Hydrocodone with acetaminophen is a combination narcotic painkiller. Brand name drugs which contain hydrocodone with acetaminophen include: Vicodin, Lorcet, Lortab, Dolacet, Vanacet and Hydrocet.
Many arthritis patients achieve sufficient pain relief when a narcotic analgesic such as Vicodin is included in their treatment plan. Other patients steer clear of narcotic analgesics because they fear becoming addicted.
Based on an analysis of 7,945,910 prescriptions written by rheumatologists from January to March 2008, 4.5% were written for hydrocodone/acetaminophen -- making it the fifth most commonly prescribed arthritis drug.
