Carl asked
What is the difference between the Apadaz and hydrocodone products like Vicodin and Norco?
Answer
Apadaz is very similar to both Norco and Vicodin. Both Norco and Vicodin contain hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Apadaz on the other hand, contains benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen.
Benzhydrocodone is simply a prodrug of hydrocodone. A prodrug is a drug, most of the time relatively inert on its own, that is metabolized to an active compound in the body. In this case, benzhydrocodone is converted to active hydrocodone by enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. Benzhydrocodone is thought to have minimal effects on the body while hydrocodone is a potent analgesic.
Apadaz was created with the hope that it would cut down on potential drug abuse. As benzhydrocodone requires metabolic activation in the GI tract to hydrocodone, snorting or injecting Apadaz theoretically will result in less of a "high" when compared to hydrocodone, as these methods of abuse bypass the GI tract.
Studies show that intranasal use of Apadaz results in lower concentrations in the blood when compared to intranasal use of hydrocodone products (e.g. Vicodin and Norco). In addition, adverse nasal side effects were more frequent for intranasal use of Apadaz versus hydrocodone products, which is another potential deterrent to abuse.
