain relief. I was on methadone for pain for 3 years, and I took it as prescribed daily for those 3 years and I never developed a tolerance or an addiction. Methadone relieved my pain and my depression 90% of the time for those 3 years. I just hope someone out there in the pharmaceutical research area can find a way to turn this med into an anti-depressant. Please!!!

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Yes sincemy PPO ins. has been taken away from me . I have been verbelyl n physically abused by pain mainage ment. i only had hydro for 21/2 years. But my whole family n friend were so exicted for me to finally be able to leave the house ,take better care of my apt.N not have to live with dibilitating inhumane pain every day which was casued alrealdy by our thieving murdering medicide system. I have had to go 17 months now with no pain medication . I keep getting denied treatment because my blood pressure so high i know after 8 yrs of murdering medicaid n happy pills being pushed on me that hydrocodone was the only thing that got my blood pressure down. I have already been diognosed with end of life raidiaton poisionsing because medicaid does not belive in looking at medical records.I would be so relived if i had my hydrocodone back one of my twins is getting ready to graduate with master deggree in teaching. I will not be able to even go to her house much less gradution because of murdering crippling pain im being left in now. I would be one happy Mama if even for a little while i could look good n stand up n be wiht my daughter instead of murderd by cut backs from medicaide thieves

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I find hydro works better than oxy, am I the one who feels this way?

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But that's the case if you come off any antidepressants without an aducate taper.

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