How long does Vicodin stay in your urine?

Dear Worrymom,

Based on your user name, I think I understand why you might be asking this question.

Vicodin is the brand-name for a chemical called hydrocodone bitartrate, a synthetic opiod narcotic very similar to naturally-occuring codeine (found in medications like Tylenol #4s or #3s, etc.). Hydrocodone has what is called a half-life (the amount of time it takes for a chemical to become one-half its original potency in the system) of around 4 hours, + or -. Due to the somewhat complex manner in which the body processes this drug, there hasn't been an exact time period established after which hydrocodone is completely eliminated in the urine, but 24 hours should be a safe bet, like most other narcotic pain killers.

If the drug has been used over an extended period of time (several weeks to months), urinalysis could yield a false positive for other, stronger drugs like morphine, Dilaudid, or cocaine.

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FYI - Vicodin also contains 500mg of acetaminophen (Tylenol).

I hope this information is useful to you, and I hope things turn out alright. Let me know if you have any other questions I might be able to answer.

Regards,
Duckworthy