Quote:
Originally Posted by abbyrition
Which is the better choice in treating my joint pain/inflamation from Lupus? (it seems as though the hydrocodone would be the easy choice since I am not experiencing any side effects, but perhaps there are long term side effects I'm not feeling, or different ways the medicine is helping/hurting I'm not aware of?)
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If possible, I would keep looking/ask your doctor about a third choice. The long term problems with hydrocodone are two, IMO.
One is that hydrocodone is often combined with either acetaminophen (Tylenol) which can be hard on the liver, or ibuprofen which has its own potential
adverse effects. The antioxidant supplement N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) may help counteract the effects of acetaminophen on the liver.
The second issue is that hydrocodone, like any other opioid, may develop tolerance in time, requiring higher dosages, or switching to a more powerful opioid.
Hydrocodone may also cause dependence, but some non-opioid medications can do that as well.
Doc