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Hydrocodone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of hydrocodone include drug dependence, pain, and overdose, based on 238,428 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Hydrocodone side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for hydrocodone.

1
Drug Dependence18.6%44,401
2
Pain10.5%25,087
3
Overdose10.4%24,851
4
Death8.1%19,356
5
Emotional Distress7.2%17,103
6
Toxicity To Various Agents5.1%12,194
7
Drug Withdrawal Syndrome4.5%10,672
8
Nausea3.8%9,070
9
Fatigue3.8%9,054
10
Drug Ineffective3.7%8,777
11
Anxiety3.4%8,109
12
Diarrhoea2.8%6,729
13
Depression2.7%6,324
14
Headache2.6%6,312
15
Dyspnoea2.2%5,255

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that hydrocodone caused these reactions.

Report severity

73.8%Serious176,077 reports
22.9%Hospitalizations54,671 reports
20.1%Fatal47,914 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Hydrocodone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside hydrocodone. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Acetaminophen36.2%86,371
2
Oxycodone29.2%69,723
3
Morphine-sulfate17.7%42,214
4
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride17.4%41,449
5
Buprenorphine13.6%32,403
6
Fentanyl12.8%30,420
7
Oxymorphone-hydrochloride10.7%25,492
8
Aspirin10.4%24,697
9
Tapentadol9.1%21,708
10
Tramadol-hydrochloride7.7%18,413
11
Ibuprofen7.4%17,732
12
Adalimumab4.1%9,705
13
Lenalidomide3.5%8,325
14
Pregabalin2.2%5,316
15
Sodium-oxybate2.2%5,273

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen42.6%101,560
2
Ibuprofen20.6%49,097
3
Aspirin10.8%25,837
4
Gabapentin10.6%25,203
5
Ergocalciferol9.3%22,198
6
Omeprazole8.9%21,180
7
Levothyroxine-sodium8.6%20,530
8
Albuterol8.4%19,927
9
Furosemide8.2%19,657
10
Lisinopril7.8%18,553
11
Prednisone7.3%17,309
12
Metoprolol7.1%16,816
13
Alprazolam6.9%16,386
14
Ondansetron6.6%15,798
15
Atorvastatin-calcium6.6%15,726

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports hydrocodone side effects

51.3% of hydrocodone adverse event reports involve female patients and 34.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 65%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female51.3%
Male34.8%
Unknown13.9%

Age group

< 22.2%
2–110.4%
12–170.8%
18–6465.2%
65+31.4%

What is hydrocodone used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking hydrocodone when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal HerniaAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbnormal FaecesAbortionAbortion SpontaneousAbscessAccidentAccident At WorkAccidental Drug Intake By ChildAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To Product

Showing 15 of 1,415 indications

Hydrocodone brand names and reporting trend

Hydrocodone is sold under brand names including Vicodin Es, Hydrocodone Polistirex And Chlorpheniramne Polistirex.

Brand names

Vicodin Es20,555
Hydrocodone Polistirex And Chlorpheniramne Polistirex58

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking hydrocodone with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.