What Does Hydrocodone Look Like?

Hydrocodone is a prescription opioid painkiller/analgesic used to treat mild to severe pain. While it has medical purposes, it’s also classified as a Schedule II controlled substance by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means it has the potential for drug abuse.

What hydrocodone pills look like can change depending on the dosage and manufacturer. The color can range from blue to yellow, pink, or orange.

But while the prescription drug comes in pill form, it can also come in syrup as well.

No matter what hydrocodone looks like, it comes with a number of side effects that range from mild to life-threatening.

Shapes Of Hydrocodone

The shape of a hydrocodone tablet or capsule can denote the dosage or the manufacturer of the medication.

Oblong

Quite a few hydrocodone pills come in an oblong capsule shape. Most of them are white in color, but the dosage can range from the lower dose of 5-7.5 mg to the higher dose of 10 mg.

Oval

A couple hydrocodone pills come in oval shapes including the white hydrocodone pill from Sun Pharmaceuticals. It contains 325 mg of acetaminophen and 10 mg of hydrocodone with “176” imprinted on each pill.

The Watson Pharmaceuticals hydrocodone pill also comes in an oval shape and the same dosage but instead of being white, it’s yellow and has “853” imprinted on it.

Circle

While it’s not as common, there are a few hydrocodone pills that come in a circular shape as well.

Colors Of Hydrocodone Pills

Hydrocodone pills also come in different colors which can signify a certain dosage or simply be from different manufacturers. The colors of hydrocodone pills include:

Blue

One of the only hydrocodone pills that are blue in color is Zydone, a brand-name combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The blue pill is oblong and contains 7.5 mg of hydrocodone and 400 mg acetaminophen.

Yellow

There are a few forms of hydrocodone medication that are yellow in color. Qualitest Pharmaceuticals’s V3601 pill is a yellow oval pill with 10 mg of hydrocodone and 325 mg of acetaminophen.

Zydone also comes in a yellow pill that consists of 5 mg of hydrocodone and 400 mg of acetaminophen.

Pink

Zydone also comes in a pink oblong pill that consists of 10 mg of hydrocodone and 400 mg of acetaminophen.

White

While they may come in different shapes or be made by different pharmaceutical companies, the most common color of pure hydrocodone and combination hydrocodone pills is white.

Norco is a popular brand name for the combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The white pill has a dosage of 7.5 mg of hydrocodone and 325 mg of acetaminophen. It may have “NORCO” imprinted on one side and maybe orange and yellow depending on the dosage.

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals also makes a white capsule pill and it contains 325 mg of acetaminophen and 10 mg of hydrocodone bitartrate. It has “M367” imprinted on one side.

Orange

A couple of prescription hydrocodone pills also come in orange, including the hydrocodone V3605 pill. It’s an elliptical shape and has a dosage of 325 mg of acetaminophen and 7.5 mg of Zohydro ER, which is an extended-release form of hydrocodone bitartrate.

Another orange pill is the Watson 3203. It’s oval and has an identical dosage to the pill above.

Brand Names Of Hydrocodone Pills

There are several new brand names of hydrocodone pills on the market. They either consist of only hydrocodone or are a hydrocodone combination product. Some brands include:

• Hysingla ER
• Zohydro ER
• Hycet
• Lorcet
• Lortab
• Maxidone
• Norco
• Vicodin
• Ibudone

Side Effects Of Hydrocodone

While hydrocodone pills may have different shapes, colors, manufacturers, and dosages, they likely cause similar side effects.

Some short-term side effects include:

• stomach pain
• dry mouth
• headache
• back pain
• muscle tightening
• difficult urinating
• ringing in ears
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• drowsiness
• constipation
• foot, leg, or ankle swelling
• uncontrollable shaking
• low blood pressure

Some of the long-term side effects of hydrocodone include:

• sedation
• liver disease
• liver damage
• kidney disease

If you or a loved one is struggling with hydrocodone addiction or another form of substance abuse, Northeast Addiction Treatment Center is here for you.

We offer a variety of outpatient treatment options including intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, and medication-assisted treatment.

To learn more about what we offer, please call our helpline today.