Hydrocodone and Withdrawal: What Users Say

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2019

For Pain "Tried morphine and Percocet for severe, intractable pain from injuries and surgery. Hysingla was then prescribed as those did not help. Hysingla did nothing for my pain and also made my head feel swimmy, and it’s very constipating, like severely. The doctor tried Norco, and I’m finally pain-free most of the day now, the first time in years. I really can’t say why Hysingla didn’t work because Norco is the same ingredient, but it didn’t work for me and Norco really does work for me. Like, amazingly. And I’ve never had to step up the dosage nor ever had addiction or withdrawals to pain medication. (Only Cymbalta for me was highly addictive and took me over a year to get off of it. Withdrawal was severe. Strange because they say opioids are not safe, but for me, they are, and antidepressants were not. Very strange.)"

• Anonymous
• January 16, 2016

For Pain "My doctor just put me on Hysingla ER about a week ago. I take them faithfully every morning at 10 a.m., and every morning I wake up with withdrawals. I have to take 2-4 hydros besides the ER during the day for breakthrough pain. When I wake up in the morning, wow!!! My heart races, my palms are sweaty, extreme anxiety. I've been having to take a regular hydro in the mornings before the Hysingla ER just to tolerate the withdrawals and pain! Maybe being that it has only been going on 1 week since starting, that it's wearing off before the 24 hours. Not sure, but I know this never happened with OxyContin. Will have to wait and see, if not better by my next appointment, I am definitely changing medications."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2016

For Pain "Was taking 10 7.5/325 daily for severe autoimmune joint foot pain and nerve pain. 60 mg time release. 9 out of 10 days I'm fully functional like a normal mom. My only issue is IBS... if I take it in the AM and have my guts evacuate, I am forced to suffer with only my 3 daily allowed breakthrough pain medications. Then if I don't double up the breakthrough, the withdrawal symptoms cause my guts to keep dumping. I have slow digestion and it works about 19 to 22 hours. I imagine a regular digestive system would burn through this medicine before 24 hours. I tried it at night first and really enjoyed waking up without pain but had trouble the last 3 hours before the next dose. I would rather spend those wasted hours in bed each morning."

• BS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2017

For Pain "I have been taking Hysingla 40 ER for approximately 2 weeks. I am experiencing a severe headache, nausea, and the pain has not subsided one bit. I have tried taking this medicine at different times of the day, hoping it was just the time frame. I have severe withdrawal symptoms and cannot function. I'm very close to losing my job. I was not abusing my Norco, why am I being punished for drug addicts??!!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2016

For Pain "This drug didn't work as well as short-acting hydrocodone in lower doses. I had to take up to 20 mg of Tramadol per day for breakthrough pain on top of the 30 mg of Hysingla. It put me to sleep, made me unable to think clearly or efficiently, and didn't allow me to organize my day or complete my tasks as well as I previously had. I had to take it around 6 PM to avoid breathing issues when I lay down, and as a result, by the time I got up in the morning, I no longer received any pain relief from it - there is no way it works for 24 hours. I'm now in the process of returning to Norco, and while still taking hydrocodone, I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms from getting off the Hysingla. It is far more dangerous and addictive than it is promoted."

• Squ...
• October 24, 2016

For Pain "This medication isn't that effective compared to taking Norco since Norco releases most of its metabolites within an hour, immediately causing pain relief. Switching over to Hysingla has not only cost me way more money per month but also has caused me to have severe withdrawals and pain due to its very slow time release of the medication. I take 20 mg of Norco at a time tid, and I'm on the Hysingla 30 mg. So, with that being said, my body is used to 20 mg of morphine every 6 hours. If I'm on the Hysingla 30, it means I'm only getting approximately 1.25 mg an hour. That causes the concentration of my morphine levels to drop rapidly. Bottom line, this medication does not work unless you have minor pain that can wait a while till this medication."

• Tin...
• April 8, 2019

For Pain "I have 3 autoimmune conditions and a very messed up back. I was on Percocet 10/325 4x a day, which was helping, but neuro put me on Hysingla 20mg and stopped all my other meds, including headache shots. Said this was a miracle drug for all my needs. All this drug done for me is cause more pain and withdrawals. If it works for you, that's great, but some folks have a higher tolerance for meds, so if you're one of these people who does have a higher tolerance to meds, it's not for you. Save your money because the cost is high, and you figure for the price you pay, you'd get some kind of relief."

• Smi...
• February 15, 2017

For Pain "Pain dr gave this to my son that lives in chronic severe pain for a year, then his insurance changed, and he couldn't afford $600 a month. He always told me, Dad, this stuff doesn't help with pain at all, and when he gradually ran out, he did not have any withdrawals from not having it! If it had worked, he certainly would be missing it!"

• Cli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 17, 2019

For Pain "I am a paraplegic after a spinal cord injury when I had a wreck in 2001. For the first few years, the pain was there, but I could manage. Then it became so bad that I would lie in bed crying, unable to sleep or do anything. It ruled my life. After trying nearly every pain med out there, I finally found Zohydro by researching hydrocodone without acetaminophen. It has worked wonders, and I’m not constantly worried about withdrawals. My insurance just changed and won’t cover it now, and I can’t pay for it. Really wish they would come out with a generic!"

• Pes...
• April 11, 2021

For Pain "Many people are complaining about the side effects of this medication, however, what they are describing is withdrawal symptoms. This medication is being prescribed at much lower equivalent doses than what people are currently taking, hence, withdrawal symptoms kick in. After much research and after titrating up, my suspicions were confirmed. I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the reduction in opioids, not side effects from the medication. Unfortunately, the manufacturer is no longer shipping the dosage I am in need of, so after titrating up for the last several months, I am now in a bit of a nightmare, having to come off this med, which was helping! The last several months were frustrating and painful, but finally, relief was well within sight, except the manufacturer is not shipping the dose I need."

• Inj...
• January 23, 2017

For Pain "I was on Percocet 10/325 mg for about 10 years, and I asked to switch first to a buprenorphine patch, which I was too terribly allergic to and had awful withdrawal symptoms from, and then I asked to switch to Hysingla because I felt like a pill junkie and disliked the high/low cycle. Plus, I was starting to cheat and take two each morning of my 4 per day allotment. With Hysingla, I had to endure titration to get the right med strength, so I started out with 10 mg for two weeks. I barely felt relief. Then I moved up to 20 mg for two weeks, but didn't feel too much difference from 10 mg. Then I tried 30 mg for two weeks, and I could tell it was working but not well enough, so now I am moving to 40 mg. Hopefully, this will be the trick."

• RD ...
• May 10, 2018

For Pain "I was on hydrocodone 7.5/500 for my back. Then suffered a head injury in 2013. I was hospitalized for 10 days, where they gave me morphine, Norco, Dilaudid, and fentanyl. When I got out, I went on oxycodone. One and a half years later, I wanted out. I white-knuckled a harsh withdrawal. But the pain was more spread and frequent from the injury. I went on Zohydro ER 15 mg, but sometimes needed to take two - it was too much. I dropped to 10 mg, but the insurance doesn't like paying for 120 caps when they can pay for 60 - so I moved to 20 mg. My favorite part of Zohydro ER is, I think because of the way it is dispersed, I have never suffered any withdrawal symptoms from it when I stop for a couple of days. I swear by it. It doesn't completely get rid of my pain, but it alleviates it enough so that I can enjoy some life. Grant you, a higher dosage might get rid of the pain, but I choose not to go that route due to past experience. I do not know that the higher dosage can guarantee me no withdrawal effects like now."

• scu...
• August 20, 2017

For Pain "My pain doctor started me on 10 mg x 2 per day after a few years on 7.5 hydros 4+x per day. After the first week, and some withdrawal symptoms, they give no relief. Maybe the doctor started me on too low of a mg and I'll see him the next day. I hope he ups the mg to at least 15, and 20 probably will be better. He said he can add the old hydro for breakthrough pain, but at this point, I feel at least two 7.5 mg per day and that's only 2 less than before. He should go to 20 mg 2x per as I have a bad spine from head to tail, facet arthritis, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, deteriorating disk, and spinal neuropathy.... I'm through... I covered them all!!"

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2025

"Because I am fast metabolizing all opioids, my meds need to be periodically either adjusted or changed to something else. I was switched to Hysingla ER 60 with Tramadol for breakthrough three times a day. The H worked the very few days, then, at least after midnight, I am in complete pain and withdrawal. It doesn’t work for me for more than 12-14 hours a day. And Tramadol is not strong enough, nor can I ever wait for 8 hours for a pill for break pain. These rules should not be so, for not everyone is the same. We are each individually different, and our bodies completely act differently to medication and pain."