Hydrocodone

Description

Dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Chronic Pain:

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

Comments:
-Use of higher starting doses in patients who are not opioid tolerant may cause fatal respiratory depression; monitor patients closely for respiratory depression, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours.
-An opioid tolerant patient is one who has been receiving for 1-week or longer at least: oral morphine 60 mg/day, fentanyl transdermal patch 25 mcg per hour, oral oxycodone 30 mg/day, oral hydromorphone 8 mg/day, oral oxymorphone 25 mg/day, or an equianalgesic dose of another opioid.