# Norco, how much is too much? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289 "2012-12-07T13:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/1 "2012-12-07T13:19:59Z")
My Dr has given me Norco to help with the pain from the probable herniated disc I have. They are 10-325 mg and the instructions say to take one pill every 6 hours. That isn’t enough. Last night, I took 4 of them over a period of about 6 hours. Even that didn’t allow me to sleep, but I was afraid to take more. So how many would be too many? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/2 "2012-12-07T13:42:51Z")
Taking more than your doctor instructed would be taking too many. Consider this - you just consumed around 1200mg of acetaminophen in 4 hours (apparently you can only have 15mg of [hydrocodone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocodone/paracetamol) per dosage unit) when the dosage suggestion is [1000](http://www.drugs.com/dosage/acetaminophen.html)mg every 6 -8 hours. It sounds trite, but speak with your doctor and get a different pain management treatment going. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/3 "2012-12-07T15:46:52Z")
Medical advice belongs in IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/4 "2012-12-07T16:09:06Z")
‘Norco. We’re so good, they [named a city after us!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norco,_California)’ ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/5 "2012-12-08T00:45:59Z")
That much acetaminophen in that short a time is going to result in liver failure (transplant needed) in no time. The dose is restricted not because of the amount of hydrocodone, but rather the amount of acetaminophen in the stuff. You need something different. Badly. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/6 "2012-12-08T02:00:13Z")
Crap. Thanks you guys. Johnny, I thought it sounded familiar. Sorry Colibri, I always get it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/7 "2012-12-08T02:04:57Z")
Isn’t Norco the name for hydrocodone made _without_ acetaminophen? ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/8 "2012-12-08T02:10:16Z")
Nope > **[Norco (Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen): Uses, Dosage, Side Effects,...](https://www.rxlist.com/norco-drug.htm)** > > Norco (Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen) may treat, side effects, dosage, drug interactions, warnings, patient labeling, reviews, and related medications including drug comparison and health resources. In the US - the combo is schedule III while alone it would be schedule II. I don’t even think most docs prescribe it alone. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/9 "2012-12-08T02:39:10Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > Nope > > [http://www.rxlist.com/norco-drug.htm](http://www.rxlist.com/norco-drug.htm) > > In the US - the combo is schedule III while alone it would be schedule II. I don’t even think most docs prescribe it alone. You’re right. I checked and the only hydrocodone made without acetametophin is Vicoprofen; which, as you probably can guess, contains hydrocodone and ibuprofen. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/10 "2012-12-08T03:31:33Z")
Even though it’s sold over the counter, acetaminophen can be very dangerous to the liver when it’s taking in higher doses than prescribed or combined with alcohol. I can vividly recall seeing a man come to the emergency room looking very yellow because he had been over-doing it on tylenol and did not realize the tylenol was killing his liver. People who try to commit suicide by overdosing on tylenol die prolonged and miserable deaths. If you’re having a hard time sleeping because you’re in so much pain, I’d definitely suggest calling your doctor’s on-call number to see if they can call in a prescription of something else rather than taking more than prescribed of this. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/11 "2012-12-08T03:47:41Z")
Thanks lavenderviolet, I’ll try to cut back on it until I can get back to the Dr. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/12 "2012-12-08T16:18:41Z")
And there won’t be a pure hydrocodone product in the US anytime soon, it appears. [FDA nixes hydrocodone alone](http://www.medpagetoday.com/PainManagement/PainManagement/36334). Which is ok with me. It’s a bit odd that codeine is available without acetaminophen, and hydrocodone isn’t. But if one is in such pain that one needs more hydrocodone than can be safely taken in the current form with acetaminophen, one should be on oxycodone or dilaudid or morphine anyway, IMHO. All of those are available without acetaminophen added. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norco-how-much-is-too-much/643289/13 "2012-12-09T02:52:00Z")
Good lord, the thought of oxycodone or morphine scares me silly. But this pain is becoming seriously intolerable, so maybe I’ll have to ask for one of those. I don’t know what else to do. Thank you.