In the pharmaceutical industry, a drug known as a narcotic analgesic has the inscription T259. This combination medication contains acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate to relieve moderate to severe pain. The T259 white pill is only available through prescription, but there are reports of fake drugs containing the same inscriptions and being sold to the public.
What is the T259 White Pill Used For?
The T259 pill is labeled and distributed by Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It can be a yellow capsule in brands like Lortab, Norco, Zydone, and Xodol. It appears white in some brands containing the same active ingredient in the same concentration.
This drug is classified as a narcotic analgesic because of its ability to attach to opioid receptors and cure chronic pain. Acetaminophen can treat mild to moderate when used alone, while hydrocodone is considered a weak analgesic. Together, acetaminophen and hydrocodone form a strong opioid analgesic when combined. T259 is commonly used to treat back, cough, and body pain.
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Fake vs. Real T259 White Pill
As a controlled drug, T259 requires that its users have a prescription from a licensed medical practitioner, but there are reports of increasing availability of fake T259 under the Norco brand. In 2016, there was a case of two patients who ingested fake Norco and experienced respiratory depression, central nervous system depression, nausea, and vomiting. While many users buy only from trusted pharmacies, there might be situations when they need to find the pill from street vendors.
The packaging of the authentic T259 pill is a deep yellow plastic with a sealed covering at the top. The upper part of the container has a peculiar shape where protrusions hold the cover in place. Opening the container requires pressing the body down and turning. A T259 that does not have a container like this is probably fake. Meanwhile, changes in the end-taper indentation found at the back of the pill indicate that it is a fraud drug.
Another way to confirm the authenticity of the pill is to inspect the product itself. Upon opening the container, the user can check for any deviation from the regular shape and consistency compared to the one they used to buy.
Meanwhile, the most reliable way to distinguish real from fake T259 pills is to use fentanyl test strips (FTS). This is a low-cost strategy to help prevent drug overdoses by detecting the presence of fentanyl. This potent synthetic opioid drug has the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic and anesthetic.
In the fentanyl test, a small amount of the drug is placed in a clean, dry container and mixed with water. Then the wavy end of the FTS is lowered in the liquid for it to absorb the mixture for 15 seconds. Afterward, the strip is removed from the liquid and observed for 2 to 5 minutes.
If a single pink line appears on the left side of the FTS, the drug contains fentanyl and can be deadly. Users are advised to discard the batch because it includes illicitly manufactured fentanyl. If two pink lines appear, it indicates that fentanyl is not detected in the drugs, although caution must still be observed since no test is 100% accurate.
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