What Is Vicoprofen (Hydrocodone/Ibuprofen)?
Vicoprofen is a brand-name combination drug prescribed to treat moderate-to-severe acute pain. Vicoprofen includes a combination of hydrocodone, which is a powerful opioid, and ibuprofen, which is an NSAID also available over-the-counter. Vicoprofen isn’t indicated for use beyond around ten days. It does have a misuse and addiction potential because of the hydrocodone. Hydrocodone is also found in widely misused drugs like Vicodin. Hydrocodone acts on opioid receptors found throughout the central nervous system and the body. When someone uses a drug with hydrocodone, it changes their body’s response to pain signals. It can create feelings of euphoria as well. That euphoria can stem from dopamine and other brain chemicals that flood the brain when opioid receptors are activated. At a normal, therapeutic and prescribed dose, a person shouldn’t theoretically experience euphoria, although it’s possible.
Vicoprofen can lead not only euphoria and addiction but physical dependence and other side effects as well. Common side effects of Vicoprofen can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and drowsiness. These side effects are primarily the result of the hydrocodone. The ibuprofen component in Vicoprofen can have its own side effects such as an increased risk of stroke, heart attack or fatal stomach bleeding. These side effects and risks make it important to use the drug exactly as prescribed.
Mixing Alcohol And Vicoprofen
There are many reasons mixing alcohol and Vicoprofen isn’t a good idea. First, there are the potential interactions between alcohol and the ibuprofen in Vicoprofen. Alcohol can irritate the intestinal tract and the stomach, and NSAIDs like ibuprofen can have similar effects. Mixing alcohol and Vicoprofen can lead to ulcers, stomach bleeding problems and irritation. More dangerous than the risks of mixing alcohol and ibuprofen are the potential risks of mixing alcohol with hydrocodone. Hydrocodone is an opioid and a central nervous system depressant. Alcohol also acts as a central nervous system depressant. When two depressants are combined, the side effects of each can be heightened. These side effects can range from relatively mild, such as confusion, changes in mood, nausea and vomiting, or drowsiness and dizziness, to more severe effects. Someone who’s mixing alcohol and Vicoprofen is more likely to experience memory impairment and blackouts, and they’re also more likely to put themselves or others in dangerous situations because of extreme intoxication and changes in cognition.
Opioids like hydrocodone slow the respiratory system as a result of their effects on the central nervous system. As breathing slows down, it can become dangerous and can cause an opioid overdose. When someone experiences an opioid overdose, their respiration slows to a level that can create a lack of oxygen traveling to the brain and other systems. If breathing slows too much, it can ultimately stop altogether. If alcohol is added to the mix with an opioid medication like Vicoprofen, the risk of respiratory depression is higher. Anytime someone is mixing alcohol and an opioid, they’re at an increased risk of suffering a fatal overdose. The risk is even more pronounced in people who have an existing breathing problem and in elderly people.
Summing Up Side Effects, Interactions And Blackouts Of Mixing Alcohol And Vicoprofen
No one should ever mix alcohol and any opioid medication or illicit drug including Vicoprofen. Side effects can range from mild such as confusion or nausea to severe and deadly. Mixing two central nervous system depressants significantly increases the likelihood of respiratory depression or a fatal overdose. When someone is regularly mixing two substances like alcohol and Vicoprofen, they may have an addiction or dependency problem to one or both. If so, that individual is likely to benefit from specialized addiction treatment for polysubstance addiction.
To learn more about treatment for multiple addictions, or how to help someone you love, contact The Recovery Village.
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