The Dangers of Hydrocodone Abuse

 
Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic medication that is used extensively for pain relief and to treat coughs. It is synthesized from the poppy plant, making it an opiate, and relieves pain by attaching to the brain’s opiate receptors.

Illegal opiates include heroin and cocaine, but many opiates are legal and highly regulated, including prescription drugs like hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, and morphine. Opiates are currently the most frequently used medications to treat moderate or severe pain.

 
Since hydrocodone is so effective at relieving pain, people sometimes take it in ways that the prescribing physician did not intend.

Doctors are careful to prescribe certain dosages for specific needs and situations, so any time someone takes hydrocodone in a way other than what a physician has directed, even if the person is treating pain, it is considered abuse.

Hydrocodone also has other effects in addition to pain relief. Some people find that it relaxes them, gives them a sense of wellbeing or euphoria, or makes them feel warm and content. Hydrocodone is not indicated for depression, anxiety, or unhappiness, and taking it to treat those states is considered abuse as well.

In short, any use of hydrocodone that was not prescribed by a physician is considered abuse.

 
There are two categories of people who might abuse hydrocodone: those who are in pain and have prescriptions for hydrocodone, and those who take hydrocodone for its other effects. While some people abuse hydrocodone in an effort to adapt to an increasingly higher tolerance to the drug, others use it recreationally, in an effort to chase a “high.”

Hydrocodone is prescribed for many different types of pain, including chronic or long-term pain. Unfortunately, it is possible that after a while, the original prescription no longer alleviates the patient’s pain as well as it once did. Since physicians are very wary of increasing the dosage of hydrocodone, people experiencing pain might take more of it, or take it more often, than they are directed to by their doctors.

This category can include people of any age, gender, or socioeconomic level, because everyone experiences pain and its challenges at some point in their lives. The potential for hydrocodone abuse applies to everyone, and anyone who takes it, even for completely legitimate treatments, should be aware of the dangers.

The second category of people who could potentially abuse hydrocodone are those who have discovered that it can give them pleasant emotional or physical sensations, and wish to take it even when they are not in pain. Sometimes, this happens after a person has had a prescription for a true pain need, but then noticed the other pleasant effects and did not want to stop taking it for that reason, even after the pain had been managed.

Sometimes, however, a person with an authorized prescription will have friends or family members who wish to share or buy their hydrocodone pills. These are not people who need it for pain management; rather they use these prescription medications like recreational drugs, in order to feel a rush or a high.  This is, of course, abuse of this potent medication, and it puts users in danger.

 
One of the reasons physicians are so careful about how much hydrocodone they prescribe is because hydrocodone can have many significant side effects. As a powerful medication, side effects can be physical, mental, and emotional.

When abused — someone taking too much or too often — the side effects of hydrocodone can be dangerously intensified. If a person takes too much hydrocodone, overdose can occur. This involves the body’s system slowing significantly, leading to coma and even death. Per the CDC, 44 people die due to overdose on prescription painkillers like hydrocodone every day in the US.

Some people use other substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, or other prescription drugs, along with hydrocodone. This practice is strongly advised against, whether the person is using hydrocodone legitimately or abusing the drug. Multiple substances can combine in unpredictable and harmful ways within the brain and body, compounding potential side effects and increasing the risk of overdose.

Without medical assistance, withdrawing from hydrocodone takes about one week, but the process can be very uncomfortable. The severe discomfort could cause the individual to relapse in an effort to end their nausea or pain. Instead of attempting hydrocodone withdrawal alone, it is important to contact a doctor or other medical professional to get help. Medical detox programs involve supervising physicians and other medical professionals who oversee the withdrawal process.

There are two basic ways that a medical professional will help a person ending their hydrocodone addiction to withdraw from the drug. First, they may schedule a taper. This is the process of gradually taking less and less of the drug until the body is no longer dependent on it. Since hydrocodone is a prescription opioid painkiller, people who take the drug as prescribed may also need to taper the substance with their doctor’s oversight due to physical dependence; tapering low-dose painkillers is a normal process for many medical professionals. A taper may be a 10 percent reduction in dose size per day for several weeks; a reduction of 25 percent each week; or a more dramatic change, like a 50 percent reduction each day. A doctor will assess their patient individually to ensure the taper will suit their needs and help them end physical dependence on the drug.

In some instances, people who have struggled with opioid addiction for a long time need additional help. One of the reasons hydrocodone and similar opioid painkillers are addictive is that they induce a relaxing, pleasurable high when abused. The individual then craves the euphoria induced by hydrocodone, and these intense cravings make the withdrawal process incredibly difficult. As a result, medication replacement therapy is often used in medical detox.

Methadone was traditionally the go-to medication for opioid detox, but buprenorphine is increasingly being used to replace opioid drugs in medication management. As a partial opioid agonist, buprenorphine connects to the opioid receptors in the brain, reducing or preventing withdrawal symptoms without creating a high. Buprenorphine is combined with naloxone in Suboxone; the naloxone helps to discourage abuse of the medication since it can trigger intense withdrawal symptoms if abused.

Rarely, a person can simply stop taking opioid drugs cold turkey. However, a doctor may evaluate the person and decide that this process could work best. In that case, the person’s doctor will monitor their symptoms, using the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS) or another scale measuring the severity of withdrawal symptoms. The doctor may offer over-the-counter painkillers, anti-nausea medications, or small doses of other drugs to ease the detox process.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) offers extensive information about drug addiction treatment and prevention. Their website includes a list of Principles of Effective Treatment. The list notes that while medications are very helpful during the detox process, counseling and behavioral therapy are the most common and effective treatments to overcome addiction. They address addiction, not just ending a person’s physical dependence on an intoxicating substance. Both group and individual therapy are vital aspects of a good rehabilitation program. More of these programs are beginning to offer family therapy, to help heal relationships between spouses, parents, children, and extended family, which may have been harmed during the person’s struggles with substance abuse.

The first step to a rehabilitation program that provides appropriate counseling and therapy is an evaluation with a case manager or social worker. This person will evaluate both physical and mental health to create a personalized treatment plan that will help the individual understand and overcome their addiction.

A person going into a rehabilitation program may encounter several of these types of therapy, along with other complementary therapies that may have a religious or spiritual basis, art therapy, movement therapy, and more.

Often, those who struggle with hydrocodone addiction typically start out as people seeking straightforward relief from pain. They may have long-lasting pain from an injury or chronic condition, or temporary pain after a surgery. In an effort to alleviate that pain, they may have been prescribed hydrocodone or another prescription painkiller. As their tolerance rises, they may up the dosage without consulting their doctor, and this often begins a cycle of abuse that leads to addiction.

Those who go into a rehabilitation program for prescription painkiller abuse often need alternative forms of pain management, so they don’t have to live in pain once off opioids. A temporary solution may involve over-the-counter painkillers; however, if pain is too extreme for these medicines, non-medication forms of pain management may be able to help.