Taking Hydrocodone For Depression (Page 25)
(Newest replies 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?

REPLY

REPORT

I had no idea my post would stimulate this topic. My only intention was to verify that hydrocodone is an off label antidepressant and that it works for patients who otherwise had TRD (treatment resistant depression) and not to be used to get "high". For those of you new to conversation please read my story. I'm grateful for a doctor that takes their oath seriously. Please know that if you are taking hydrocodone to relieve depression then the dosage should always stay the same and that dose should be effective to combat depression. As I have said, I take 10mg hydrocodone 2x's a day for 4 years and break from it every 3 months for 1 week to verify that my chemical makeup has not changed. I do not have any withdrawal symptoms, not one. Unfortunately my depression returns within 3 days. I don't have feelings of euphoria or a "high". This really bothers me. Do not take this medication to get feelings of euphoria. You will hurt those of us that really need this medication whether it be for pain or depression. For those of us that legitimately use this medication for depression you do not need to increase our dose. I cannot speak for those that take the medication for pain. I feel pain on this medication. I had to have extensive work done on my jaw, bone grafts and such, and anyone who has ever had a broken jaw knows the pain. The maxillofacial surgeons who have worked on me are aware of my history and current medication. Hydrocodone is the only prescribed medication I take being I used to believe that diet and exercise could cure anything. I was wrong, again please refer to my earlier post. However I'm glad that I changed the way I think because now I take vitamins and herbal supplements and they work well too. If you have to increase your dose of hydrocodone to get relief from depression then maybe you don't have depression and something else like addiction, but I do not judge. Please read this study opioids.com/antidepressant/opiate.html
For those of us that use this medication for depression and do not abuse it (have taken the same dose for a year or more) let us speak up. I do not think that a stigma should prevent us from using this as an antidepressant especially for those of us that have TRD. Be well everyone and exercise!!!!!! I'm sure that we will be running into one another in the future if we speak up about this. It hurts me to think that people aren't getting the help they need because of drug abusers. For the record, I don't know what it is like to go thru opiate withdrawal but from what I have read the withdrawal from antidepressants and benzodiazepine is much worse. I cannot verify and I only know from my doctor and what I have read. I'm sure the psychological effects of any addiction and then withdrawal are a constant battle. This subject is obviously a controversy and this is when things go wrong. Let us look at this on an individual basis. Let us look at one another as people and not a group. Don't be afraid especially when a portion of the medical community is behind us. And for everyone on this board please do your research before you post. Know what you are talking about and if you have never had depression then please do not comment. For ME and only ME depression has been much worse than any bone graft from my jaw or hip (hip is worse) that I've had. I mean no disrespect to anyone who has chronic pain it's only that this discussion is support for depression and not pain. There are numerous online support groups for chronic pain that leads to depression. Let us not judge and make threats. This isn't a witch hunt it's support. Again, don't be afraid to speak up as we have a portion of the medical community that agree. Please read the study I have linked to and do your search. These studies may be hard to read because they are meant for the medical community and use language that is specific to their lexicon. I have a PhD in biology and I understand this lexicon but you will be able to understand the "meat" of these studies. If you have questions please feel free to contact me but it would be better to consult your physician. I study animals and although some are close biological relatives they can never replace human trials.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 6

@ Donna . Most of us on this page, if you actually read our comments, are actually taking it for the right reason and depression relief is basically a side effect. As I stated in my original post, 5 days ago I had my 7th surgery in 18 months. Believe me when I tell you that I know pain. However, I also have a doctor who believes in treating the patient, as well as the disease. We are seeking relief NOT A PARTY! We are not the reason that patients in pain are having trouble getting their medication.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 8

@ Donna. I can't speak for anyone else. But the depression relief that I get from Hydrocodone is not a high. The first couple moths that I was taking it, there was a type of high. Personally I don't like being high. That's why I don't drink. What I do get from Hydrocodone is feeling like myself. Before my depression started so long ago and during the few short periods of relief I had when antidepressants kind of helped, I enjoyed my life, I was a hard worker, loved spending time with my family and most of all attended Church pretty much every Sunday. I was also very involved in my church. The problem with the ssri's that did help, the relief was very short lived. I also know from experience that the relief from the Hydrocodone would only last another 6 - 12 months, then I would have to try more antidepressants. After a year or so when they either didn't work or they quit working, I would go back to the Hydrocodone for 2 or 3 years. And yes I know exactly what the withdrawls are like. I am fortunate that my doctor will wean of off over a period of 3 months making my physical withdrawls milder. I still deal with the psycological(spelled wrong). But for someone that suffers from Major Depressive Disorder, it is the lessor of 2 evils until something better in psycotropic drugs comes along. I don't believe that any of us on this page that are talking about using Hydrocodone for depression relief are interested in a high. Just a chance at a somewhat normal life.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 14

I can assure you age 68, with a curved spine, severe arth. in hips, knees, feet, with night pain so severe you walk the floor and cry.... is reason to take anything given to you... My point is I only take it when the pain is so severe I can't stand it.. I've had a lung operation, heart attack, and fibromo ... you name it, I got it.. I also have neuropathy, feet and hand pain... try that one, and feel the needles in your hands... again you'll grab anything to keep from crying... at night the feet, feel like an abscess tooth, throbbing so bad ... you do not sleep... period

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I agree that Hydrocodone does wonders for depression. I too found this out by accident. I have tried many ssri's over the years with very little relief. Over the past year and a half I have had 7 surgeries. The 7th one was just last week. 8/30, to say the least I have been prescribed a lot of Hydrocodone and Oxycodone. Because of the length of time that I have been taking them and the tolerance that I have built up,, the Oxycodone works best for my pain. But the Hydrocodone does wonders for my depression. While 7 surgeries in a year and a half would probably make anyone depressed, I have fought this disease most of my life. If you read the majority of the information about Hydrocodone on the internet. You will come across a few sites that list depression as one of the off label uses for this drug. As many have already stated, Good Luck finding a doctor that will prescribe it for that reason. Yes it is addictive. Yes taking it only as prescribed, you can and probably will become physically dependant on it. And for those of us that know it helps our depression, it will be even more difficult to wean off of it. God willing, this 7th surgery will BE MY LAST! I so look forward to the surgeries and physical pain coming to an end. I do not look forward to my depression returning. During the past 18 months I have tried some of the newer SSRI'S, in hopes of finding one that works before the Hydrocodone is no longer needed. So far no luck. God willing, something will present itself in the next few months. I will pray that we will all find relief in the near future. God Bless And Keep You All.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 4

Unfortunately you may feel that artificial high for a while, but after a constant period of time I promise you that what you think feels like heaven will end up feeling like hell. Also taking pain medication for a happy feeling is taking it for all the wrong reasons. Withdraws are horrible n painful. The opiates shut down your natural hormones that control pain naturally n when stopped abruptly after being taken regularly your natural pain ihibitors are completely shut off. It will take up to 6 months for them return. You will not be able to sleep right for months if at all.

One more word of caution. people that take these meds for your reason is exactally why legitimate patients are having problems getting the meds they truely need! If you don't have broken bones, or a serious enough medical condition to require this med, then you should not be taking it. Find a hobby or another mood lifter that is a healthy choice like exercise.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Yes it does help, but not as well as the Darvocet did me for years and years... when they pulled it off the mkt, my depression returned, depression isn't a good feeling... period... Hydocondrone does help but not near as much. one of the most important thing is the ability to get up and do my chores, and do things i enjoy... the pain of joints falling apart will glue you to the chair, the pain of just getting up is so bad, but with the pain meds.. that isn't as bad and life is easier.. 68 years old, pain meds isn't going to be the end of the world, just makes it easier to enjoy old age.. I never got addicted to Darvocet, i had bottles backed up but it was wonderful when you had mowing, hard cleaning, etc. to have the help of a pain med..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Dear Tony,

I mean no disrespect but you are wrong about depression. My depression is hereditary. Here's my story:

I have had depression since I was a young adult and was able to keep it in check via exercise and eating right however when I started menopause my depression changed. No matter how much I increased my exercise and meditation or ate foods that were menopause healthy I was suffering every day. My thoughts were abnormal and not mine at all. I have always relied on talk therapy through any extraordinary life crisis and started seeing the therapist I had been seeing since I was first diagnosed with depression. The therapist recommended I see the psychiatrist to maybe find an antidepressant. My therapist knows that I am anti pill so when he gave me this advise I was surprised and felt that maybe I was even worse off than I thought. I went to the psychiatrist and went through about 5 different types of antidepressants of which all made me feel suicidal. For the record, sadness is not a symptom of my depression. The depression that came when I was/am started menopause was exponentially worse. I was having thoughts that just didn't belong to me. I am high functioning and productive and was in fear for myself. I accidentally found that hydrocodone relieved and/or eliminated most of the symptoms of my depression. It does not help with my concentration and I had to increase the number of books I read in addition to keeping a daily journal and doing mind puzzles with a nintendo - big brain academy tool. I take 20mg of hydrocodone everyday, 10mg twice a day. Being my depression is hereditary I have to stop taking it every 3 months for 7 days so as to see if my chemical makeup has returned to normal and I have no withdrawal. My doctor told me that she was hesitant to prescribe this at first but opiates were prescribed to depression patients until the 1950's with success. The reason opiates stopped being prescribed for depression is because of the emergence of heroin during this time and heroin is an opiate. It has been a little over 4 years that I have been using hydrocodone for my depression and I thank God that there was something available for me. It took convincing on my part to get this prescribed but being I have had depression since a young adult and had beaten that depression with food, exercise and meditation or kept it in check and that my depression is hereditary I was able to convince her. I have taken the same dose, 20mg daily, for the entire 4 years.

This is the first time I have spoken up about using a pain killer for my depression because I don't want people to know. I fear that people will view me different if they think I am taking a narcotic however they are wrong. I never have a feeling of euphoria and have never abused my medication. I do not forget the year and a half I spent trying to find a chemical answer because it was, without question, the worst year and a half of my life. I have been considering starting a website to address this because there are so many other people who have refractory depression or TRD (treatment resistant depression) and this information could save someones life. I believe that if a person has followed protocol to help them with their depression then an opiate should be considered and there shouldn't be a stigma attached to it. Like I said I am a high functioning productive women and would have lost my life and never would have been able to make the contributions to society that I have if this medication were not available to me.

In a way I have thank Tony for being obtuse because if I had not read their post I wouldn't be speaking out. I hope that my story and information can help people understand depression better and get the proper treatment. I don't give medical advise but I do give personal advise and if anyone who has depression is reading this then my advise would be not to give up. Do not give up! Move heaven and earth to help yourself. Be sensible. Don't let the monster of depression change who you know you are. Fight the thoughts you know are wrong and not you. Just don't give up......

REPLY

Was this helpful? 13

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 15

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 17

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 16

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 12

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'

REPLY

Was this helpful? 14

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 7

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 28

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 14

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 14

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 28

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 22

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.....

REPLY

Was this helpful? 33

I'm having Jones fracture surgery in the morning and would like to know if I can take a hydrocodone today for pain? ...

1 REPLY

Just took Tylenol for pain. DR gave me Hydrocodone for pain after surgery. Scared to take it after reading all this ## I...

5 REPLIES

Im scared when that happens throwing up little blood at end . I have 2 herniated discs in lower back and degenarative ne...

4 REPLIES

I have been taking hydrocodone 10.500 for over 5 yrs. what are the side affects without them ## Hi reb, If you've be...

18 REPLIES

I've been taking 8 mg/2mg Suboxone strips for 1 year. I am having a molar extraction in the morning. I took my Subox...

38 REPLIES

I have been taking cymbalta, after zoloft didn't work any more I am also taking lyrica, a long with ambian my ambian...

6 REPLIES

I started on prednisone for extreme knee and hip pain. Can't sleep. No relief yet. Can I take hydrocodone? I took Ty...

5 REPLIES

Can I still take hydrocod/acetam 7.5-325 mg if I put on a 25mcg fentanyl patch 2 hrs ago? I'm still in horrible pain...

3 REPLIES

can I take hydrocodone 15 hours after taking tylenol ## Hi Jack, Based on my research, after about 6-8 hours there shoul...

3 REPLIES

Hello, I take hydrocodone 5/325 for L3,4,5, disc pain and CIPN. It is not doing well for me. I was bumped up from 600mg ...

2 REPLIES