Vintage Yellow Hydrocodone Pills

twice now I have noticed this with my vintage yellow 10/325 norcos....
some of the time the V on the other side is facing upwards, and on some of the other pills it is facing downwards. Why is this? if they have pill presses made one way then why are some pills with the V up and some with the V down.

both times I noticed this because it seemed to me the pills were not working at all and they taste sweet.

this happened to my script 8 months ago and now they are not working again and I checked and again the V is upside down.

if you face the 3601 rightside up, and turn the pill over, some of them have the V up and some of them have the V down, how can they get turned around in a pill press by the manufacturer and end up upside down?

I just find it very odd when they do not seem to work, I am finding about 2/3 of them in the bottle are upside down V's.

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HERE IS IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEM: When reading a pill such as the one you are trying to read you are not being consistent with the way you are turning the pill over. For instance: V 3601 when being reversed for reading the otherside, if reversed (rolled over North to South) the opposite side of the V side after rolling will display 3601 correctly whereas if reversed (by flipping over long ways (East to West)) the opposite side of the V side will be upside down. Always simply roll the pill N>S from the side that correctly displays the number such as 3601 and you will always find that the V will not be upside down. Every one of your pills are identical, work the same way, and "read" the same way but only if you are consistent in the way that you turn them over.

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Wow! What it sounds like to me, is that several doctors, who have been prescribing narcotic pain medications, have been doing so because they believe that you have needed them and didn't have the diagnostic tests that indicate severe and chronic pain, or some are just plain scared that they will have their licenses yanked by over prescribing. In any case, probably years ago, some of the problems mentioned could have been handled by other types of medications and some are new to the market. The shame of this whole scene is that some of you will probably never find medication that has worked as well as your hydrocodone or CII meds because they become an integral part of your daily life, and detoxing, in spite of what anyone says, takes a very long time before you ever feel normal again. In cases where a patient has herniated discs, then I really don't know why a physician would not prescribe a narcotic medication. Now, true, there is a big push by the feds, to back off from writing so many narcotics, and several cases seem to be falling under review. If you are just going to see a doctor for the first time and you tell him that you need methadone, then chances are you could be conceived as a drug seeker. This whole thing is terribly unfortunate, and the sad part is that many patients now, who have taken their medications diligently and have not diverted them, who have legitimate pain issues, are being subjected to the same scrutiny as 28 year old joe blow, who wants the buzz, complains of back pain, and gets them prescribed. Then there are these BAD doctors, who have sold them or sold their scripts to get rich. They are just as much to blame as the seeker. New laws require yearly drug screens,( which seem ridiculous to me,) but some patients are taking a cocktail of controlled substances for the ultimate high, and they have no medical issue at all. These people should be arrested and the hammer brought down on them. There really is no way that a physician, or nurse practitioner can tell anything about you, on your first couple of visits.For those of you, complaining of fibromyalgia,you're going to be facing an upward battle, since, diagnostically, there isn't any real true test that says that you have this affliction, and the pain is very real.To just cut a patient off is inhumane, as far as I am concerned, and you will feel terrible, no matter what new medication you're being prescribed. If you had never had a narcotic analgesic, then you are just not going to feel the same way, even though the euphoria probably went away years ago. There has to be a balance in the end, so that individuals who have legitimate pain issues, and have never demonstrated any drug seeking behaviors, aren't denied the relief given by them, and let's face it, they are the best in relieving some types of medical problems. There also needs to be some assurances by physicians, who know their patients, and have been diligent in how and to whom they have prescribed the medications. It is ridiculous to be scrutinizing all physicians the way the insurance companies, pharmacies, and the DEA are currently doing. Physicians get extensive training in treating the entire body and to limit their practicing rights now is just wrong, but everyone is running scared right now, and that needs to stop. It is a fact that they were being overly prescribed, and some patients were continuing to get them after their acute injury or affliction was healed. And, there were a number of patients who were, in fact, seeking them, for the euphoric feeling or to supplement their incomes and this has to stop as well. Hopefully, we will be able to curb the abuse, and somehow reach a balance in the future.As I mentioned before, if a patient with conditions like lupus or fibromyalgia never received a controlled substance before, some of these newer medications will probably prove to be beneficial. It is sad that medicine has become such a business, and right now, patients are even embarrassed when they take a script for pain medications, sedatives, or muscle relaxants to pharmacies who do not know them. No one should have to walk around in pain for the rest of their lives, especially if they have been on a controlled substance for an extended period of time, and there has never been any impropriety involved between the doctor and the patient, which, I believe, encompasses several patients and doctors. Chances are, if you have just moved to a new city, finding a doctor who is confident in their skills, follows the guidelines, and can justify, if necessary why a patient needs a certain medication, they are still around, but finding one could be tricky. If your former doctor kept good records, and diagnostically had substantiated tests, that will help. But don't tell the doctor this is what you need; let him/her make that call. Arguing or insisting on a medication will not have a good outcome. The same goes with these questions that I am seeing as far as various brands of pain medications. Pharmacies will buy generic meds that offer the best price, availability, and are contractually arranged by the chain's or insurance company's formulary. If you have been used to taking Watson brand, and are given a different kind of hydrocodone, then accept them, and even though, in making generic medications there is this window where they can be a percentage stronger or weaker than the exact dosage on a brand name medication. If you ask for a brand name now, in this world today, that will probably send up a red flag. For the patient who was receiving the Lortab 7.5/500 and now getting Norco 10/325,, you are actually getting a stronger dose of hydrocodone and a lower dose of acetaminophen. That is a good thing because the less tylenol your liver has to metabolize, the better. Some of you are describing pills and shapes, that are unfamiliar to me, and unless I get something from a pharmacy, I would not take it. I am not familiar with any Norco that comes in anything but a tablet, but then, a pharmacy might be doing business with a new pharmaceutical company and that is how they are prescribed now. The ease in getting a controlled substance is never going to be as it was, and probably, in many cases, that is a good thing. But as a medical community, everyone must realize that there are patients, who are legitimately in pain; it can be proven that they have a painful ailment, and everybody, from the top down, needs to understand that. To drug test an seventy five year old man, who wouldn't even know what meth, crack, or mixing medications with alcohol, injecting them or snorting them even means, is just plain silly, expensive to the patient, and quite frankly, outrageous. I find it interesting, that in this debate about the legalization of marijuana in treating pain, is getting a great deal of positive feedback, but highly criticized by well known individuals, (no name mentioned,) but was buying bucket fulls of OxyContin, Lorcet, and Xanax illegally. It is a travesty that this has become such a money making business, and legitimate patients, are being treated like criminals and judged by those who don't even know them, and physicians are facing, in many cases, the same pressure. If you go in and ask for a medication without an exam, tests, or paperwork, you're likely not going to get what you want initially..just like these 'pain clinics' that are government sanctioned, probably don't have physicians who don't know anymore about how to treat pain, than your primary care physician. They all received the same training, and most of them have attended numerous seminars and lectures since. This is today's world and it isn't the same as it was fifteen years ago. I hope that we are effective in curbing the overuse and over prescribing of controlled substances and I also hope that logic and common sense, in the end prevails. As stated before, no one should have to live in severe pain in their lives... but incorporating meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, certain foods, and physical therapy can also help chronic pain patients. Whatever you, as a patient do, don't insist on having the exact brand of medication, even though you felt the other brand was more effective, and don't go in and tell a doctor you need this for a certain problem, and for heaven's sake, don't buy anything off the street and take it for what someone tells you that it is... you could be taking rat poison.

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As long as you turn the pill side to side, the v and the number are either right side up or vice versa. Turning the pill north or south always makes one side look upside down.

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I picked up a script and after reading your question tried the experiment myself. You are right about the upside down v thing. I placed 2 pills side by side with 36 01 facing same way. I flipped them both the same way. One was upside down. I cant say if one is stronger than the other tho. Perhaps they were printed at different times...? Or on a different machine? Interesting tho.

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i also have the same exact problem.half of my script.vintage brand has the v upside down.what is going on?they seem to not work as well.and make me tired

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I called the pharmacy to ask about this and they said this happens

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Nope. Half of mine are upside down and half are rightside up. No mistake.

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Re: Suntsu (# 1)

No you're incorrect I'm looking at two different ones right now and I have a piece of class I'm using. I'm not touching them at all the V is the same way on both of the pills and when you put your head behind the glass one side is 3601 the other pill the numbers are upside down

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