HYDROCODONE ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTER

As an additive in pain medication, hydrocodone pills are among the most-prescribed opiate-based prescriptions available in the US. This drug is sold under several brand names by major pharmaceutical companies. It’s one of the leading medications identified as a culprit in the nation-wide crisis that has claimed more than 400,000 people so far and caused the government to declare a public health emergency in 2017. Because of this, we developed a hydrocodone addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, FL, to help you combat your addiction.

What is Hydrocodone?

It’s an opioid pain medication that’s used to treat mild to moderate pain after tooth extraction, minor surgery, or injuries. Hydrocodone pills are a formulation of the opiate and acetaminophen, which is the generic name for the active ingredient in Tylenol. The addition of this drug is believed to bolster the effects of hydrocodone to relieve pain without the harsher effects of stronger opioid-based medications in this class.

Opioids are synthetic forms of powerful narcotic pain relievers that have a similar chemical structure to morphine and heroin. The addition of non-narcotic painkillers is thought to reduce the more harmful aspects and effects of opiate-based prescriptions while providing temporary relief from acute pain. When taken for longer than the intended duration or in high amounts, the drug is exceptionally habit-forming and destructive physically and psychologically.

What is Hydrocodone Used For?

In addition to formulations containing over-the-counter pain relievers, doctors prescribe hydrocodone pills in a pure form under the brand Zohydro. They prescribe this particular opiate for temporary pain relief after medical procedures like tooth extraction and minor surgeries, injuries, and conditions where the pain is moderate but short-term.

Doctors believe that this drug has milder effects and fewer side-effects than other opioids. However, hydrocodone addiction has been a massive problem since the first wave of prescription pain medication abuse in the 1990s. The addition of over-the-counter pain relievers fools people into thinking these prescriptions are safe, and they are when used for a short time, as prescribed. However, abuse increases the odds of addiction, liver damage, and other long-term health problems.

Hydrocodone Brands, Dosages, and Their Uses

The typical hydrocodone dosage is 5 or 10 milligrams, with a second number meaning the dosage of other pain relievers. For example, a generic prescription that calls for the pharmacist to dispense hydrocodone 5mg/325mg tablets would contain 5 milligrams of hydrocodone and 325 of generic Tylenol. Brand names of hydrocodone include Lortab, Vicodin, and Norco.

What are these medications, and what’s the difference between them when they’re prescribed to relieve pain?

Vicodin

Vicodin tablets are available in strengths of 5, 7.5, or 10 milligrams combined with 300 milligrams of acetaminophen. When this medication was first released, it contained 500 or 750 milligrams of generic Tylenol, but the FDA ordered this amount reduced in 2011. As of that year, Vicodin was being prescribed to as many as 131 million people annually.

Lortab

Lortab can be distinguished from Norco or Vicodin by its pale pink color, and it’s the most-abused form of this type of prescription for the 18- to 25-year-old demographic. Doctors prescribe it in dosages of 5, 7.5, and 10 milligrams to 325 milligrams of generic Tylenol.

Norco

This medication once had the lowest dosage of generic Tylenol at 325 milligrams. Although the strength of the over-the-counter pain reliever remains the same, it now has the highest amount. Norco is prescribed to approximately 2 million people each year, and it comes in formulations of 7mg/325mg or 10/325 for the patient to take it every 4 – 6 hours.

Zohydro

Zohydro is the only hydrocodone medication that doesn’t contain another type of pain reliever. Doctors only prescribe this for very severe, short-term pain management, and pharmacists control the prescriptions more tightly than other forms of hydrocodone medications. The pills are powder-filled capsules available in strengths of 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, or 50 milligrams each.

All of these different names can be confusing. However, at the hydrocodone addiction treatment program in Jacksonville, FL, we know the difference, and we want to help defeat your addiction.

How Can You Become Addicted to Hydrocodone?

Hydrocodone is a narcotic analgesic. Doctors classify it as a Schedule II substance. This means it has clinical benefits but a high potential for abuse and dependence. Doctors previously classed it as a Schedule III drug when it was considered less harmful than other opioid-based medications.

Hydrocodone addiction is possible because this drug affects the brain the same way as other opiates. Even a low hydrocodone dosage bonds to the opioid receptors in the brain to block pain and cause mild relaxation and euphoria. Although doctors prescribe it for short-term pain relief, it’s one of the most abused medications in its class. Hydrocodone is also easily diverted because many people who take it for temporary, relatively minor pain don’t even finish their prescriptions. They leave it stored in medicine cabinets and closets where friends or relatives with substance use disorders can get their hands on it.

How do you know if you’re abusing hydrocodone? At the hydrocodone addiction treatment program in Jacksonville, FL, we recommend suspecting abuse if:

The medication is taken in higher doses than prescribed
You’re diverting someone else’s prescription
You are purchasing it illegally on the street
You’re feigning pain to extend the prescription duration or obtain more refills.

Abuse or Dependency?

There’s confusion over the difference between abuse and dependence, and some wonder whether it matters in light of the epidemic of opiate abuse. There can be concurrent conditions, but they’re two separate problems that require a different approach to overcome them.

You can suspect dependence when the brain requires the drug to function. It occurs because the natural pain-blocking mechanism and dopamine release is disrupted and co-opted by artificial means. The brain loses the ability to produce the necessary chemicals to regulate pain relief and release pleasure-causing chemicals on its own. This often happens with tolerance, and it can be a component of addiction. However, individuals can be addicted to hydrocodone without being dependent.

Hydrocodone addiction is determined when craving and/or need for the drug overpowers everything else in one’s life. Use will continue despite the odds of overdose or death, and regardless of any negative consequences. In either case, withdrawal symptoms can be painful and potentially life-threatening. Recognizing the signs of addiction or dependence and getting help early increases the odds of complete, long-term recovery.

How Can You Tell if Someone is Abusing Their Prescription?

As mentioned above, early intervention saves lives. Addiction may be easy to hide for a while, but it can quickly spin out of control, taking the life of the individual down with it.

Due to the high rate of misuse, doctors and family members or friends should be on the lookout for symptoms of dependency or addiction. Some of these include:

Increased preoccupation with the medication
Counting pills or anticipating the next dose
Doctor shopping or forging prescriptions
Diversion, illegal purchase, or stealing someone else’s pills
Defensiveness when confronted about use or rationalizing use
Flu-like symptoms or irritability when unable to obtain hydrocodone
Attempting to quit or cut back on use without success

If you’ve noticed these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, contact our hydrocodone addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, FL

Is it Easy to Get Help for Hydrocodone Addiction?

Since the problem with hydrocodone addiction is an ongoing health concern, Stepping Stone Center for Recovery has developed a hydrocodone addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, FL. We tailored our program to individuals struggling with opioid addiction. When you start your hydrocodone addiction treatment program in Jacksonville, FL, we also include:

We are ready to help you start the next chapter of your life. Are you? Contact the hydrocodone addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, FL, today for treatment options.

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