hydrocodone bitartrate
(HY-droh-KOH-done by-TAR-trayt)
A drug used to treat moderate to severe pain and cough. Hydrocodone bitartrate is made in a lab by modifying codeine, a natural substance found in the opium poppy plant. It works by binding to mu opioid receptors in the central nervous system, which blocks pain signals and changes how the body responds to pain. It also helps decrease activity in the part of the brain that causes coughing. Hydrocodone bitartrate is a type of antitussive (cough suppressant) and a type of semi-synthetic opioid agonist that works as an analgesic (pain reliever).