Millions of men and women across the country are prescribed opioid narcotics like Vicodin for chronic pain and in many cases what begins as a legitimate pharmacological treatment eventually develops into physical and psychological dependence. If you or someone you know has been abusing Vicodin, seeking professional addiction treatment is very important. People tend to mistakenly believe that because this medication is initially prescribed by a medical professional, there is no risk of abuse and it is generally safe to use.
The truth is that Vicodin addiction can ultimately lead to overdose-related death and a series of other serious health-related issues. Part of the problem with Vicodin abuse is the casual attitude many doctors and patients have toward prescription painkillers. What are the most common ways people abuse Vicodin?
Due to the fast-acting pain relief, many people become addicted to it quickly. Marijuana has a distinct smell that almost anyone can distinguish. The most common way to abuse Vicodin drugs is to combine them with other substances. When Vicodin is taken as prescribed for a short time period days after surgery, there is typically no issue discontinuing the medication, according to Mayo Clinic.
Prolonged use of opioids may create a tolerance for the drug and require partnering with your doctor to taper off it to ease withdrawal symptoms. Evidence suggests that any kind of opioid abuse raises the risk of eventual heroin use. Several factors contribute to this. As a user continues to misuse an opioid drug like hydrocodone Vicodin , they become tolerant to the drug. As tolerance gets stronger and the subjective effects of Vicodin, in turn, get weaker, users may transition to heroin for a more potent high.
Opioid medications tend to be very expensive when compared to the price of heroin on the street. Users who are no longer financially able to support their addiction may switch over to heroin to get similar effects at a lower price.
Heroin is often easier to get than prescription opioids, so in the absence of Vicodin, a person battling Vicodin addiction may look to heroin to get their high and relieve withdrawal. Yes, but heroin is often more potent and simply easier to access. Every abuser approaches their Vicodin addiction differently. There is a greater risk that you will overuse hydrocodone if you have or have ever had any of these conditions.
Talk to your health care provider immediately and ask for guidance if you think that you have an opioid addiction or call the U. Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Hydrocodone may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Keep hydrocodone in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose.
Be especially careful to keep hydrocodone out of the reach of children. Keep track of how many capsules or tablets are left so you will know if any medication is missing. Hydrocodone may cause slowed or stopped breathing, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment.
Your doctor will adjust your dose to control your pain and decrease the risk that you will experience serious breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing or asthma.
Your doctor will probably tell you not to take hydrocodone. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD; a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways , a head injury, a brain tumor, or any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain.
The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weakened or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath. Taking certain medications or stopping treatment with certain other medications while you are taking hydrocodone may increase the risk that you will experience breathing problems, sedation, coma, or other serious, life-threatening side effects.
Tell your doctor if you are taking, plan to take or plan to stop taking any of the following medications: certain antifungal medications including itraconazole Onmel, Sporanox , ketoconazole Extina, Nizoral, Xolegel , and voriconazole Vfend ; benzodiazepines such as alprazolam Xanax , chlordiazepoxide Librium , clonazepam Klonopin , diazepam Diastat, Valium , estazolam, flurazepam, lorazepam Ativan , oxazepam, temazepam Restoril , and triazolam Halcion ; carbamazepine Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol, others ; cimetidine; clarithromycin Biaxin, in Prevpac ; erythromycin E.
If you take hydrocodone with any of these medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness.
Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.
Drinking alcohol, taking prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or using street drugs during your treatment with hydrocodone increases the risk that you will experience these serious, life-threatening side effects.
Do not drink alcohol, take prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment. Swallow hydrocodone extended-release capsules or extended-release tablets whole; do not chew, break, divide, crush, or dissolve them.
Hydrocodone extended-release capsules and extended-release tablets are difficult to crush, break or dissolve. If you swallow broken, chewed, or crushed extended-release capsules or extended-release tablets, you may receive too much hydrocodone at once. This may cause serious problems, including overdose and death. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take hydrocodone regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth.
Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with hydrocodone and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. As a proud recovering addict herself, Theresa understands first-hand the struggles of addiction. There is no limit to what Theresa is willing to do to make a difference in the field of Addiction!
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