Every day, more than people in the US die from an overdose to an opioid-related medication. Although measures are being taken to decrease these numbers, recognizing the warning signs of an overdose is extremely important in getting people help quickly to save lives.
Hydrocodone medications typically include acetaminophen, a. Tylenol, so addicts are also at risk of an acetaminophen overdose, which includes the following:. The first symptoms of an acetaminophen overdose can take 24 hours to appear, and they include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In addition to lowering the threshold for an opiate overdose, taking alcohol with painkillers also increases the liver toxicity caused by acetaminophen.
Hydrocodone users who develop a tolerance or exceed the prescribed dosage are at a high risk of overdose. Professional rehab is the best way to avoid an overdose or prevent one from happening again, and it includes the following:.
Rehab facilities can also educate loved ones on how to prepare a sober home and assist in an addiction recovery. We want to help you find the same outcome as Erin. Our admissions coordinators are available 24 hours a day to discuss treatment options , rehab facilities and addiction or overdose warning signs. We can also check health insurance policies for rehab coverage.
Without the drug, addicted individuals will go into withdrawal. While crushing and snorting opioids like hydrocodone may produce faster and more intense effects, the tablets are manufactured in a way that makes them dangerous to snort. After all, they are meant to be swallowed and digested slowly in the body — not hit the bloodstream all at once or touch the nasal passages.
As a result, there are many risks associated with snorting hydrocodone, and you should never attempt to do so. Hydrocodone is a medication that is intended to pass through the gastrointestinal system. When snorted, it interferes with the intended delivery of the drug, increasing the risk of overdose, addiction , and other harmful side effects.
Furthermore, hydrocodone pills contain fillers that can further irritate the nose, throat, and lungs. Not to mention the fact that many people purchase prescription opioids on the street, not knowing what is contained inside. The tissue lining the nasal passages is thin and delicate. Snorting fine powders and other irritants can inflame the tissue, leading to discomfort and even nosebleeds.
However, these are only short term effects. In the long term, snorting medications like hydrocodone can actually erode the nasal tissue, causing a hole to form between the nostril and the roof of the mouth.
Of course, this makes eating, swallowing, and breathing exceptionally difficult. People experiencing nasal erosion may make a whistling sound when they breathe or struggle with dry mouth.
Additionally, inflamed nasal tissue can lead to damaged cilia — the nasal hairs that are responsible for capturing dirt and foreign particles from the outside. As a result, snorting hydrocodone can lead to a loss of smell.
Even more shocking is the risk of necrosis, or dead and dying tissue in the nose. When snorted, some hydrocodone ends up traveling to the back of the nose.
It then drips into the throat or windpipe and into the lungs or on the vocal cords. If the drug drips on the vocal cords, people may begin having a hoarse voice. If the drug drips into the lungs, it can worsen asthma or cause lung inflammation.
Normally, irritants are blocked by the mucus and hairs in the nose. If damaged from snorting drugs like hydrocodone, these irritants can get into the lungs and lead to respiratory failure and other conditions such as difficulty breathing, weight loss, and fatigue. In order to snort hydrocodone, it must be crushed into a fine powder. More than 24 million people abused hydrocodone at some point in their lives, according to data from the Drug Enforcement Administration DEA.
And young people are affected as well—the DEA reported that 5. 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. They become irritable, dismissive, unresponsive, etc. In my experience, I became quiet which made it nearly impossible to tell I was under the influence of pain pills.
How long does it take you to get addicted to Vicodin drugs? Addiction hijacks your brain and can take control of almost everything you do. The behavior is also very dependent on the situation.
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