Vicodin^® (hydrocodone/APAP) is a prescription medication licensed for the treatment of pain. Specifically, Vicodin's uses include treating moderate to moderately severe pain in adults.

Vicodin can help relieve pain because it contains two different medications, hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic narcotic, opioid pain reliever. It acts similarly to codeine. Hydrocodone is effective at decreasing pain and relieving coughing, but also causes drowsiness, mood changes, and mental "clouding."

Acetaminophen ("APAP") is a pain reliever and fever reducer commonly found in non-prescription medications such as Tylenol^®. "APAP" is an acronym for one of the chemical names for acetaminophen. Combining hydrocodone with acetaminophen helps improve acetaminophen's effectiveness at relieving pain and may limit the abuse potential of hydrocodone, as the maximum dose of Vicodin is usually limited by the acetaminophen content.

(Click Vicodin for a more in-depth look at Vicodin's benefits, including information on how it works and how it can help relieve moderate to moderately severe pain in adults.)

What Your Pharmacist Wishes You Knew About Chronic Pain Medications

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD

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