Dilaudid Symptoms & Signs
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Understanding Dilaudid Dependency
Why does Dilaudid dependency occur?
Dilaudid is a brand name opioid.
The generic name is hydromorphone.
Dilaudid is available by prescription.
It also has an abuse potential since it is an opioid.
Opioids affect the brain and central nervous system in a way that can lead to dependence and addiction.
The brain seeks out things that create positive feelings.
In the case of Dilaudid, the brain would start to seek out the drug compulsively.
That is how Dilaudid dependency and addiction develop.
While initially, your use of Dilaudid might be by choice, in an addiction, your use is compulsive and out of your control.
It is not uncommon for people with legitimate opioid prescriptions to develop a Dilaudid dependency and addiction.
How Does Dilaudid Work?
Dilaudid is a Schedule II prescription drug in the U.S.
As a Schedule II drug, Dilaudid has a high potential for abuse and dependency.
Dilaudid contains morphine to fight pain.
When someone takes this medicine, it affects opioid receptor sites that alter the perception of pain.
The effects of Dilaudid can also lead someone to feel high.
When opioids trigger the opioid receptors, it causes a flood of brain chemicals like dopamine.
Dopamine and other feel-good brain chemicals occur at much higher levels using a drug like Dilaudid than they do naturally.
When someone takes Dilaudid orally, it may take 30 minutes to an hour to take effect.
When taken intravenously, the effects occur almost immediately.
The pain relief effects of Dilaudid tend to last between four and six hours.
The flood of feel-good neurotransmitters and brain chemicals can then trigger the brain’s reward response.
Dilaudid is a central nervous system depressant, as are other opioids.
What this means is that when you take it, the functions controlled by your central nervous system slow down.
These functions include heart rate and breathing.
If you take a large dose, you could overdose.
An opioid overdose occurs because your central nervous system slows down too much.
You may stop breathing as a result.
The risk of overdose has led to the opioid epidemic in the United States.
Dilaudid Abuse
Dilaudid abuse occurs when there is drug use outside of the prescription and guidance of a healthcare professional. If you abuse an opioid such as Dilaudid, it does not automatically indicate you have an addiction.
Abuse does put you at a higher risk of developing an addiction, however.
Signs of Dilaudid abuse include:
- Taking higher doses than prescribed
- Using it other than how it is meant to be used
- Taking Dilaudid without a prescription
- Using it only for certain effects like getting high
- Combining it with other drugs
Dilaudid Dependency vs. Addiction
Often Dilaudid dependence and addiction are terms that are used interchangeably.
The reality is, these are two separate but related concepts.
Dilaudid dependency occurs when your body becomes used to the presence of opioids. Your brain will change how it behaves and produces neurotransmitters in response to the presence of opioids.
Dependence is a physiological process.
If you are dependent on Dilaudid and try to stop using cold turkey, you will likely go through withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms management is often best in a detox center.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Symptoms of Dilaudid withdrawal include:
- Restlessness
- Muscle aches and pains
- Teary eyes
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Runny nose
- Sleep disturbances
- Yawning
Those are some of the earliest withdrawal symptoms that usually occur within 24 hours after the last opioid dose.
Then, some symptoms start after the first day, and that are more intense and severe.
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Goosebumps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dilated pupils
- Rapid heartbeat
- Increased blood pressure
Symptoms of Dilaudid withdrawal start to improve within 72 hours, and they should subside within a week or be much better.
Dilaudid dependency and addiction can occur together, but they do not have to. You can be dependent on an opioid without being addicted.
Addiction Symptoms
Addiction is a complex disease with emotional and psychological components.
When you are addicted to Dilaudid, you cannot control your use of the drug. Signs of addiction include:
- Taking larger amounts of Dilaudid than intended
- Trying to stop using unsuccessfully
- Continuing to use Dilaudid even when you do not want to
- Making your use of the drug a priority
- Maintaining a stash of the drug
- Facing legal or career problems due to drug use
- Problems in relationships due to the use of the drug
Approximately 25% of those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder also deal with alcohol abuse that results in alcohol rehab. More commonly known as OCD, sufferers from this disease typically enjoy using alcohol for many reasons. The first reason is that it takes the focus away from their symptoms. Unfortunately, OCD becomes much worse when it comes to drinking alcohol. The more you drink to escape the symptoms of OCD, the worse the symptoms get.
How Quickly Can You Get Addicted to Dilaudid?
If you wonder how quickly you can get addicted to Dilaudid, the short answer is that it depends.
For some people, even when taking Dilaudid exactly as prescribed, they develop an addiction. Other people never become addicted to Dilaudid.
There are individual factors that play a role in whether you develop an addiction.
However, it is possible to become addicted to Dilaudid after just using it for a few weeks. Opioids are highly addictive.
The addictiveness of opioids is why doctors are less likely to prescribe them now than they once were.
If you have a Dilaudid prescription, the best way to avoid addiction is to take it exactly as prescribed. If you have a history of addiction, you should let your doctor know before they give you an opioid medication.
Treatment for Dilaudid Dependence and Addiction
When you are dealing with Dilaudid dependence or Dilaudid abuse, you may need professional treatment.
Drug addiction is a chronic disease with the chance of relapse. It can lead to changes in the brain.
These factors mean that professional treatment is important.
Addiction may require professional treatment, but treatment may need to be long-term or repeated since it is a relapsing disease.
The goal of addiction treatment should be to help you stop using drugs and remain drug-free. A good addiction treatment program should also prepare you to be productive at work, in your family and relationships, and in society.
Some of the principles of effective treatment include:
- Addiction is a complex but treatable disease affecting behavior and brain function.
- There is not one single treatment that is right for everyone.
- Treatment needs to be readily accessible.
- A good treatment program will address all the needs of the person and not just their drug use.
- It is essential to stay in treatment long enough.
- The treatment uses a combination of medication and behavioral therapy.
- Behavioral therapies and counseling are a cornerstone of effective treatment.
- A treatment plan needs to be tailored to the individual but should be modified as needed.
Getting Help For at Alcohol Rehab
While there are certain principles of effective treatment to be followed, rehab settings can vary.
Some people do well in a residential program, for example, because it takes them out of their drug use environment.
Other people have a supportive home environment and family, so they decide to remain home and receive treatment in an outpatient setting.
For many people, they receive treatment in both an inpatient and outpatient environment.
It is important to find what works for you and your needs to increase your chances of remaining drug-free after treatment ends.
If you want to learn more about treatment for Dilaudid dependence or Dilaudid abuse, we encourage you to reach out to Resurgence.
We offer different treatment forms that include inpatient detox and residential treatment, as well as an outpatient treatment.
Our treatment team uses evidence-based practices paired with compassion.
Contact us today, and we can tell you more about what a treatment program might look like.
We will show you what sets our programs apart and also help with insurance verification and payment options.