OPIATES – HYDROCODONE ADDICTION

Opiates – Hydrocodone Prescriptions And Addiction

Call Now To Get On The Road To Recovery

*As required by law, all communications with Resurgence Behavioral Health are HIPAA Compliant and 100% Confidential

What Exactly is Hydrocodone?

Hydrocodone is the medical name for Vicodin. Hydrocodone is also sold under the brand names Anexsia, Hycodan, Dicodid, Lortab, Norco, and several others. These names are not as well-known. Vicodin is one of the most common prescription painkillers. OxyContin, morphine, codeine, and Percocet are a few others.

What is Hydrocodone Addiction?

Now that we know a few more common names for hydrocodone, the next question is: Is hydrocodone an opiate? Or is hydrocodone an opioid? Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid. Instead of being an entirely natural opiate, it’s created in a lab with natural and chemical ingredients to mimic the effects of opiates. When making Vicodin, hydrocodone and acetaminophen are combined for powerful but addictive pain relief.

Hydrocodone Prescriptions

Hydrocodone can be habit-forming, so prescriptions are generally short-term. It’s prescribed to relieve severe pain that isn’t responsive to less extensive pain relief methods.

If other medications or treatments have not worked or have constant or severe pain, you may be given this medication. It is often prescribed after surgeries, accidents, or injuries. Hydrocodone capsules and tablets change the way your brain and central nervous system respond to pain signals. Doctors tend to start patients with low hydrocodone mg doses and gradually increase if necessary.

Self-medicating or increasing your dosages can produce life-threatening or fatal results.

Hydrocodone Side Effects

When you take too much hydrocodone, it may cause slowed or stopped breathing. This is one reason why it is so important to follow your prescription closely. Mixing hydrocodone with other medications or substances (illicit drugs or alcohol) can increase the risk of developing breathing problems.

Experiencing sedation or falling into a coma is not uncommon in this situation. It also increases the risk of other life-threatening events. With any prescription, it’s important to take it as directed by your doctor. Don’t take additional doses or take it more often than you’re supposed to. Take your prescription only the way that your doctor recommends.

Other hydrocodone side effects may include:

• Impaired decision-making abilities
• Mood changes
• Drowsiness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Confusion
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Itchiness
• Speech slurs

These are some of the more common short-term effects. Long-term side effects or those linked to high doses, hydrocodone mixed with other substances, and other complications are more complex. Slowed breathing is one of the most troubling. In severe cases, this may lead to hypoxia.

When hypoxia occurs, there is too little oxygen reaching the brain. This condition can cause severe psychological and neurological effects. These effects can be both short and long-term. Comas, brain damage, and death can occur from hydrocodone overdoses and hypoxia.

Hydrocodone vs. Heroin

Heroin and prescription opioids, hydrocodone included, are strongly linked. Heroin is an illicit opioid, so its effects are similar. But heroin is much more potent and can’t be obtained with a prescription. There are no approved uses for it.

In addition to being more potent than prescriptions, heroin is often more affordable, too. Potent and affordable are appealing qualities for drug users. But heroin can be even more addictive and dangerous than prescription opioids.

One reason for this is the potency, but another is that it is often mixed with other substances. Many drug dealers will cut heroin with substances like fentanyl to increase their profits. This increases your risk of an accidental overdose significantly. Another reason is that heroin is often injected. When you inject illicit substances like this one, you run the risk of collapsing a vein.

What is Hydrocodone Withdrawal?

One of the most difficult components of hydrocodone addiction is severe withdrawal symptoms. With hydrocodone abuse, it gets progressively harder to quit on your own. Even short-term use can prove problematic.

When your withdrawal symptoms or intense cravings keep you from getting sober, it is time to get help. What is hydrocodone withdrawal like? The following are some of the most common hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms:

• Runny nose
• Agitation
• Sweating
• Muscle aches
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Dilated pupils
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps

These symptoms lead many people to relapse and remain addicted. But our medically-assisted detox can help. Our safe, comfortable, and residential facility will remove distractions and temptations to create a clear path to recovery. Your mental and physical withdrawal symptoms may be eased by the cautious use of our proven medications.

We will guide you through this phase and all the ones that come next. The detox program at Resurgence eliminates many of the barriers you would find in seeking early sobriety on your own. We will help you detox, work through withdrawals, avoid relapse, and put your addiction behind you.

Hydrocodone and Your Mental Health

Hydrocodone use often starts with a genuine medical need. But the ingredients and effective pain relief are addicting. Because hydrocodone interferes with your brain and central nervous system’s responses, it can alter your mental health, especially as you become addicted.

Mania and depression are common for hydrocodone abusers. What is hydrocodone doing to your mental health right now? If you have an underlying mental health condition before you begin abusing hydrocodone, the opioid can make it worse. A dual diagnosis is a condition that occurs when you have a substance abuse addiction and a mental health disorder.

This is one of the conditions that we treat with our proven comprehensive care methods. We will start with a mental health assessment to confirm we’re meeting all of your needs, and we will continue to educate you and answer your questions about “what is hydrocodone addiction taking away from me?” The answers might surprise you.

What is Hydrocodone Treatment?

For most patients, we recommend inpatient or residential care. If you can commit to an inpatient stay, this option offers 24-hour access to care and support. For moderate to severe addictions, this is preferable. It is also better if your addiction requires additional treatments like medically-assisted detox.

Many of our patients are curious and nervous—they want to know “what is hydrocodone treatment like?” before they commit. We always make sure you’re fully informed about your treatment.

Helping you through your withdrawal symptoms to enforce early sobriety is an essential part of the process. Therapeutic treatment methods are available when you wake up in the morning until you lie your head back down in your comfortable and spacious room.

When you’re wondering what is hydrocodone treatment like, don’t worry; we want you to be as safe and comfortable as possible. Therapy sessions, support groups, holistic remedies, and recreational activities will also be a part of your daily schedule.

Healthy meals, recreational activities, exercise classes, and downtime help round out the program. But this program will look a bit different for everyone. We build programs to meet your needs rather than creating programs based on checklists.

Your thoughts and behaviors can change during hydrocodone addiction. This is a chronic disease. You do not have to face it alone. And inpatient care is not your only option. If you cannot commit to a residential stay, we offer other options for supplemental addiction care.

What is hydrocodone outpatient treatment composed of, you might wonder? Various outpatient programs and combination programs help us fill the gaps while you continue to live at home. Support groups and aftercare planning and services offer continued support for as long you need it.

The Resurgence Behavioral Health Difference

Why wait another day to get the care that you need and deserve? Call our facility today to get started. We will help you understand and get the answers to your questions.

Our team will work with you to create a care plan that addresses your unique addiction needs. We will address your mental health conditions or other complications, too.

Once you make your first phone call, we will walk you through the rest. We will provide the tools, knowledge, treatment methods, and support you need to recover.

Find long-term sobriety at Resurgence Behavioral Health.