The major difference is it is time released. Hycodan to me would be the equivalent to a 1/2 a norco (hydrocodone bitartrate)without the apap and an antihistimine. Tussionex has 10mg per 5 ml of hydrocodone polistirex and the antihistimine.
I'm not sure what the difference is between the bitartrate or polistirex or hydrochloride. I am guessing that because the Tussionex has the polistirex that is what makes it time released? Don't know. I am woefully ignorant in chemistry.
All I know is how both medications worked for me. The Hycodan DID work but it wore off too quickly. I was still suffering after a couple of hours and did not take another dose until I was allowed to; after 4 hours. The Tussionex gave me 10-12 hours of sweet relief.
Funny thing is...I had always taken liquid meds by taking swigs off the bottle. I thought I was a good judge of how much 5 ml was. Well when the pharmacist recommended Tussionex, I had no idea what it even was. He just told me to ask my doc for it, along with a Ventolin inhaler. That should give me relief.
I was hacking away waiting in the pharmacy to fill my meds, I paid for the meds, and went to the car and took a swig. Within 20 minutes my cough just stopped but I was as high as a kite. LOL! I mean really just out there. Called the pharmacist I know and asked him what the heck was in that stuff. Told him the condition I was in. He told me NEVER to swig meds like that and to measure from now on using a medication spoon. Told me it was basicallya strong dose of time released hydrocodone in liquid form. Those days I was not tolerant at all. I rarely used hydro...hadn't gotten to the point of trying it for my migraines-still trying all the other non narcotic drugs for them. So you can imagine how buzzed I got. I must have swigged two-three tsp of it because on my next dose, I measured and realized how far off my swigs are. Lesson learned. I don't do that anymore. I also would not recommend anyone doing that.
It does bother me that the OPs are charging a bit more for this med than if you saw your own MD and did not have med insurance, but it's really not THAT bad. I only used it one time in my life and insurance paid for it, so my cost was 10.00. But drugstore.com sells it for 41.00 for a 120 ml bottle. That's 24 doses at 1.70 a dose. One of the OPs sells a 473 ml bottle for 250.00 at 2.63 per dose. But if you had to go see a doc, you'd have to pay for the office visit which around here is 100.00 anyway. So if you didnt have insurance it would all even out.