Difference between Norco & Oxy IR

wirry1422

Yes, it is quite common for the standard conversion ratio between different narcotics to not match a persons real experience. This is because while oxycodone and hydrocodone are chemically very similar, they are also just a little different, which means that they each affect slightly different areas of the pain receptors in a person's central nervous system. And because people's pain receptors are all somewhat unique (like fingerprints), no conversion chart is going to totally apply to every person. Kind of like the myth of one size fits all. The conversion ratios that doctors use are just an estimate based on the average of many people's pain response to different narcotics. It sounds as though the hydrocodone is working better for you then oxycodone. However, norco 10/325 is the med with the lowest amount of tylenol and the highest amount of hydrocodone. Unfortunately in the United States, there is no medication comparable to oxy ir, with pure hydrocodone and no tylenol. If you really want to stay on hydrocodone, and are worried about the ongoing tylenol intake, you can go to a special pharmacy called a compounding pharmacy. Many pharmacies are actually compounding pharmacies, so just call around. At a compounding pharmacy, the pharmcist receives pure hydrocodone. Then they compound it themselves with the apap. By law they must add a certain minimum amount of apap (in order to curb abuse, and for the prescription to remain a schedule III narcotic, rather than schedule II with added restrictions.) However, the pharmacist can add use as little as 50 mg of apap, and as much as 15 mg of hydrocodone. So theoretically, you could have the doc write a script for norco 15/50 (although it wouldn't be called norco, it would just have a generic label with the med names.) This does not cost too much more than the norco you are already using, and insurance should pay for it. Don't quote me on the minimum apap and max hydrocodone per tablet (the limits may vary by state), but it is similar to what I wrote. In any case, you would be getting such a low dose of tylenol in each tablet that it would really be a non-issue. There are other narcotic meds you could also try besides oxycodone, but I think the compounding pharmacy may be the route you want to go. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about this possibility, good luck.