Acetaminophen / hydrocodone and Sick: What Users Say

• Ros...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 2, 2021

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "I’m 72 years old with severe arthritis and sciatic nerve pain. I’ve been taking hydrocodone for over 20 years with excellent pain relief and able to live somewhat of a normal life. I cannot sleep on a regular mattress and for many years sleep in a recliner. Lately, I’ve been helping my son and daughter-in-law babysitting my 3 grandsons which is not easy. As most, the manufacturer is Mallinckrodt. The script I just had filled is way different! The pain doesn’t subside and I literally feel very sick! While I normally feel pain relief and also more alert, I now feel I can’t stay awake and honestly feel horrible! I’ve called all pharmacies and they all use nothing but Mallinckrodt! Also, none of them have the name brand Norco anymore! When I was getting Norco, when colored yellow that worked the best. Since the change to white, it’s never been the same."

• Nat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 19, 2019

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "I used to get name brand things, they were fine. My back pain started getting worse, then I got the generics. At first, it was good, some were helpful, some not. With the Aurobindo brand of acetaminophen/hydrocodone, after about 2 weeks, I started to vomit and was sick for a week. Of course, the pharmacy didn't listen. Then, one more time and the same thing happened. No more of that. Then Mallinckrodt, it's just rubbish. Now, I'm having spasms in buttocks. I don't think there are any opiates in them, and I am withdrawing. You can't trust big pharma. That's the way they do things. I am angry because they are stealing from us. How dare they decide for us that we should not have opiates."

• Jaz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 31, 2019

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "I was taking Actavis Norco 10/325 for years, and as you all stated, no one carries them anymore. The Mallinckrodt makes me so sick that I did research. Par Pharmaceuticals, the yellow ones, are wholesaled by AmerisourceBergen, and AmerisourceBergen's largest contract is with Walgreens and Rite Aid. I called around and Par told me that you are with AmerisourceBergen and that you can order Par. The 24-hour locations can try, but they are mostly stocked fully with Mallinckrodt and can't order past a certain threshold. Call the locations that are open until 9 p.m. Both of the non-24-hour Walgreens were able to go into their system, pull up Par yellow Norco, and order them. They also notated my file that I have a bad reaction to Mallinckrodt and can only be filled with Actavis (which is still made, I called them as well) or Par. Hope this helps."

• Cha...
• March 8, 2020

For Back Pain "Yeah I'm on this Mallinckrodt acetaminophen/hydrocodone 10-325 for a bad back. Ex-contractor. This brand feels like completely worthless fake pills. Sick of sitting here in pain. Someone needs to sue these jerks. I asked the pharmacy. There's no other brands they carry. Because they want control of your life! I'm sick of it!"

• G03...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2022

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "I changed pharmacies from Walgreens to CVS. I had my prescription filled, and it’s a different brand, G037 acetaminophen/hydrocodone. This brand is making me sick. I was taking M367 acetaminophen/hydrocodone, and it worked well, just enough to get me through the day. They need to fix this because people will want to move up to something stronger. Something definitely is wrong with the medicine."

• Anonymous
• July 8, 2019

For Back Pain "Watson MFG is now Activis. If you receive Camber MFG, go to another pharmacy! You are going to be sick. I can’t find Activis brand, so I don’t know if they are as good as Watson was, but something needs to be done. This is our hard-earned money, and they’re filling these pain medications with fillers."

• Jra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2020

For Back Pain "Watch out for KVK-Tech, Inc. brand of acetaminophen/hydrocodone. They have numerous warnings and fines. Because the CVS here doesn't know how to read, I'm stuck with almost a full script of 750s that don't do anything but make you sick as a dog. When are pharmacies and docs going to return? Or should we invest more in Canada and trust their version of the FDA."

• Gre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 3, 2020

For Pain "I've been taking Norco for 3 yrs. My last two prescriptions have been the imprint WES 303, the manufacturer Wes Pharma Inc., and labeled under the Eywa Pharma Inc. brand. Never had any issues until I started taking these. I can't function, get out of bed, and insomnia through the roof. I never had this issue. I feel as if I am withdrawing all the time. I will be asking my dr to prescribe a different brand. It has been making me sick. Not sure if I am allergic to fillers or not. Please report if you have the same issue. I will return a message when I get back on a different brand to report the difference. Btw, never had issues with M367 pills."

• Jam...
• May 17, 2019

For Back Pain "Mallinckrodt brand of acetaminophen with hydrocodone (generic Norco) does not work. All major pharmacies are switching over to this brand. I have been taking this medication for the past several years and never had a problem until recently. I shared with my pharmacist the reactions to this manufacturer, and she noted it in my chart. Here I am a few months later picking up my RX. I couldn’t remember the Mallinckrodt brand name that caused the issues prior, nor did I think I needed to tell the pharmacy every single time seeing as they had I could not take and my reaction in my notes. After the first dose, again... sick as a dog. I called CVS to ask them the manufacturer I was unable to take, and sure enough, it was the one they gave me, MALLINKRODT! They apologized and said they have no control over what they get and there’s nothing they could do for me. This is just flat out wrong and what am I supposed to do now? I don’t see how they are able to get away with this. I am reporting them to the FDA, in which I have a feeling is a part of this as well!"

• San...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 28, 2022

For Pain "I have tried every generic pill of this medication. Can't take any of them. I used to always use Watson, which was excellent. But Watson went out of business. The generics now available make me extremely sick. The sickness lasts into the next day after taking just one generic pill. Found no relief from the pain. But...I just came across one Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen that I can handle. It is made by Rhodes. Well worth your time to look into this heaven-sent medication."

• Mca...
• December 29, 2019

For Back Pain "I'm on the horrible generic Mallinckrodt brand of acetaminophen with hydrocodone. It is absolute garbage, doesn't work for the pain, gives me a fuzzy head, sick feeling. I don't even think there's any hydrocodone in it. In the trash it goes, and in pain I stay."

• Alw...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 9, 2023

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Pain "I am a 53-year-old female who has undergone multiple surgeries on both knees and back twice a year, including knee replacements, steroid injections, cortisone injections, and nerve cauterization. I have been taking 10/325 for 7 years and only receive my prescriptions through a hospital or one Walgreens location because other Walgreens carry hydrocodone with a different formulation. Initially, I only had to take half or 1 pill a day at night, but now I have to take it every 6 or 7 hours due to severe sciatica, RLS, and nerve damage from all the surgeries. It's strange that some of my pills work fine and help relieve my pain, but others in the same bottle make me feel like I took three pills and leave me feeling sick and scared, like I am overdosing. I have tried taking OTC naproxen for my back and muscle pain, and it helps to some extent. However, I would appreciate it if Norco was consistent across all Walgreens because they look and make me feel different, even having different numbers on them. I did some research and found out that they don't make them anymore, so the pharmacy might be giving out old meds."

• Chr...
• November 28, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Since all the pharmacies in my area have switched to Tris brand, everyone I know has gotten sick from them. Everybody complains, and pharmacies don't care. Doctors and pharmacists treat all patients badly, like they are addicts, even legitimately ill patients. They are truly playing God. FYI, I did my research and found out Watson was sued by the state of Mississippi and so sold out to Activis and are no longer making Watsons."

• 2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2013

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "When I got ran over by the 18-wheeler, tried everything. Chiropractor, physical therapy, tramadol, etc. Nothing stopped the pain. Lortab 7.5 is the only thing that works. Take 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 at lunch, and 1/2 in the evening. Just watch for dizziness, nausea, and I guess that's a side effect. I feel loopy and detached a little, but it's better than hurting all the time. Most definitely don't mix with booze, it made me sick as a dog. Also, watch your tolerance. One day, I tried to take a whole one and had to lay down. Just be mindful it hits everyone differently. Hope this helps."

• Tip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 30, 2021

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "These new white hydrocodone are terrible, but you already know that. Does the company care? I don't think so. The yellow hydrocodone worked like they were supposed to work, relieve the pain, not make us sick. The white hydrocodone cost a whole 1/2 of a cent less. Pharmacies, do you think that your customers who get sick on this junk are worth keeping as customers? Shame on you. I guess it's more important to keep the stockholders happier. Meanwhile, some of your customers are getting sick on this junk just to save 50 cents. Customer service is getting horrible. When is it enough? Bring back medications that work, not the ones that make us sick. Isn't the point of medications to help people? Some folks, these white tabs work fine. That's cool, but some of us, they don't. Why not carry both brands."

• Ann...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 16, 2016

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "That stuff made me so sick I wanted to die. It was like a terminal case of the flu. And OxyContin made me itch so bad I scratched with a hairbrush. Guess I wouldn't be a very good addict. I have a magnetic belt I ordered from a catalog, and it helps more than medication - perhaps it's the magnets, but I suspect it's more a case of giving me more back support. Prescribed back braces were too big and heavy to wear, so they're out. I think every person who ever suffered from real back pain would be overwhelmed with joy if there was just a magic wand that would take the pain away permanently."

• chu...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 16, 2021

For Pain "I have pain from lupus, degenerative disc, and multiple other surgeries. I have had several conversations with the pharmacies and the manufacturers. Even the doctors are aware that the government has stuck their fingers into this business and altered all of the brands, and one reason is due to the abuse of this medication and addiction, so it makes you sick or does nothing for the pain to discourage people from taking it. Like many of you, I'm dependent on this medication as there is nothing else that can help with my condition. There is one type of the hydrocodone that still works if you can get your hands on it, as the pharmacies will not order it, claiming it is too expensive: yellow V 36 01 by Qualitest Pharmaceuticals. I've been trying to find a way to order it over the Internet, but haven't had any success. According to the pharmacies around here, there are a lot of people complaining about the new crappy hydro but can't do anything because of corporate not allowing them to get the right stuff. Good luck!"

• HG8...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 4, 2021

For Pain "I have been on and off of 7.5/325, 4 per day, hydrocodone for almost a year. I am not sure what is going on with these generic pills or their manufacturers, but these do not work well at all, and I'll go off of them just to see if it's me or the meds. It is definitely the meds. They don't offer much relief, and it's concerning because people in pain are getting prescribed these meds, and it's as if they're not the same medication as they were years ago. I seriously think the generics aren't the same anymore, and it is extremely noticeable. I have been switched to different brands of generics, and each time they make me feel sick or offer no relief. Someone needs to look into these generics and have them tested for efficacy. It is very odd to go off of this med and take it a few weeks later and notice no pain relief, just nausea."

• tev...
• March 31, 2014

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Back Pain "Okay, well, at first, this medication was pretty cool, it took away all my pain and not only that, but gave me extra energy as well. Before I had my son, I would not let doctors prescribe me narcotic painkillers for anything, as I had been addicted to Vicodin in the past. So, my son was born, and I then developed bursitis from years of running in the army, working out, and a combo of a hip surgery and other factors. At first, I went to a chiropractor three times a week, massage therapy, physical therapy, and finally told the doctor I had to have some pain medication, it was so bad it changed my life. I started taking these two years ago, and now they don't help me, but if I don't take them, I get sick! :( Wish I'd never started on them now."

• Anonymous
• February 4, 2009

Acetaminophen / hydrocodone for Pain "The only problem I have had with Vicodin is that it really upsets my stomach. Whether I have an empty stomach, full stomach, or whether I eat right after I take it or right before. It doesn't matter. Still makes me so sick. So my doctor suggested that I crush it and add it to yogurt or something of that sort, and it has been helping a lot. I don't know what the difference is, but hey, it works and I'm pain free."

• DJ3...
• February 5, 2016

For Pain "I had the worst experience of my life with medication with this prescription (hydrocodone-acetaminophen 5-325). Now I took Vicodin years ago after I got in a bad car wreck, and it worked great. THIS IS NOT the same. I took this for getting a tooth pulled. I took one on the first night, no real relief. The next morning the gum is still bugging me, the pharmacist recommends I take 2. Within one hour I'm spaced out, sick, dizzy, and short of breath. I literally felt like I was going to die. I called the pharmacist back, who assures me it will pass, I don't need to go to an ER. So I wait it out, it took 10 HOURS to pass. The scariest part being the shortness of breath. DO NOT TAKE THIS, I can't warn you enough. It is not the Vicodin of the past."

• Pit...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 22, 2021

For Back Pain "Camber Pharmaceuticals should not be able to produce a fraudulent drug called hydrocodone. I have taken acetaminophen with hydrocodone for years, never had an issue, and always had a better quality of life. Now that this Camber generic is dispensed, it makes me sick and does not even touch my pain, and causes heart palpitations. It's ridiculous that those who suffer with legitimate pain can't have their pain controlled. It's unethical."

• mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 30, 2016

For Pain "I have several very rare incurable conditions that cause severe pain 24/7. I have permanent nerve damage, bone and spine pain, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, I have to be on pain meds daily in order to have some quality of life. I have been taking Norco at adjusted levels for over 4 years now. I wish I didn't have to take anything, but it's an unfortunate reality. That being said, I take the same medication from a different manufacturer every month, and my pharmacy tries to accommodate me because for some reason I get extremely ill when I have to take the medication from your company. I have ended up in the hospital once, and once again my pharmacy was out of my normal meds, and I am stuck with yours. They barely work, and I'm so sick!!!!"

• mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 30, 2016

For Pain "I have several very rare incurable conditions that cause severe pain 24/7. I have permanent nerve damage, bone and spine pain, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, I have to be on pain meds daily in order to have some quality of life. I have been taking Norco at adjusted levels for over 4 years now. I wish I didn't have to take anything, but it's an unfortunate reality. That being said, I take the same medication from a different manufacturer every month, and my pharmacy tries to accommodate me because for some reason I get extremely ill when I have to take the medication from your company. I have ended up in the hospital once, and once again my pharmacy was out of my normal meds, and I am stuck with yours. They barely work, and I'm so sick!!!!"

• Mon...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 7, 2021

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I also noticed the change in the effects that my Norco had on me. I have arthritis head to toe. Sometimes I feel I'll ache all over even though I had taken the prescribed dosage. At times I have had to take extra to stop any pain. Usually, I just feel a little nauseous but better from the pain relief. I noticed the new ones that are hard make me sick. Something definitely has changed in them."