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Getting Treatment for a Hydrocodone Addiction

Hydrocodone is used as a cough suppressant and to treat moderate to intense pain. It is a narcotic analgesic that produces many of the same actions produced by codeine and morphine. The drug can easily affect internal organs that are structured from smooth muscles, and it can also affect the central nervous system. The drug does have tremendous therapeutic value in its use as an analgesic. Some evidence suggests that hydrocodone can cause constipation.

Hydrocodone was never meant to be used over a long period of time. Generally, you should not take the drug for more than three months. Using hydrocodone over a long stretch may lead to a tolerance for and/or a dependence on the drug. Hydrocodone addiction treatment can aid people who have become addicted to this prescription drug.

Did You Know?

Hydrocodone is a popular street drug. In one year, over 1.5 million tablets of hydrocodone were confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Agency. During the same time frame, nearly 20,000 people visited hospital emergency rooms to receive treatment for their abuse of this drug.

The Dangers of Hydrocodone Abuse

Because it is very similar to morphine, hydrocodone is highly addictive. The drug is often abused by people who have become addicted to it. Abusers of the drug have been found to inject, chew, crush, and snort the drug. Such actions result in the user receiving what amounts to an uncontrolled dosage of hydrocodone, which may cause an overdose of the drug and can even result in death.

Hydrocodone white pills on the tableAbusing hydrocodone may also result in the person developing a tolerance for the drug, which is a condition whereby the person must take increasingly higher doses of a prescription drug to achieve the desired effects.

One serious side effect of hydrocodone abuse is that a person may become dependent on the drug, which means he or she must consume it repeatedly. If the person does not regularly take the drug, he or she may experience withdrawal symptoms.

Hydrocodone is known to build up in the body, so when a person stops taking the drug abruptly, he or she may have seizures, convulsions, delirium, or other very severe complications. Some of the withdrawal symptoms of hydrocodone abuse include:

  • Nausea
  • Chills
  • Watery eyes
  • Vomiting
  • Insomnia
  • Sweating
  • Runny nose
  • Hot flashes
  • Headaches
  • Tremors

If you experience one or more of these withdrawal symptoms and would like to get off of hydrocodone, you should pursue hydrocodone addiction treatment in the security of a hydrocodone rehab center or hydrocodone detox treatment center.

Did You Know?

In many cases, addiction to hydrocodone is no fault of the person who is taking the drug. Some people start taking hydrocodone for a legitimate short-term use, and it rapidly leads to addiction. Hydrocodone detox treatment has assisted many people in recovering from their addiction to this drug.

Warning Signs of Addiction

Those who abuse hydrocodone and other prescription drugs often attempt to hide their abuse of the drug in an effort to keep those close to them from discovering their addiction. It may become quite challenging for you to convince a loved one who suffers from an addiction to hydrocodone to seek help for the addiction.

Interventions are usually necessary to convince a hydrocodone addict that it is dangerous to abuse prescription drugs. If you notice any of the following symptoms or signs in yourself or a loved one, you or that person may be addicted to hydrocodone:

  • Mood swings
  • Reduced ability to perform daily duties
  • Increased dizziness
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
  • Decreased motor coordination
  • Desire to take the drug without a legitimate medical need
  • Inability to fall asleep without taking the drug

If you are currently experiencing any of the above withdrawal signs and would like to attempt to stop using hydrocodone, your best bet is to pursue hydrocodone addiction treatment in a secure hydrocodone addiction treatment rehab center.

Did You Know?

Pregnant women should never take hydrocodone prior to labor and delivery because the drug has been shown to increase the incidence of birth defects, including cardiovascular problems, in the developing fetus.

Risk of Experiencing Negative Effects

Hydrocodone addiction has been known to cause some negative reactions in people who abuse the drug. Some of these complications are respiratory depression or arrest, cardiac arrest, circulatory depression, and shock. Other adverse reactions are not limited to but can include:

  • Genitourinary system complications: urinary retention
  • Cardiovascular system complications: dry mouth and billiary tract spasms
  • Nervous system complications: hallucinations, euphoria, visual disturbances, headaches, transient hallucinations, uncoordinated muscle movements, dysphoria, tremors, convulsions, weakness, and agitation
  • Allergic reactions: urticaria, pruritus, other severe skin rashes, hypersensitivity, and sweating

Available Treatment Options

Physicians recommend that you do not stop taking hydrocodone abruptly. Depending on the amount of time a person has been taking hydrocodone and how much the person has taken during that period of time, stopping the drug abruptly can result in very severe side effects, such as slipping into a coma or developing seizures. Anyone who is addicted to this drug should consider using a step-down approach to getting off of hydrocodone.

“The primary option used to treat hydrocodone addiction is slowly reducing the amount of the drug that is taken…”
The primary option used to treat hydrocodone addiction is slowly reducing the amount of the drug that is taken and continuing this until the person has successfully stopped using the drug. With this treatment option, hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms are reduced to a minimum so that the user can gradually and safely stop taking the medication. Often, an inpatient hydrocodone addiction treatment center is the best option for hydrocodone detox treatment because a hydrocodone rehab treatment center can limit the user’s access to the drug, thus reducing temptation.

Inpatient treatment, however, is not always the best choice of treatment for everyone who is addicted to hydrocodone. Some people have commitments and lifestyles that simply won’t allow them to leave their homes and families for the amount of time necessary to complete an inpatient treatment program.

For those patients who are hesitant to pursue treatment or who are likely to be difficult to treat, a quick-acting detox drug like flumazenil could be the answer to their addiction recovery. With this treatment option, the person can get through the withdrawal process in as little time as seven days. When taking this drug, the patient may notice that his or her withdrawal symptoms are noticeably reduced and may even be absent. However, studies involving flumazenil have shown it to produce seizures in from 1 to 3 percent of hydrocodone addicts who have taken the drug.

Taking flumazenil for hydrocodone addiction may present other disadvantages. You will need to speak with an experienced physician or pharmacist about the advantages and disadvantages of taking this drug to relieve hydrocodone addiction problems.

Did You Know?

Hydrocodone has been shown to have even higher addictive effects when taken in conjunction with alcohol or other opioids or drugs that may cause depression to the central nervous system. Speak with your physician if you are taking any other medications and have an addiction to hydrocodone.

The Detoxification Process

To gain relief from your addiction to hydrocodone and to avoid relapsing, it is very important to detoxify from hydrocodone. Your body must purge the hydrocodone and all of the associated symptoms from your system so that it can start functioning normally again. It takes only a matter of days to become addicted to hydrocodone, but it can take several weeks or even months to complete hydrocodone detox treatment.

A hydrocodone rehab treatment center will often employ additional treatment options that can aid you in your recovery process. Several of these detoxification treatment methods require you to maintain a special diet, participate in cognitive-behavioral therapy, or use alternative medicines such as acupuncture.

Did You Know?

Hydrocodone has been known to appear in the milk of women who nurse their babies while they are taking the drug. Because very serious adverse reactions may surface in those who are nursing their infants, a mother should make a clear choice of whether she would like to keep nursing or would like to keep taking hydrocodone. Nursing mothers should not do both.

Finding the Right Facility for You

There are literally thousands of hydrocodone rehab treatment centers located across the nation to aid you in your recovery from hydrocodone addiction. The best way to find one that fits your needs is to take the time required to research all available choices before picking the hydrocodone treatment center that can meet your specific needs for treatment.

You will find that not every hydrocodone treatment center has both inpatient and outpatient services. The option you select can affect your life and your treatment for hydrocodone addiction. Generally, an inpatient facility will want you to check into the treatment center for a specified length of time. Hydrocodone addiction inpatient treatment is typically a good choice for hydrocodone addicts who require more time to recover from their addiction to hydrocodone or who are in dangerous situations that may be caused by their addiction to hydrocodone. Inpatient treatment is also preferable for those who require the time necessary to recover from their addiction without outside distractions or interference.

If you select outpatient treatment, you will likely be expected to travel to a hydrocodone addiction treatment center daily (excluding weekends) to meet and talk with your addiction counselor about your progress in the program. You will find that outpatient treatment is generally less expensive than inpatient treatment and will give you the needed flexibility to continue your relationships and employment. The primary drawback to an outpatient program is that you will still be in the environment that may be responsible for your addiction to hydrocodone, which could increase the chances that you may relapse.

Whether you select inpatient or outpatient treatment, you may learn that you must put other things in your life on hold until you complete your hydrocodone addiction treatment. Whichever option you choose, make sure that it is the right one to match your lifestyle and needs.

Did You Know?

Hydrocodone may interact with other medicines you have been prescribed, which can increase any adverse side effects from hydrocodone or from the other prescription drugs you take. Use extreme caution when you take hydrocodone with these drugs: ritonavir, ancyclovir, cimetidine, phenytoin, and other opioid analgesics.

How to Ensure a Successful Recovery

To achieve the best results from your hydrocodone addiction treatment program, you will need a good idea of what to expect. You can most assuredly expect that the hydrocodone rehab center will aid you in recovering from both your physical and psychological addictions to hydrocodone. A physical addiction to hydrocodone is typically the easier of the two problems you will have to overcome. A psychological addiction to hydrocodone is usually seen as a more severe condition because you may feel an intense need to take the drug. You will want to review a few tips to help you benefit from hydrocodone addiction treatment.

  • Find the right treatment center: You will want to select a hydrocodone treatment center that will examine your specific needs and desires. If you are comfortable with the facility, you are that much more likely to complete the treatment plan or program. We can refer you to a hydrocodone treatment center that will offer the treatment program you need to succeed in your recovery from hydrocodone addiction.
  • Participate fully in your treatment program: You will likely experience a very wide range of feelings, emotions, and thoughts in regard to your addiction to hydrocodone and your need for treatment. Strong emotions have been known to interfere with a person’s participation in his or her hydrocodone addiction treatment program. Just keep in mind that you are responsible for your complete recovery from hydrocodone addiction. You have the capability to live a successful life that is free from hydrocodone addiction or an addiction to any other prescription drug. However, you must give 100 percent to your hydrocodone treatment program and fully participate in your recovery plan to acquire the skills and the knowledge to stay sober forever.

Don’t hesitate to call the hydrocodone addiction treatment center hotline for any questions that arise before, during, or after treatment. We are available at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week at .

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