The prescription pain reliever Lortab
® (
hydrocodone/APAP) is approved for the treatment of moderate to moderately severe pain. It is most often used to treat short-term pain, such as pain due to a surgery, injury, or dental procedure.
Lortab contains two different pain medicines:
hydrocodone and
acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic narcotic opioid pain reliever that is effective at relieving pain and decreasing coughing, but also causes mood changes, drowsiness, and mental "clouding." Acetaminophen (commonly known as "APAP") is a pain reliever and fever reducer commonly found in non-prescription medications such as
Tylenol®. Combining hydrocodone with acetaminophen helps improve the effectiveness of Lortab for relieving pain.
This medicine comes in tablet and elixir form. It is taken by mouth, typically every four to six hours as needed for pain. Be careful not to exceed the maximum recommended daily Lortab dose, as this could lead to overdose symptoms or poisoning from the acetaminophen component, which can cause liver failure.
(Click Lortab for information about the abuse potential of this medication, to find out when and how to take this product, and to learn about the possible side effects of the drug.)
HealthSavvy Sign In
|