Nik Says:
What Is The Difference Between White And Yellow Hydrocodone?
Updated
linda Says:
I read that the yellow norcos have dye and the white norcos don't. One is fat soluble and the other is water soluble. What's the difference?
37 Replies (2 Pages)
Page:
1
What pharm in chandler az still carries the white 7.5 hydrocodene
Was this helpful?
0
2
Verwon Says:
Hello, Linda! How are you?
Are you asking about the ones that were yellow, but are now white? If so, then the only difference is the removal of the dye, nothing else.
Nik, I saw your other post and I'm sorry, but the ones with the higher amounts of Acetaminophen in them are no longer being manufactured, so you can't obtain them, anywhere.
This is a narcotic analgesic, so it has the potential to be habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation.
Is there anything else I can help with?
Was this helpful?
2
3
VICKIE Says:
YOU ARE WRONG VERWON. I HAVE BEEN TAKING PAIN MEDICATIONS FOR OVER 16 YEARS AND KNOW MY BODY VERY WELL. I CAN TELL YOU FROM EXPERIENCE THAT THE YELLOW PILLS HAVE ALOT MORE PAIN MEDICATION IN THEM THAN THE WHITE ONES. I DO NOT CARE WHAT ANY BODY TELLS YOU, THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PILLS. ALSO IF THEY ARE THE SAME THEN WHY DO THE YELLOW ONES COST MORE? I HAVE BEEN GETTING THE YELLOW 10/325S FOR YEARS AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAUSE I AM ON UNITED HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAID MY PHARMACIST TOLD ME I COULD NOT GET THEM ANYMORE UNLESS I PAID CASH. IF I COULD AFFORD TO PAY CASH I WOULD NOT BE ON MEDICAID. ONLY DRUG DEALERS AND RICH PEOPLE PAY CASH.
Was this helpful?
22
4
BL Says:
Medicaid pays for the cheapest generics. If your pharmacy has a cheaper generic, that is what Medicaid pays for. If all they have is the more expensive generic, Medicaid will also pay for that.
Was this helpful?
3
5
taylor Says:
Thank you, please help people understand this. I get so mad that people can't stand up for themselves. It may not work if just one person stands up but it will if everyone refuses to stop buying this junk.
Was this helpful?
8
6
Wintergirl55 Says:
I have been taking the yellow Norco V on one side and 3601 on the other for the past 9 years on and off. It has taken away my pain and I'm able to function. After all these years I start the day with just half a pill, it takes the edge off then I take another half up to 4X per day, yet varies due to my pain level. Safeway told me they no longer carry the yellow and I got the white. I got headaches, did nothing for the pain and had brain fog. I had to stop and had nothing but OC for a month. Suddenly Safeway got yellow Norcos in, needlessly say I was pleased. Back to feeling as normal as I could. I have a work related injury. State Fund stopped paying for it year ago. Medicare has paid part of it now. I took my prescription to be filled at Safeway, they told me I have to have ALL my meds transferred to Safeway otherwise they will NOT fill it. Apparently this is the new rule of the pharmacy manager?? I went to Walgreens where my other meds are filled. My Norco now is white, on only one side is Watson 853. I have taken it 4 days and cannot continue. I have a headache. I've been in a lot of pain, it is not working, I have horrible brain fog and just feel like crap. For my body I know there is a difference between the two. The white is $3.00 more expensive. What do I do now? Reading other patients messages, it amazes me how the meds work so differently. I talked to the pharmacist today, she told me they are exactly the same???? They cannot be one is yellow the other is white, yellow works the white makes me miserable? Help
Was this helpful?
11
7
Roro Says:
The yellow with the v are made in alabama at a former qualitest production facility. They were bought out by par a year or so ago but par also makes the 10/325 in the new york plant, but they are white... at the bottom of the label there is a 3-4 letter code that identifies the manufacturer. Some pharmacies mark the yellow v as par & some still mark it as qualitest... My suggestion is to call around and ask if they carry qualitest yellow w/v... if they say they have par make sure they are yellow w/ the same markings because the white ones from ny do not work as well (for me). The watsons are now made by a brazilian company and from reading other threads they are not the same since watson sold to the company from brazil. You can ask your dr for a script with the manufacturer listed on it.
Was this helpful?
3
8
Cassie s Says:
Tell Walgreens you can not take the white ones so to order the yellow ones and they will I've been doing it for years they're qualitest you have to remind them every month about a week before you get your prescription and order them hope this helps
Was this helpful?
3
9
William Says:
Why anyone with chronic pain would accept hydrocodone like Lortab, Vicodin, Norco or Vicoprofen is ridiculous and then I hear everyone complaining about how all the other ones work way better than the white ones. I have to eat 50 10 milligram pills just to make it through a day. Stop taking Vicodin and tell your doctor that they do not work and you need to be put on MS Contin (morphine sulfate). If that makes you sick because morphine makes a lot of people sick then they have new pills that you could try or instead of taking hydrocodone which is the weakest of all opiates besides codeine, try oxycodone (Percocet). Doctors not like to prescribe oxycodone as much as hydrocodone but if the hydrocodone does not help you I don't see why your doctor will not change it to oxycodone which works a thousand times better than hydrocodone in my opinion. I take methadone everyday because I got started on Vicodin, then they do Oxys, then Dilaudid. So now I take methadone which works better than any medication for taking away pain. Methadone is a life-saving drug to drug addicts and pain patients alike.
Was this helpful?
3
10
Booboo Says:
If there putting more pain medication in the yellow ask yourself why would they do that? THERE THE SAME LOOK UP THE INGREDIENTS IN THEM NO YELLOW DYE. OMG OVER A PILL.
Was this helpful?
1
11
Roro Says:
Its not more in the yellow its less in the white ..... the white ones are on the low end of allowable (7-8) amount and the yellow are at the level they are meant to 10-11 maybe even 12) milligrams ...... the fed has varying allowable amounts for generics they are not the same and those that cant tell the differance either dont need the meds they take thus abusers or are not users of pain medication thus do not know what they are talking about .....which are you .... get over it
Was this helpful?
4
12
Jeremy Says:
Bulls***. Y'all say there isn't a difference, but you and I both know there is... The yellow are better.
Was this helpful?
10
13
Confused Says:
Hes is right..i come here jut to see if anyne ele felt that way as I do
Was this helpful?
2
14
duro Says:
The difference is that the pharmacies in NYC pick and choose whom to give out the yellow percocets. I feel the yellow endocet 10 325 are better than the white one's.
Was this helpful?
1
15
Backache Says:
Agree with Vicky I've been on yellows 10 325 for 3 yrs .Walgreens only carry whites now they are much weaker and differant.cvs carries yellow.have Dr check do not substitute.
Was this helpful?
2
16
EL Says:
I don't think it matters what insurance U have, because I have had Kaiser, since 1990, and I have dual coverage. And I still got the white 367 Hydrocodone 10 mg Acetaminophen 325 mg instead of my usual yellow. I started getting the yellow, cause the white ones did not work 4 me, and I was taking alot of pills 4 my pain. The yellow worked good 4 me, cause I have bursitis in both hips, both knees, and chronic back pain since 2004. I just had brain and spinal cord surgery in February. So yes, I need pain medicine that works.
Was this helpful?
3
17
RG Says:
BL, I have Kaiser too and just got my Monthly refill of 10/325. I always get yellows, only once I got white pills and did not like them. Made me feel sick, nauseated. After I paid my co pay, the pharmacist tech said, "Oh, it's not the same manufacturer, just wanted to tell you ". I got in my car and looked, and I received the white ones. I took one and I already feel nauseated and I never feel nauseated. Are you saying you can or can not get the yellows through Kaiser? Did you just start getting the white pills too? I'm open to giving them a chance but I never feel sick after taking the yellow. I'm definitely going to complain about these white pills. I received them once before and had the same reaction. I'm just wondering if Kaiser is only giving these white pills now. Or can I go to a different pharmacy to get the yellows.
Was this helpful?
2
18
Rheumatoid Pain Says:
I'm a Kaiser member too, they no longer carry the yellow 10mg. They're now contracted with Mallinckrodt, the white ones and they made me sick. Just one month on them and I got sick the whole time. Kaiser used Qualitest, the yellow ones, I've used for over 10 years and are the only ones I can take. The white ones are crap!!!!
Was this helpful?
4
19
Val Says:
Yes the yellow ones work a lot better I agree it is a big difference well to me anyway
Was this helpful?
3
20
Low Says:
Re: VICKIE (# 3) 
You are right im a gulf war vet and the va uses white more than ran out and we got yellow narco much better. I agree with u
Was this helpful?
3
Page:
Most Recent Replies:
37
Roy Says:
Re: Marie (# 36)
What were the markings on your yellow tablets? And what are the markings on your current white tablets? If you have that info or the NDC # / manufacturer name it might be possible to get the inactive ingredient profile.
Was this helpful?
0
36
Marie Says:
I was recently in a car accident. Badly injured. And then got covid. They gave me pain medication. It was yellow Hydrocodone 10/325. Then they changed the color to white. It doesn’t work as well at all! I’m looking for a pharmacy that still offers the yellow ones anywhere near Huntsville Tx. I will even drive as far as Houston Tx. Thank you.
Was this helpful?
0
35
debbers Says:
Re: William (# 9)
Methadone makes me extremely ill... like exorcist projectile vomit. The only med that worked for me that allowed me to function like almost normal was oxycontin with norco. But now the government wants to make you a criminal if you are in pain or have other chronic conditions. Such BS. But it's true those white ones don't do crap.
Was this helpful?
0
34
debbers Says:
Re: Wintergirl55 (# 6)
These white ones are crap!!!!! They make me nauseated and do not work unless I take a higher dose and i don't want to do that. Pharmacy told me they don't make yellow tablets anymore but I read you get at safeway. We don't have Safeway but Homeland that use to be Safeway. All we want is not to hurt all the damn time. I don't care if I get dependent, my illness has ruled me my whole life so self sanctimonious folks can go f*** themselves.
Was this helpful?
0
33
debbers Says:
Re: VICKIE (# 3)
i agree completely. been taking meds for 40 years so I think my body knows and so does my mind. the white ones are not very effective. just the way it is
Was this helpful?
0
32
Mongo Says:
I’ve been taking the yellow ones for years , I received the white ones and they were nothing like the yellow ones. They did not relieve me of any pain like the yellow ones. I went today to pick up my prescription and they gave me the white ones and I told them I want the yellow ones and they told me they don’t make them anymore, so if they don’t work like the yellow ones, my do will have to give me something else. I find it hard to believe they stopped making the yellow ones.
Was this helpful?
0
31
Larry Says:
I agree wholeheartedly with everything that I have read .
Told HEB PHARMACY & THEY SAID ,WELL ITS WHAT CORPORATE SENDS
US .NOTHING WE CAN DO
B###S###
Was this helpful?
0
30
Misty Says:
Re: VICKIE (# 3)
Call your Cornator & be paitent enough to go through the red tape [steps] explain why you need to go back to yellow 9 times out of 10 you will get them back without having to pay for them ...
Was this helpful?
0
29
Krazycatlady Says:
Re: William (# 9)
i know this is an old post but I have tried methadone many yrs ago when first diagnosed. It made me sick. But that being said I take meds for tourettes that I had before my injury. I take Morphine, percocet and other meds for my CRPS and have for 18 yrs. I am blessed with a wonderful doctor. I hope your doing well.
Was this helpful?
0
28
Jeff B Says:
Re: D J I (# 27)
So let me get this straight... The pharmacist didn't have enough of the brand that you wanted in stock to fill the entire prescription, so he gave you 10 so that you wouldn't run out before he got the rest of it in? And you are upset about this? Would you have preferred that he told you that you can't get anything until he had the full amount in stock? You could have told him not to fill anything and asked for your prescription back (at which point you could have taken it to a different pharmacy that may or may not keep the brand that you want stocked).
I own a pharmacy, so I am pretty familiar with the laws which regulate pharmacies/pharmacists... Actually, there is a law that specifically gives a pharmacist permission to dispense a partial amount of a CII to a patient. What the pharmacist did was not illegal, nor was it a "loan." It is called a partial dispensing and it is completely legal as long as you get the remaining quantity from the Rx in a timely manner. If the balance is not dispensed in a timely manner, the quantity of the original Rx is reduced to the amount dispensed and the pharmacist must contact the prescriber to alert them to the fact that the full quantity was not dispensed so the prescriber can issue a new Rx. For example, say you go in on a Thursday to pick up your meds that, according to the directions, you will run out of on Friday. Your Rx is for a quantity of 60, but since the pharmacist doesn't have the full amount in stock and won't until Tuesday, he gives you 10 of them so that you don't run out of meds while waiting for your order to come in, then when you come back on Tuesday, he gives you the remaining 50 tablets that he "owes" you. Now if the pharmacy doesn't get the remaining tablets in stock before you run out, the pharmacist would change the quantity on your original Rx to #10, and contact your doctor so that he/she could write a new Rx. The new Rx would either be for the remaining quantity (#50) or for the full amount (#60). Either way, the new Rx would not be able to be filled until the partial amount would be used up (according to the directions on the Rx).
As far as the "It’s just the way for the pharmacies to gain an extra dollar" comment goes... You can thank your insurance companies for that. Allow me to explain...
Average (from all insurances) total reimbursement (insurance payment plus any copays) for Norco 10/325 is $0.22/tablet (the insurance companies pay the same amount no matter what brand is used). The average quantity for a prescription of Norco 10/325 is 90 tablets. This means that the average total reimbursement for an average Rx is $19.80 (regardless of how much the pharmacy pays for it).
The nationwide average cost to the pharmacy to dispense a Rx (overhead, labor, vial, label, etc.) is about $11/Rx. The total cost (to the pharmacy) for any given Rx is $11 plus the actual cost of the medication... For a Rx of #90 Norco, this means that if the pharmacy pays more than $8.80 ($19.80 - $11) for the tablets in that Rx, they will lose money. Remember that $8.80 figure for later...
Most pharmacies have a contract with a "primary" wholesaler that they must purchase a minimum amount of inventory from in order to avoid being penalized (higher prices). Independent pharmacies often have multiple "secondary" wholesalers that they use when their primary is out of stock on a particular item (but they don't get as good of a price from the secondary) and chain stores typically utilize a single primary wholesaler and no secondaries. Usually, secondary wholesalers will not distribute controlled substances to pharmacies, so the pharmacy must (in most cases) purchase controlled substances (including Norco) from one wholesaler. The price for a particular brand will vary between wholesalers based upon the contract that each wholesaler has with the manufacturer. I am in a unique position and am able to purchase controlled substances from 3 different suppliers. These are my best "per tablet" costs for the different brands of generic Norco from each of my 3 wholesalers (WS):
Qualitest Brand (yellow): WS#1 is $0.18, WS#2 is $0.14 and WS#3 is $0.14.
Watson: WS#1 does not stock, WS#2 is $0.17 and WS#3 does not stock.
Mallinckrodt: WS#1 is $0.36, WS#2 is $0.14 and WS#3 is $0.10.
Rhodes: WS#1 does not stock, WS#2 is $0.10 and WS#3 does not stock.
Tris: WS#1 is $0.09, WS#2 is $0.33 and WS#3 does not stock.
So, #90 Norco will cost me anywhere from $8.10 to $32.40 depending on what brand and who I purchase it from. So, if I purchase it as cheaply as I can get it, it costs me $8.10 + $11 = $19.10 which means that on average, I will make a whopping $0.70 on the prescription. I realize that the costs will vary from pharmacy to pharmacy, but not by more than a few percent one way or the other. So it really isn't a matter of "the pharmacy trying to gain an extra dollar" as much as it is a matter of the pharmacy just trying not to lose money.
Was this helpful?
0
More Discussions:
What is the difference Between M360 (white) and Watson 853 (yellow)?
8 REPLIES
I have both M360 and Watson 853 pills. I'm not exactly sure if the are the same of if one is stronger. ## The tablet...
8 REPLIESWhat is the difference between hydrocodone and oxycontin??? 6 REPLIES
I have been taking hydrocodone 10-325 for 8 or 9 years. And now my doctor wants to put me on oxycontin. I have never tak...
6 REPLIESWhat Is The Difference Between Hydrocodone V3601 And M367? 16 REPLIES
What are the differences between those two? Which one is stronger? M367 or v3601? I know they have the same 10/325 dosag...
16 REPLIESwhat is the difference between hydrocodone 5 325 and 10 2 REPLIES
Dr presecibed me hydrocodone325mg-5 for my back pain I was in a car accident a lot of pain never took these pills before...
2 REPLIESwhat is the difference between hydrocodone 10/500 and 10/325 4 REPLIES
hydrocodone 10/500 and hydrocodone 10/325, what is the difference? ## The 10/325 contains 10mgs of the narcotic Hydrocod...
4 REPLIESwhat is the difference between oxycodone and hydrocodone 23 REPLIES
my Dr has changed my medication fron norco to percocet, and now my feet and ankles are swelling severely. What is the di...
23 REPLIESwhat is the difference between hydrocodone-apap7.5-500 and propoxy-n/100-650 2 REPLIES
please tell me the differenc between these 2 drugs. ## Though the difference is rather irrelevant now in most countries,...
2 REPLIESWhat Is The Difference Between P110 10 325 Hydrocodone And Norco 3 REPLIES
When I take the yellow Norco 10-325, I usually wait about 30 minutes till they take affect and most often feel somewhat ...
3 REPLIESHydrocodone Ip 119 What Is The Difference Between Ip119 And Blue Lortab 7 REPLIES
I can now only get hydrocodone IP119 10/500 in the state where i live and i would like to know the difference between th...
7 REPLIESDifference between yellow hydrocodone acetaminophen with 1096 vs white pill same strength but u03. Both say sub for norco. 138 REPLIES
Just want to know difference between both pills, beside Manufacturers. I was taking Hydocodone-Acetaminophen 10-325 yell...
138 REPLIES