Taking Hydrocodone For Depression (Newest replies first)

S Lee Says:

Sat, March 13, 2010

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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Optimistic Says:
Fri, October 20, 2023

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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507

Robert Says:
Sat, October 7, 2023

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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506

Hardplace Says:
Tue, August 17, 2021

Re: Optimistic (# 503) Expand Referenced Message

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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505

Kayshort Says:
Mon, August 16, 2021

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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Bill Says:
Mon, August 16, 2021

It depends on the person.

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Optimistic Says:
Mon, August 16, 2021

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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502

lee Says:
Tue, August 3, 2021

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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Roro Says:
Mon, June 14, 2021

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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500

Jessika Says:
Mon, June 14, 2021

The rx provides stimulation which reduces depression .

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Hydro Codo Says:
Wed, May 26, 2021

Re: Joe B (# 11) Expand Referenced Message

Do you know why hydrocodone reduces depression?

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Hard place Says:
Tue, May 25, 2021

Re: Diana (# 492) Expand Referenced Message

I went to online and what was I thinking. Got ripped off as well. But that stuff is junk anyway
100%agree and the same things happen to me. My own therapists can see the difference. Wishes she could prescribe.
Please someone help me

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497

Hard place Says:
Tue, May 25, 2021

Yes, and it works. Long term short term.

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