Taking Hydrocodone For Depression (Page 20)
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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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My personal intake of this particular MU agonist have been reduced. The risk of a accident occurring during operating a motor vehicle or high power equipment is a possibility very much leading to morbidity and mortality.
Off topic, I've never seen anyone impacted by a high speed train before this AM at 8 AM PST. My word, the teenage female was killed instantly. A true tragedy trying to "surpass " the train before it arrives at the point of the crossing. If this is too grafic, don't think on it too very sorrowful.

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I agree with you…in the way you take it for yourself.

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Have used hydrocodone for years. It eases post-mastectomy nerve damage, helps with a neck and back injury, and eases the depression I've lived with almost all my life. Have no idea why the doctors are so afraid of it since it doesn't have the nasty side-effects of the anti-depressants, and I've tried many, and I've never used more than two of the 5-325 dose hydrocodone tablets a day. By the way, I'm 80, and these pills are keeping me going. Yes, I have stopped using them at times and cut back to 1/2 a tablet at other times just to see if I can, but I feel much more stable when I take the prescribed dose.

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I definitely feel that hydrocodone is an excellent alleviator of symptoms of depression and anxiety for the appropriate individual. However, using it in this way means that you must be vigilant of the way your body/mind feel when the drug begins to clear your system. You may become a little "edgy", feel like you might "need more" and that's when you must not yield. The effects of opitates are indeed habit forming only if you let them without mindfulness, become that way. Your body will become physiologically addicted in a short period of time (just a few days).

I believe that you can manage treatment resistant depression and anxiety with a combination of things -- one in my rotation, is norco 5/325. I also use a beta-blocker, Clonidine .2mg one to three times daily…usually one time in the afternoon/evening is the best as that is when I notice I am still feeling anxiety rather than the drop in energy most people have when the sunlight begins to wane. Also, Clonidine, for me, really takes the edge off and actually helps more than Xanax -- this is all personal experience. I have been taking Xanax for about 20 years and just taking the Clonidine in the past year -- it's been much better at short-cutting "the loop" that happens in the brain with norepinepherine. I still take the Xanax for sleep, but haven't increased my dose in the time I've started taking Clonidine -- which is great. ALSO, Clonidine helps with the effects of the opiates leaving your system…there is a great article regarding therapeutic off label use of clonidine for withdrawal from many substances.

Back to the opiates: I do believe they have helped me tremendously in managing my debilitating depression, but I also am hyper vigilant in the way I take them. I also exercise regularly, use caffeine sparingly, eat pretty healthy and see a therapist regularly and take my lexapro as directed. What I'll share about my ten year relationship with Lexapro is that now I cannot get off of it without vertigo like symptoms -- even at a very, very tapered dose over a month. So, I think that of all the "addictive" drugs out there -- wow, never thought it would be the Lexapro! Anyway, not a rant..

Bottom line: I feel like at almost 50 with half my life in and out of treatment for major depression: I know myself, I know what works and I am in control of how I feel - and when I can't control it, meaning that dreaded heaviness creeps up on me, I can help myself. If I need something to help me, I can take that. If I don't need it, I don't take it (meaning the norco), but everything else I keep taking and doing (exercise, etc…) -- the norco is for when it's difficult. I would very much appreciate being able to be honest with a Dr. about what works for me without feeling like I'm drug seeking -- however, isn't it ironic you can get as much Lexapro as you'd like and over time, you may be addicted to that...

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wow i thought i was the only one it helps so much more than my antidepressant !? hydrocodone vs anxietyand depression meds

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Oh...u noticed that when u take hydrocodone, think u said 10 mg., must be Loratab; u don't have any depression or anxiety... amazing!!! Yes there is a Santa Claus!! And withdrawal "symptoms"...well, that's called being "strung out" or addicted! Yep, only draw back to narcotics or "opiates", as they seem to be called more nowadays. I'm old-school. I call them "dope" & the users "junkies"! Oh yeah, & I call withdrawal..."HELL!! You sound young or very inexperienced. I'm not trying to be mean or a smart a**! But seriously, if we could all take narcotics for depression. ..it would be a very happy planet...just not very productive! I'm from the 60's...peace, love & happiness. We actually lived that way daily. As much as I hate to say it...drugs are what killed us. You see what starts out as "no depression" turns into a need for that drug & nothing else...I mean nothing else. Nothing but the dope! It only takes 4 or 5 days to develop a "habit"; depending on which drug, ur size & ur "tolerance"...which has nothing to do with ur gender, size, etc. I'm only 4 ft. 10" & I would take EIGHT 30mg. Roxicodone AT ONE TIME...& still walk & drive around.

My dr. was prescribing 240 roxis, 30mg. plus 90 MS Contin 30 mg.(morphine). For the other person who wondered about getting a dr. to write & monitor ur usage...they have 'em. Their called "pain management" drs. In fact, they r only ones who can prescribe anything stronger than oxicodone 10 mg., or oxi 10 mg. W/acetaminophen, commonly known as Percocet 10. U must go to pain management (with medical proof...herniated discs r most common ailment). Long story short. ..of course dope cures depression. ..for a time. I did alot of drugs in 60s...even H...never got hooked on it. Thank God. Got clean when I married & had sons. Remained that way till 2004 & went to dr & found out I had herniated discs in lower back. The crack pot (or I should say "pusher") started me on roxi 30 mg. W/ Morphine as long term med. I didn't even know what they were. It had been that long since I'd done drugs. Here I am in 2015 still on oxi 10 mg. without acetaminophen cause I have hepatitis C & cirrhosis, along with too many other illnesses caused from hep C. I was told in 1982 I had Hep C. ..but drs. didn't know anything about it then & just said don't give blood. Had I known all the damage it does...I would have never drank alcohol.

I just turned 64 & I am amazed to be alive! Four husbands, (last killed in auto accident in 2011; 2 sons...17 yr. old killed in auto acc. in 1996; its just my 26 yr old, who has Downs Syndrome; and me living by ourselves. I'm still prescribed oxicodone 10 mg. (which is not much stronger than what u take. I cut myself down that much. So I could function & endure the pain. Oh yea...the depression? Worse than ever. I forgot to mention I'm Bipolar. The dope actually stabilizes my moods. But no depression is so bad compared to the "up's" & "downs" of drug addiction (or alcoholism). The feelings AT FIRST are so wonderful u think you've reached heaven...they'll get shorter as ur tolerance gets stronger...and then you'll get ur lows which is despair & Desperation at its worst. U will find that u can't live without drugs...but u can't live with them, either. I know its long...but I hope you all took the time to read it cause I've lived it & am still living it. I've learned how to manage it. And remember...you've got to come down. I have lost so many friends, so many loved ones...most importantly, I lost so much of my life...realizing it now, when theres not that much time left for me. I know antidepressants don't work. Tried them all. But please...from one whose been there... Find another way! I pray that sharing my life with you...will save you from having to go out there & finding out urself!! God bless you all!

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Hydrocodine is much better for depression than other drepression meds.Just take 2 per day and stick with that amount and you will have very little withdrawal if you decide to get off of it.Diasapam and other drugs for drepression tend to cause mood changes while taking them and cause panick attacks when stopping.

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Being without hydrocodone for one month...exactly.....as of today, the depression is still bad. I'm trying ways to relieve it, such as exercise, staying busy and various herbs...however the darkness remains. I have tried an anti depressant that only made me sleep deprived and not wanting to eat anything.Ten days of pure hell until I stopped the med.Anti-depressants are evil as I have tried a few and none worked for me. My advise to anyone is...stay away from hydrocodone.I was useing for 3 yrs. and kept increasing the dosage as my body needed more to get the right feeling.After 3 years I decided that I could not continue and still remain the same person so I decided to give it up for a better life. The depression is unbearable and I honestly wish I would have never got into this horrible habbit.Now I am at the point of doing just about anything justifiable to help me from the depression...it is sooo bad.
I sincerely hope this story helps another in need.

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So helpful, thank you for sharing. I am also a high functioning productive woman going through menopause and found hydrocodone helps tremendously alleviate my treatment resistant depression which, despite good medications, exercise, eating right, seeing a therapist twice a month and having a healthy lifestyle, seems to creep up on me and suck the life out of me. I don't know how to approach my Dr. about a prescription -- any advice? My thought is to offer being closely monitored by him and my therapist to ensure they know I am not abusing.

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I take hydrocodone for my treatment resistant depression-- I have tried every drug combination over the past 25 years. Most success came from taking Adderall and Lexapro -- took some convincing of my dr, but it helped me tremendously for several years and then I noticed the effects started to taper...so I weaned myself off the Adderall (plus there are no long term studies about the effects of Adderall taken by adults long term). Long story short, I was prescribed norco 10/325 for a minor surgery and had a bunch left over, since I can only tolerate half a pill without getting nauseated. I took a half one evening when I was feeling particularly agitated and depressed as well as having a intense back ache not relieved by icing or prescription Motrin...I noticed the mood elevation and feeling of calm and that effect lasted well into the following day. Since then I take a half when I feel that depression and anxiety creeping up on me - as a rule only in the evening and only a half dose. I have been doing this for five months and have felt like even though I know my depression is there, it doesn't cripple me. I also don't feel "addicted" to the Norco- meaning I don't feel physical withdrawals if I decide to not take it. I read recently that opiates were a treatment for depression before the first antidepressants were created. I find them to be a miracle for me -- I am currently trying to figure out a way to speak with my meds Dr. about prescribing them for me under supervision -- I don't know if this will even be possible. The only other resort I would have I guess is to find them on the streets-- which is something I wouldn't even know how to begin to fathom. Good luck to you!!

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I'd like to ask if anyone has been successful at obtaining an Rx for hydrocodone as an adjunct therapy for treating depression. I have been on nearly every anti-depressant over the course of 25 years. I currently take Lexapro, clonadine and Xanax (the latter two for sleep BC of anxiety). I also exercise regularly, have friends, a fun hobby, etc... Take supplements and eat pretty balanced healthy meals and see a therapist twice a month (not my meds Dr.). Despite this,I still struggle with anxiety and depression at least two -three times a month sometimes for a week or more.
Earlier this year I had a minor surgery and was prescribed norco 10/325. I can only take half BC a full dose makes me nauseated, but I noticed the mood elevating and anti anxiety qualities of just the half dose. Since then I've been taking one half tablet 2-3 times a week if I feel that I'm slipping into depression or anxiety and I don't want to take a Xanax BC of the sedative properties. I realize the new legislation makes it harder to get-- I'm wondering how to talk to my meds Dr. Honeslty without looking like I'm drug seeking -- i do not experience withdrawals or anxiety about not taking it.... In fact I have no problem not taking it for weeks--it's just been so helpful to me in terms of managing my moods and feeling in control of my especially negative emotions that nothing else has been able to do so effectively. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you .

Also, I do have some "chronic pain" -- Arthritis in both knees (will need a replacement in two years, lower back disc degeneration...but I've never asked for pain meds for this as my orthopedic dr. Doesn't like to prescribe opiates for this type of pain situation -- plus again, I feel like then I'm just put there "drug seeking"

Thank you

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I was taking vicodine for pain from an ankle injury ...and started to notice when i took it at work ,things seemed more managable and my mood became more positive . I started noticing a pattern ...then i googled it and found that they have started to use this as therapy for depression. I dont consider My self as a depressed Person ,but the vicodine really made my day more positive. I was taking the lowest dose of vicodine.

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Yes, I as well have major depression, and sadly the only medication that has helped me is hydrocodone- I have a B.A. in Social Work and Sociology, and have studied depression-but not until now do I fully understand what it means to suffer 'crippling depression' -I lost my business to a lightning strike and resulting fire, and am now losing my home, and many days have depression so great and completely beyond my grasp, so that I cannot get out of bed/have no desire in anything, and the only med that helps is vicodin-I wish studies were done to prescribe limited use for those suffering severe depression

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I am of the belief that one one is in chronic pain, it fosters depression. Inversely chronic depression can foster additional pain. I have taken a few antidepressants as well as anti-anxiety pills such as Xanax. The only noticeable effect of these has been to make me tired. On the occasions when I have accessed the hydrocodone I have found that it alleviates pain and hand-in-hand my depression. Quite frankly I think restricting the use of hydrocodone to people who are in chronic pain is criminal!

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yes it does seem that use of lortab makes depression go away. However when you stop the drug, the depression only gets worse.

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90 %, (or therabouts) are off label. FDA approval isn't the gold standard. Orange book empirical ball park estimates are not my thing Let ME DECIDE ! Its my body. What works for you/me is close enough. " ARE YOU QUALIFIED? " -My answer is: I'm literate, aware, competent, intelligent, well read, stay on the CE's and read Goodman and Gillmans, and buy a new PDR every yr. -can your foreign care giver pronounce, say trimethaprim /sulfameththoxazole

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Hydrocodone is a great antidepressant. Hydrocodone is cheap compared to most other antidepressants. The people in mental healthcare use extreme measures such as ECT (brain seizure induction) and DBS (drill holes in your head and attach electrodes onto your brain) but you will never get an MD to give you hydrocodone for depression. Knowing this you can get an MD to give you hydrocodone for pain (most often for chronic severe head or back pain, and for cancer). The high potential for addiction exists. Withdrawal from hydrocodone is one of the most horrid experiences I have ever endured. However, with that knowledge, a judicious use of hydrocodone provides my life with moments of clarity. For me, 5mg of hydro three times a day is "safe." Meaning at this level I can quit the hydro and feel bad but I still have control. The upper limit is 10mg of hydro three times a day(at this level you will be dependent but not addicted). Addiction happens when you have to wake up at midnight and take hydro to prevent your body from going through physical withdrawal. At this point, the hydro makes your life even more miserable. The main reason psychiatrists will not prescribe you hydro for depression is that they fear you might use it to kill yourself. Almost all current psychiatric medicine used today most important feature is not the medicines efficacy but that the patient cannot use it to overdose and kill themselves. Ketamine, especially thru nasal inhalation, is in the pipeline. In emergency rooms and trial studies, intravenous ketamine is already being used with great success in alleviating a patient's anxiety and depression. I hope I live long enough to get to use an antidepressant that works. I have been in the system for over two decades. The cost of my medicines has been astronomical. Amazing given the efficacy has been less than zero. Sorry this is so long and I hope it helps someone. The war on drugs is really a war against those with mental illness. The prisons are full of mentally ill patients. Many antidepressants make people agitated and the antipsychotics are often used to calm the agitation caused by the antidepressants. I speak only for myself and my two decades of observation of the mental health care profession. I'll follow the posts from this site.

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I totally agree. And, I just detoxed myself off oxycodone--30 mgs. 3 times a day. I cut 15 mgs out a day for one week, and continued to do that until I wasn't on any. It sure wasn't easy. I was jittery, I was sweating all the time, and I wanted it so bad when my back was hurting so bad. The oxycodone did help depression. Now that I stopped and am taking anti-depressants, I still feel depressed, but I had to choose if I wanted to be addicted to a substance which would probably lead me to wanting to do street drugs. NO WAY!

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I've been on Vicodin 2x- each time my severe depression was alleviated along with severe anxiety. Some people are more susceptible to addiction than others. Of course with many of the newer anti-depressants, you have to be weaned off the medication so you don't have "bad side effects." I would like to see a study of the efficacy of Vicodin as an antidepressant but I doubt our society would be willing. It's already difficult to get a Rx for Vicodin for pain.......I doubt there would be funding for the study of Vicodin as an anti depressant. It has made a BIG difference in my depression/anxiety the 2 times I've been on it for pain.

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I have taken hydrocodone at a very low dose for a few months. It really does work wonders. Depression also involves our natural opioid levels etc. I probably take too low a dose and would like to get off a couple of other psych meds, so I will ask my psych next week if I can slightly increase the dose and lower other meds.
Thanks

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