What is Hydrocodone?
Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid drug prescribed for medical conditions that cause moderate to severe pain. It is usually used to treat acute pain from surgeries, invasive dental procedures, or serious injuries. It is not typically prescribed for long-term pain management. People recognize three brand names that contain Hydrocodone: Vicodin, Norco, and Lortab. Of these three, Vicodin is the most well-known among drug-seeking cultures that use opiates. Most doctors will only prescribe a limited amount of Vicodin or other Hydrocodone-containing medications because of the considerable potential for abuse and addiction.
Hydrocodone Addiction: Signs And Symptoms
When someone is prescribed Hydrocodone, most doctors will require that their patients come in for numerous office visits to obtain more prescriptions. Medical practitioners who prescribe opioids for pain limit how long and often their patient receives the drug. In recent years all fifty states now use an opioid prescription monitoring system to identify patients who are seeing more than one doctor for Hydrocodone and other prescription painkillers.
Opioid prescription monitoring is a statewide database that gives medical doctors access to all the prescriptions the patient is receiving. It is helpful; however, people struggling with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), also known as addiction to opioids, are still managing to get the drug through various means.
The signs and symptoms of hydrocodone addiction and abuse usually begin with doctor shopping. Doctor shopping is when a person sees more than one doctor to obtain more hydrocodone prescriptions.
Other signs and symptoms of addiction to Hydrocodone will include:
- Falsifying their pain to their doctor
- Going to the emergency room frequently to get prescriptions for Hydrocodone
- Buying Vicodin from friends or drug dealers
- Stealing prescription pads and writing their scripts
- Buying Hydrocodone illegally online
Once a person begins to lie to get more Hydrocodone or buy it illegally, they are struggling with an addiction. Hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms can occur after only weeks or months of addictive use of Hydrocodone. The physical withdrawal symptoms are severe and will cause physical illness that can only be reversed by using more Hydrocodone.
Hydrocodone Withdrawal Symptoms
Addiction to Hydrocodone also causes mental and emotional withdrawal symptoms. A person experiencing hydrocodone withdrawals will be agitated and emotionally unstable. The physical symptoms are more extreme and will mirror the detox symptoms that heroin or other potent opiates cause.
People addicted to an opioid medication who stop using the drug can have severe withdrawal symptoms that begin as early as a few hours after the drug was last taken. These symptoms include:
- Muscle and bone pain
- Sleep problems
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Cold flashes with goosebumps
- Uncontrollable leg movements
- Severe cravings
The danger with hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms is that they typically occur all at once. People who struggle with this addiction are likely to do anything to avoid experiencing the symptoms. Once the symptoms begin, this person will be desperate to find relief and may use other opioids they are unfamiliar with to negate their hydrocodone detox symptoms.
More often than not, people who abuse prescription opioids like Hydrocodone eventually use heroin or stronger opiates. Trying a more potent drug can easily cause a life-threatening emergency and accidental overdose.
Our Florida Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment Center
The safest way to help someone addicted to Hydrocodone is to have them admitted into a medically managed hydrocodone detox program. Our Medically managed hydrocodone detox programs provide safe and effective medications that minimize withdrawal symptoms so our clients can rest and sleep. Evoke Wellness at Miramar hydrocodone rehab center prescribes advanced opioid detox medications that are proven to reverse withdrawal symptoms nearly 100%. Our detox center is overseen by medical doctors specializing in opiate addiction detoxification.
Our clients’ medications to help them detox easily include Buprenorphine and methadone. We also prescribe medications to induce sleep, control flu-like symptoms, and meds to improve mental and emotional health. Every client is allowed to rest and relax. When healthier, they are encouraged to participate in one of our many small groups, receive one-on-one counseling, or engage in leisure activities. Our Florida hydrocodone detox centers allow clients to detox at their own pace. Some may feel better within one week or less, whereas others may need several weeks.
Every client in our Hydrocodone detox center is also provided with an individualized treatment plan. Although detox is the beginning of an end to addiction, it is not treatment. People who struggle with OUD require a treatment program to help them learn how to remain drug and alcohol-free long term. The opioid addiction programs we offer for hydrocodone addiction work directly with our detox program. Ideally, our clients complete detox and enter one of our treatment programs. This way, they have already established connections to our professional staff of addiction counselors, therapists, and medical doctors, as well as with others in their recovery program.
Evoke Wellness at Miramar: A Premier Medical Detox
At Evoke Wellness at Miramar, we help clients detox from alcohol and drugs under the best possible treatment and surroundings. Our medical drug and alcohol detox facility is located in a beautiful, private location overlooking a tranquil lake in Miramar, Florida. Our relaxing surroundings, high-end amenities, delicious and nutritious food, and a team of professional practitioners help clients move through the detox phase quickly, safely, and comfortably.
After detox, clients have many options to transition seamlessly to the next step in their addiction recovery. While the medical detoxification process is not easy, many clients recognize early on that it is not nearly as intense, painful, or uncomfortable as anticipated. We help them build the foundations needed to maintain long-term sobriety.
