(Note: This is not medical advice, and we are not medical doctors. If you are experiencing a medical emergency please stop reading now and dial 911 or your country’s emergency response number.)
The opioid crisis has shed new light on the prescriptions you can get for pain from your doctor. Both doctors and patients have started expressing a desire to more effectively use this type of medication. Doctors don’t want to overprescribe strong painkillers, and patients often want the best relief while still making sure the medication they get is appropriate.
Understanding when or why your doctor would want to prescribe hydrocodone for you is an important role in being an informed patient. It’s also a great way to build trust with your doctor. If you feel you should be prescribed hydrocodone and your doctor does not, it can be a frustrating situation.
There are definitely situations when hydrocodone (also known as Vicodin) should be prescribed. Knowing when some appropriate situations can help you feel more comfortable the next time you visit your provider to discuss pain relief. Here are some actual reasons your doctor might want to prescribe hydrocodone for you.
Your Pain Relief Has Been Inadequate With Other Medications
Oftentimes by the time you’re sitting in a chair willing to talk to a doctor about your pain, you’ve tried a lot of options. If over-the-counter pain relievers aren’t offering you any relief, and you’ve tried topical things like IcyHot, your doctor may want to look at prescription options.
Usually, they will also order imaging at this point to make sure nothing serious is going on. Sometimes something like a small fracture can be mistaken for something else and delaying treatment can make it worse.
If your doctor is ordering imaging, and you’ve worked with them to go through a list of what you’ve tried before, they may prescribe hydrocodone. Usually for a problem like this, the prescription would be a short-term course of treatment and probably at the lowest dose possible to still give relief.
You can also expect that your doctor may only want to prescribe a few pills total, just to get you past the worst of the pain while you’re finding a better alternative. If this is the case, make sure you’re open with your doctor about how well the treatment is working.
If you’re having any adverse side effects like nausea you’ll want to make sure to let your doctor know right away. Open communication will help both you and your doctor determine what steps need to be taken next. To make sure you’re on your way to a healthy recovery.
You Just Had Surgery
Postoperative pain control is one of the biggest reasons doctors prescribe hydrocodone to patients. Over-the-counter options like Tylenol or Advil just aren’t enough to handle the pain immediately after surgery.
When you’re going to have surgery you can talk with your doctor about the plan for your pain after your procedure is over. If you have concerns about past adverse reactions to hydrocodone you can mention those so everything can be planned out beforehand.
Your doctor will want to prescribe you effective relief but just as with an injury, it will likely be for the shortest amount of time possible before being able to move on to using other options. If you find that hydrocodone isn’t helping your postoperative pain, contact your surgeon. They’ll be able to help you figure out what else can be done to handle your pain so you can heal quickly and comfortably.
You Have Chronic Pain Conditions
If you have chronic pain that isn’t treatable with other options your doctor may decide that hydrocodone is a good option for you. This is something you both should be on the same page about before starting a longer-term treatment using a medication like hydrocodone.
There’s also a chance your primary care provider won’t be comfortable prescribing a long-term course of hydrocodone. They may refer you to a pain management doctor to handle this type of treatment plan. If that is the case the pain management doctor will have their own procedures and plans.
Communication will, once again, be very important and you may need to be ready to sign a pain contract with this type of doctor or clinic. Your pain contract with a pain management clinic could include a variety of things.
You may have to agree to something like not getting pain medication from any other doctor, only using one pharmacy for all of your prescriptions, or visiting a behavioral therapist a certain number of times per year. Every pain clinic is different so make sure you stick to the rules of your specific clinic and you’ll be fine.
Your Illness Is Terminal
This is never a situation any doctor or patient wants to be in. However, when a patient is in a lot of pain and has a terminal illness, hydrocodone is often an option used to ease their discomfort. Often times when hydrocodone is prescribed for a terminal illness situation, it’s the patient’s family that has the majority of the questions.
If your family member is taking hydrocodone and has a terminal illness, you’re allowed to ask questions. Your family member may be working closely with their doctor or a hospice team. Make sure that your questions and their questions are being answered to everyone’s satisfaction. It’s one of the best ways to make sure this time is as easy as possible for everyone involved.
Conclusion
Using hydrocodone for pain is a valid option, but it’s not the first-line option your doctor will consider. Doctors will want to make sure other options have been tried first. Things like otc pain relievers and physical therapy may be recommended first.
This isn’t because your doctor doesn’t believe you are in pain. It just means that hydrocodone is a medication that should be used and prescribed with caution. It should be saved for cases like those mentioned in this article.
If your doctor is prescribing you hydrocodone, you can rest assured they feel you really do need it and the benefits are outweighing the risks in your specific case. Feel better soon!