The Pain of Broken Bones

I think that everyone at one time or another has broken a bone or two due to accidents or just plain stupidity. We have all taken trips to the emergency in sheer pain hoping that the doctors would give us something for the pain while we heal. We are all given choices as to what the drug of choice is. There are those who prefer Percocet and others who prefer Vicodin. Either drug does an effective job of managing the pain.

Vicodin

Vicodin is the drug combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. We all know and use acetaminophen which is basically aspirin. Hydrocodone is a synthetic opioid and a controlled substance primarily used for the pain. Being it is an opioid, you can derive that this synthesized active ingredient originated from the opium plant. Vicodin does have side effects, most commonly upset stomach, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and an overall groggy feeling. The kind of feeling that doesn’t let you drive or operate heavy machinery. When I broke my ankle, I chose Vicodin and I swear I could walk on my ankle with no crutches. Without Vicodin, I was crying like a baby.

Percocet

Percocet is the drug combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen. It is the other pain manager of choice. It is the same oxycodone that celebrities go to rehab for. Oxycodone is also a synthetic opioid derived from the opium plant. The opium plant really gets around. Percocet has side effects similar to Vicodin. They include upset stomach, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation and memory loss. You still can’t drive or operate heavy machinery. Clearly, when it comes to managing pain these side effects are considered negligible.

How Bad Can It Get?

The worst side effect both Vicodin and Percocet have is drug addiction. Addiction comes in different forms based on your ability to resist the drug. Let’s face it, if you take it once to control the pain, addiction will not set in. Now, taking either of the two drugs over a longer timeframe (weeks), one can easily get addicted. The addiction comes from the euphoria or good feeling that comes from the drugs. The bonus is the sense of relief from pain for a few hours. These good feelings are temporary but difficult to dismiss.

After the healing process, the most difficult step after weeks of use is giving up Vicodin or Percocet.  Imagine having that euphoria for an extended period of time and then giving it up. It is difficult and one can experience withdrawal symptoms just like a cocaine addict would. The idea is to use Vicodin or Percocet when the pain is unmanageable and slowly wean of the drugs. Nothing is worse than hooked on drugs. Have you taken Vicodin or Percocet successfully?