Long-Term Effects of Vicodin Addiction Side Effects of Vicodin

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. Vicodin contains the active ingredients hydrocodone and acetaminophen.

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Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval.

Vicodin Withdrawal and Detox

• Withdrawal symptoms for each person will vary, but doctors can prescribe medication to ease the severity of those symptoms.
• These routes cause the drug to be absorbed into the blood more quickly, allowing the person to feel its euphoric effects faster and increasing the risk of an overdose.
• At The Recovery Village, patients can work one-on-one with a treatment team to determine the best route of action to assist them the most efficiently.
• These drugs are commonly used to treat depression and other mental health issues.
• Vicodin addiction can be overwhelming and scary, but you aren’t alone.

Make sure lab personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug. Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Lightheadedness, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, and constipation may also occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. If you are taking the syrup, carefully measure the dose using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose.

Choosing an OTC Pain Reliever: What to Consider

• If Vicodin addiction has turned your life upside down, Linwood House is ready to help you break free.
• This product passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant (such as unusual sleepiness, difficulty feeding, trouble breathing, or unusual limpness).
• Although Vicodin can help pain sufferers, it can also lead to addiction.
• The effects of Vicodin, when taken as prescribed and under extremely strict medical supervision, can be highly beneficial.
• Lortab is another brand name for the combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone.

If someone takes over four grams of any product containing acetaminophen in a day, it can lead to liver damage and potentially death. Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, and slow/shallow breathing.

• In many cases, it can also lead one to feel removed from his or her surroundings.
• People addicted to Vicodin may experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it.
• Hydrocodone is one of the most misused drugs in the United States.
• Eventually, she pursued Vicodin addiction rehab and received the necessary treatment to begin a life of sobriety.
• People addicted to Vicodin compulsively use the drug despite knowing the consequences, often sacrificing their health, responsibilities and relationships.
• The effects of Vicodin addiction spread like ripples in a pond, touching all aspects of your world.

Tolerance means that alcoholism symptoms the body becomes accustomed to the drug over time, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effects. This cycle of escalating doses can quickly escalate to dangerous levels, fostering physical and psychological reliance on the drug. Vicodin and similar prescription opioids are incredibly addictive because of how they affect your brain.

Addiction Treatment

Cough due to a common cold often does not need to be treated with medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to relieve cough and cold symptoms, such as drinking enough fluids, using a humidifier, or saline nose drops/spray. Vicodin is an opioid pain reliever containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Doctors prescribe it to relieve moderate to severe pain after injuries or surgery.

First, though, you must understand why and how hydrocodone becomes addictive and the signs and symptoms of hydrocodone addiction. Vicodin is a combination of acetaminophen (an over-the-counter analgesic) and hydrocodone (an opioid). While experts are unsure how acetaminophen works, hydrocodone works by activating mu-opioid receptors. Vicodin is a prescription painkiller intended for those suffering from severe pain, like pain following surgery. Medical professionals prescribe the medication to help alleviate pain and make the patient more comfortable.

During this process, doctors will decrease the amount of Vicodin taken weekly to ease the body off the drug. Tapering is typically the safest method used to detox from drugs. In 2020, there were an estimated 91,799 drug overdose deaths in the United States. In 2020, an average of 44 people died each day from overdoses involving prescription opioids like Vicodin. When Vicodin withdrawal symptoms occur, the process of detoxification, or detox, can help the person function normally again without the drug in their system. If you suddenly stop using this medication, you may have withdrawal symptoms (such as restlessness, watering eyes, runny nose, nausea, sweating, muscle aches).

Vicodin Dependence Explained: Why It’s Addictive and Finding Effective Treatments

Combining an opioid medication (Vicodin) with a benzodiazepine (Valium) is highly dangerous and can result in coma or death. Vicodin carries an FDA-boxed warning against taking the drug with benzodiazepines for this reason. Both drugs are depressants and can dramatically slow breathing.

This risk may be higher if you have a substance use disorder (such as overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol). Take this medication exactly as prescribed to lower the risk of addiction. The duration and dosage of Vicodin use contribute to addiction and dependence. Using Vicodin for an extended period, even if prescribed by a healthcare professional, can lead to tolerance.