How much hydrocodone is dangerous?

The amount of hydrocodone needed to result in a dangerous, though not necessarily deadly overdose is highly dependent on tolerance: opioid naive individuals may only need one higher strength (40mg) pill to overdose, whereas a very opioid-tolerant person may need hundreds of milligrams. This can also vary based on other factors of individual physiology.

Abusing painkillers in lower doses also can be highly dangerous and thus strongly discouraged. Risks include addiction, and liver damage from the acetaminophen (500mg) in the pills. The maximum recommended daily dose of acetaminophen is 4000mg, with toxicity manifesting around double that. While this may not be significant for a person with low tolerance (the hydrocodone itself being the major overdose concern in this case) one with a high tolerance may easily exceed the toxic dose of acetaminophen and risk severe health complications.