The following dosing recommendations can only be considered suggested approaches to what is actually a series of clinical decisions over time; each patient should be managed individually.

As First Opioid Analgesic and For Patients who are NOT Opioid Tolerant:
Extended-Release Capsules (Zohydro(R) ER): Initial dose: 10 mg orally every 12 hours
Extended-Release Tablets (Hysingla(R) ER): Initial dose: 20 mg orally every 24 hours

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to hydrocodone: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Stop using hydrocodone and call your doctor at once if you have:

• noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops during sleep;
• a slow heart rate or weak pulse;
• pain or burning when you urinate;
• confusion, tremors, severe drowsiness;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• low cortisol levels – nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness; or
• high levels of serotonin in the body – agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

How should I store hydrocodone?