AboutDr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi Expertise I can provide information on drugs and medicines, their actions, uses, interactions and adverse effects. To avoid confusion, generic names of
medicines may please be provided. I am a pharmacologist, having worked
on animal and human pharmacology, and presently I am the Dean of Bilcare Research Academy, where we teach courses on clinical research. We dont work on saturdays and sundays, hence questions reachng me on these days will be replied on Monday, please bear with me.
Question Hello. I was wondering if it could be harmful to take 2 or 3 5/500 vicoden tabs every day, starting about 2 years ago, at which time it was 1 tab per day. I don't think the increase is that much, it helps with arthritis pain, and it helps with well-being (I also have chronic depression and have stopped prozac because of an ulcer) so the Vicoden helps to get me started in the morning and relax in the evening. Can I still be addicted and would I have withdrawal if I stopped this dosage? Thank you for your help.
Answer Hi Lydia,
Dependence on drugs is not necessarily harmful except in a number of conditions and these are:
1. Where there is a accompanying behaviour that pushes an individual to purchase drugs
2. Pregnancy or lactation
3. Organ failure
Secondly if a person is depndent on a drug that is curative in nature, but does not cause pleasurable effects, as in your case, it is not called addiction.
Please ensure that you do not increase the dose over time and I think you should be fine.
Ravi Ghooi
