Hydrocodone Addiction: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Don’t stop opioid medicines without help from a healthcare professional. Quitting these medicines suddenly can cause serious withdrawal symptoms, including pain that’s worse than it was before you started taking opioids. Your healthcare team can help you gradually and safely reduce the amount of opioids you take. Along with taking high doses of Vicodin, other things can cause an overdose. One of the primary reasons people overdose on prescription drugs is because they mix them with other substances.

Vicodin Withdrawal Symptoms

Contact your healthcare providers and tell them you want to detox from Vicodin. They can recommend one of several regimens used to help with the detoxification process. Many people who used the medication only therapeutically and as prescribed, sometimes do not even realize they are experiencing withdrawals. Some people develop a dependence (having withdrawals and tolerance to Vicodin) to their prescription and don’t realize it until they stop taking it. Dependence can lead to addiction, which is marked by the compulsive urge to use despite negative consequences.

Vicodin Overdose

Hydrocodone addiction may impact multiple facets of your life, like your physical health, mental well-being, work, school, family life, or social relationships. If you’re wondering whether you’re addicted to hydrocodone, you’re not alone. In the United States, more than 2.1 million people are addicted to opioids, including hydrocodone. If you think you can’t quit on your own, there are many programs available to help you.

What To Do If You Or Someone You Care About Is Struggling With Hydrocodone Addiction

Prior to the FDA lowering acceptable levels of acetaminophen in medication, Norco had the least amount of acetaminophen. Subsequently, some addicts chose Norco over other prescription painkillers to avoid the increased risk of consuming too much acetaminophen. Currently, however, it has the highest percentage of acetaminophen of the hydrocodone variants.

Hydrocodone Addiction Statistics

Patients should be advised to cease all other opioid medications when initiating hydrocodone ER unless explicitly directed by a clinician. Your doctor may recommend you get naloxone (a medicine to reverse an opioid overdose) and keep it with you at all times. A person caring for you can give the naloxone if you stop breathing or don’t wake up. Your caregiver must still get emergency medical help and may need to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on you while waiting for help to arrive. Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of hydrocodone.

For example, someone who regularly abuses Vicodin may experience problems with their relationships or legal and financial problems. Long-term opioid use can make meeting obligations at school or work difficult. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. If a loved one is struggling with hydrocodone addiction, a good starting point is to identify a safe place and an appropriate time to speak with them and encourage them to seek treatment.

1. Some of these hormones include estrogen and testosterone, which can lead to fertility damage, making it more difficult to conceive.
2. Prior to the FDA lowering acceptable levels of acetaminophen in medication, Norco had the least amount of acetaminophen.
3. Addiction is a condition where something that started as pleasurable now feels like something you can’t live without.
4. As a Schedule II controlled substance, Vicodin has a high risk of being misused.
5. Opioids like hydrocodone produce a euphoric effect by activating the opioid receptors in the brain.

Lack of a federal ban on tianeptine has meant states have been acting on their own. In 2018, Michigan became the first state to ban sales of the drug, classifying it as a Schedule II controlled substance, the same category as drugs like cocaine and fentanyl. The FDA says at least 12 states have enacted similar bans, which includes products such as Neptune’s Fix and prohibits retailers from shipping to those states. The flood of stories about its habit-forming properties are another sign of tianeptine’s spread.

Hydrocodone is used in combination formulations to treat nonproductive cough in adults and has antitussive properties. Hydrocodone functions as an opioid receptor agonist and activates mu-opioid receptors to produce analgesic effects. In addition, hydrocodone activates delta- and kappa-opioid receptors as the plasma drug concentration increases beyond the starting doses. Hydrocodone intake may lead to life-threatening respiratory depression, especially if taken together with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants. In case of overdose, the first step is to protect the airways and place the patient on invasive ventilation assistance, if needed.

Taking more than your prescribed dose of opioid medicine, or taking a dose more often than prescribed, also increases your risk of opioid use disorder. Vicodin is a prescription opioid pain reliever that is made of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. It is often used to treat moderate to severe pain, but it does have the potential for dependence and addiction. Vicodin withdrawal can produce a wide range of physical symptoms which can occur when someone stops or dramatically reduces their use of the drug after heavy or prolonged use.

Divided Sky’s program director is Melanie Gulde, who served as Anastasio’s caseworker at the time. “She’s a badass, but she’s also very loving.” Anastasio began raising the funds to open Divided Sky in 2020 via his “Beacon Jams” residency shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York. If a person consumes too much https://sober-home.org/ Vicodin, he risks slowing his heart rate down to the point of death. The clinicians should monitor the following physical findings for signs of toxicity. Serious breathing problems may be more likely in older adults and in those who are debilitated or have wasting syndrome or chronic breathing disorders.

When the body is unable to process all of the opioids in its system, breathing and heart rates can plummet. In just a few minutes, someone overdosing on hydrocodone may stop breathing, depriving their brains of oxygen (also known as hypoxia). In as little as five days of prescribed use, the risk for developing a chronic hydrocodone addiction increases significantly. When someone stops using Vicodin abruptly, they’ll experience withdrawal symptoms within 12 hours following the last dose. If you are prescribed the medication, be sure to follow the directions on the label.

Previous formulations included 500 mg to 750 mg of acetaminophen per pill. Long-term abuse of hydrocodone not only changes the way the brain functions but can have lasting effects on mood and thought patterns. People who have abused hydrocodone for a prolonged period of time are likely to suffer insomnia, liver or kidney disease, depression, and anxiety. Some mental disorders, like insomnia and depression, can be treated through therapy and medication like antidepressants.

Tianeptine came out as Prozac was becoming a sensation, bringing a new era of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor drugs, or SSRIs. Once he is back at home, he will need to have the life skills demanded by the twists and turns of life. Once he has these skills securely in hand, he will know how to stay sober when there is an obstacle or setback in life. Others start abusing the drug from the beginning – snorting, injecting or ingesting more than would be recommended. Pain relief and adverse events should undergo frequent assessments.

If you realize your pain is decreasing, let your doctor know, even if your prescription hasn’t run out. Your doctor may want to reduce your dosage gradually and have you stop taking it sooner than expected. Bipartisan legislation to federally classify tianeptine as a Schedule III drug was introduced in Congress earlier this year. The House bill would place the drug in the same category as ketamine, anabolic steroids and some codeine preparations.

This prescription painkiller is a combination of hydrocodone and the active ingredient in Tylenol. There is a high risk for addiction, but there are many treatment options. Oftentimes, maintaining a full recovery https://sober-home.org/treatment-of-alcohol-abuse-alcoholism-how-to-stop/ requires ongoing medication-assisted therapy to prevent relapse. You may be prescribed medications — such as methadone or buprenorphine — to help you safely and effectively recover from hydrocodone addiction.