Lortab vs. norco

I have been taking lortab 7.5/500 x4x daily, of course, I'm getting tolerant to it.  I asked the gi to prescrib something else, he gave me Norco 10/325.  The lortab gives me energy, the norco not as much and kind of relaxed.  I need to report in on tuesday how I'm doing on the norco, Is there a lortab 10/325? or is that what the norco is?  I need something that not only takes the aches & pain away, but, gives me a little energy or at least doesn't knock me out.  I have enough fatigue to deal with.  Any suggestions?  Also, can I alternate the 2 drugs, meaning taking lortab during the day & for my night dose take norco to sleep better? 

I am a RN and the difference between the norco and lortab are as follows. Norco and Lortab are both Brand Names for the Compounds :

Hydrocodone (Narcotic/Opiate) / Acetaminophen (NSAID/Tylenol).

Lortab is 7.5mg Hydrocodone / 500mg Acetaminophen

Norco is 10mg Hydrocodone / 325mg Acetaminophen

Most docs will usuallys switch to Norco overtime because it has less Acetaminophen which is a NSAID(Non-Steriodal Anti-inflammatory Drug) and it has more of the Narcotic/Opiate - Hydrocodone. The Acetaminophen is harmful to the Liver if taken daily at high doses, that is the benifit to the Norco. Opiates taken longterm or daily as prescribed do not do much harm to the body physically except cause youre body/brain to become used to it and then your brain needs more to keep the pain down, whereas when you started you only took smaller doses.

The usual max dose of Norco daily is 12 tablets because that reaches the maximum Acetaminophen Daily Dose for an Adult.

I am a 36y/o male 6'4" 310lbs and been dealing with chronic pain for 14yrs now.  All I can say is it is tough.  When I was on huge amounts of Oxycontin and Norco I could function, Work, Go out with my Wife, but I had constant Withdrawal Symptoms, But I could live a normal Life.   Now I am only on Methadone 30mg BID and I have had 8 jobs in last 2yrs, can't keep them d/t pain, I can't go out with my wife, so she is constantly frustrated with me, and I feel as though there is no reason to keep on going as I can't live normally anymore, and I am tired of the pain.  Unfortunately, I know it is wrong for me, but along with my Neurontin, Skelaxin, Methadone, Ativan, Celebrex and assort of Anti-depressent/Allergy/BP meds I still take 800mg Ibuprofen 3xday and 1500mg Tylenol 2-4xday.  Fortunatly I am a big person and my Liver/Kidneys are doing fine.  

My wife is pressuring me to find a doc to put me back on Oxycontin/Norco/Soma again so I can function, but I just don't know.  I would love to live again normally, except for hot/cold flashes, but I just don't know.

What is lousy though is I had to put my nursing license on Retired Status at 24y/o b/c I am on so many meds I felt it unethical to practice nursing, and I knew the consequences if I did work even per our state board you can work while on the meds if your physician feels your are able to function unimpaired and you have valid prescriptions.

Anyway, Enough of my rambling, you got your answer up top, but if feels good to vent.  I just signed up Last Night to the Forum, I used to be on the forum long time ago, but forgot my info and lost track over the years. 

I hope I did not waste your time reading this.

Thanks everyone for your replies, I'm not sure what to do.  I need the energy during the day, but, at night it would be ok to be sleepy.  So, do you think its ok to take the lortab during the day & my night doses with the norco?  Thanks in advance.  God Bless!

HI Jen,
Tylenol is often used for fever, pain, and Headache, but it has no antiinflammatory ability. Doctors really should know better than to suggest it to treat inflammation. Usually NSAIDS such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen work better for menstrual symptoms.

The tylenol is added to the hydrocodone and other opiates, because it often will have a synergistic effect with the opiate. The help control the pain in different ways, so they have an additive effect when together, at least in theory.

I do believe there is a long-acting hydrocodone in some countries. Although it is often talked about in the US, I don't think it has ever been available.

No need to apologize. We all have those days, including myself. When you have to learn a bunch of medications, it is pretty easy to jumble some of them once in a while.

Best wishes,
kurt

Keeping the faith,

There shouldn't be any problem using the lower dose vicodin during the day and the norco at night as long as your happy with the pain control. I use the same dose of vico daily but I also suppliment it with ibuprofen as well.

Good luck

My doctor told me that they actually put ACAP in Hydrocodone, etc for the sole fact of it would keep people from abusing it as much. Knowing what it can do to the liver somehow keeps people from just taking more and more aparently. Especially people who try to inject pills. The "cook down" process or what it is , is so much people are less likely to do it. I dunno, just what one of my docs saids. I found it interesting.

Hello, K. T. Faith, i hope your having a good day. it is so common to hear Vicodin or Vicodin ES, Lortab 7.5/500 or 10/500, and Norco 5-10/325 give people a sense of mild alertness or energy and i have heard many times when dose changes happen to Percocet or Tylox or Morphine that it knocks you on your butt and you have zero energy. your dose raise from 7.5 of hydrocodone to 10mg four times per day(10mg/24hrs.) after a few weeks may go back to the way it was with the 7.5mg dose. HephastionRNBSN's run down of the products and the generic equivalents was perfect by the way. the thing that popped into my head quickly was a. you should look into mild stimulants to add to your chronic pain cocktail and b. the amino acid L-Glutamine is the most common amino acid in your body but can become deficient, L-Glutamine has a CNS stimulant effect because in the brain it converts to Glutamic-Acid another exicitory amino acid. also L-Glutamine is converted to GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid), a calming or "inhibitory amino acid". so both L-Glutamine and GABA are both directly implicated in the chronic pain cycle and can give you a little pep and clarity. the great thing here is L-Glutamine is also major metabolic fuel for intestinal cells and targets CD, it increases nutrient bioavailability. that is two flies with one swat. some other mild energizing with no adverse effect supplements are: N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, DL-Phenylalanine, Ashwagandha (a Ayurvedic herb), Rhodiola Rosea root, !B-Complex!, Chia seeds have a good report and the few times i tried them i liked it, modafinil, bupropion, dextroamphetamine, inositol and choline, L-Carnitine, ect. there are many things you can talk with your doctor about, (sorry i missed TUES.), try googling "Nootropis". all the best and i hope you can get pain free.

wow, your right