What is Vicodin?

Vicodin is a prescription medication that is used for treating moderate to severe pain and is often used in conditions that involve pain of that severity. Vicodin is in fact a combination of two different medications.The first medication in the combination is hydrocodone, while the other one is acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol. These two medications are combined for several reasons, but we should first give an overview of both of them separately before we go into why these medications are combined in Vicodin.
Hydrocodone is an opioid painkiller, which means that it is derived from opiates which occur in nature.

It can be derived either from thebaine or codeine. It is further developed and this is why it is also called a semi-synthetic opioid. Hydrocodone is quite a powerful analgesic, which means that it is used to relieve pain. It also has antitussive properties, meaning that it can be used in suppressing cough. Hydrocodone works by binding to certain receptors found in the central nervous system, known as opioid receptors. This prevents the pain sensations from reaching the pain and this is the way in which this medication alleviates pain.The other medication in Vicodin, paracetamol is a well-known and commonly used analgesic, but it also holds certain antipyretic properties, meaning that it can also reduce fevers. On its own, it is sold over the counter and it is widely used for treating headaches, pains and aches that are not severe and it can also be found in a number of other over the counter products.

While the exact mechanism of action of paracetamol is not yet known, it is believed that it is due to its effect on the cyclooxygenase. Namely, by inhibiting this enzyme, paracetamol both prevents the pain and also results in slight anti-inflammatory effects.Now, we finally come to the reasons why these two medications have been chosen in order to make Vicodin, one of the most commonly used medications on the market for alleviating moderate to severe pain. The first reason for this combination is something that is known as drug synergy. This means that these two medications work together and produce better effects than if used separately.

Both paracetamol, but more prominently hydrocodone become more effective in this combination and this is what makes Vicodin such a potent analgesic.The other reason for combining these two medications is the fact that paracetamol is highly toxic for liver and that by including it in Vicodin; it functions as a deterrent for people not to take too much Vicodin.What we get as a combination is Vicodin, a very powerful analgesic that is primarily used in short-term relief of pain, like for example after serious injury or after the operations. It is very important to use Vicodin exactly as prescribed, in order to avoid developing tolerance or dependency to the medication.