The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies hydrocodone as a Schedule II controlled substance. This classification is for drugs with a high potential for abuse. For some, use may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
- Contact your healthcare providers and tell them you want to detox from Vicodin.
- Your healthcare professional may recommend combining your taper with counseling from an alcohol and drug counselor.
- Research is being conducted on the use of marijuana as an alternative and less addictive form of pain medication.
- If you have withdrawal symptoms, tell your healthcare team right away.
- Treatment plans can consist of one-on-one, group and recreational therapy.
The biggest danger from detoxing from Vicodin and other pain medication takes place when someone decides to start taking the drug again. When Vicodin is taken over vicodin addiction a lengthy period of time, you can build up a tolerance to the medication. This means you have to take increasingly larger amounts to achieve the same effect.
What to Know About Hydrocodone Addiction
Vicodin carries an FDA-boxed warning against taking the drug with benzodiazepines for this reason. Both drugs are depressants and can dramatically slow breathing. Additionally, the combination can cause drowsiness, dizziness, confusion and slurred speech. Please consult your doctor — even if they prescribed both together — before ingesting Vicodin and Valium. The hydrocodone component of Vicodin is a psychoactive substance impacting the opioid receptors of the brain and spinal cord.
- Depending on how much and for how long you have been taking Vicodin, the withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to very severe.
- It is important to understand that hydrocodone, as well as other opioids, can present particularly significant health risks during the withdrawal process.
- There are resources available that can help you get through the process and find the support you need to overcome Vicodin misuse.
Vicodin’s half-life is about four hours, so the drug leaves the body completely after about eight hours. Once the drug begins to leave the body, withdrawal symptoms begin. Hydrocodone should only be used when prescribed and closely monitored by a healthcare provider. Even at standard doses, this drug can cause a potentially deadly overdose if not consumed as instructed.
Vicodin Withdrawal and Detox
Contact your healthcare providers and tell them you want to detox from Vicodin. They can recommend one of several regimens used to help with the detoxification process. The opioid antagonist Narcan (naloxone) can block the effects of opioids and reverse an overdose.
If you and your healthcare professional think you have an opioid use disorder, voluntary groups such as Narcotics Anonymous are structured support groups. They are led by other people who have been dependent on addictive substances. These groups can be a powerful support network for those who find that they aren’t able to quit using opioids despite their best efforts. You may be tempted to take more opioid medicine than your taper recommends.
Find Hydrocodone Rehab Near Me
All opiate-based drugs can become habit-forming and cause physical dependence. Once you develop a Vicodin dependence, quitting or cutting back suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms. Combining an opioid medication (Vicodin) with a benzodiazepine (Valium) is highly dangerous and can result in coma or death.
