It also activates the brain’s reward system and releases dopamine, creating feelings of pleasure and calm. Abusing Vicodin can cause varying levels of side effects depending on the individual, their tolerance level, health history, and severity of their addiction. Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider.
Side effects of Vicodin
Vicodin is a combination drug that contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen, and overdose is possible because of not only the opioid component of the drug but also the acetaminophen. Vicodin and drugs like it are incredibly addictive because of the way they work on the brain. When you take Vicodin and other opioids, they bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system. Physical dependence is characterized by the body adapting to the drug over time, requiring more of it to achieve desired effects. This can occur even when you take the medication exactly as prescribed.
Signs and Symptoms of Vicodin Abuse
Call your doctor at once if you have nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes). Vicodin is a widely prescribed but also frequently abused and addictive pain medication. If you or someone you know struggles with a Vicodin use disorder, help is available. Finally, drugs should be stored safely in medical facilities and in the home. You should put Vicodin somewhere safe from children or accidental ingestion by anyone in your household.
Other side effects of Vicodin
- Because of its addictive nature, those who are prescribed hydrocodone need to be aware of the risks of the prescription for the sake of their own health and wellbeing.
- When used correctly and for only a short period, hydrocodone is usually safe and effective.
- Physicians may also provide methadone or buprenorphine during detox.
Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP. Never use this medicine in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Narcotic pain medicine may be habit-forming, even at regular doses. Never share Vicodin with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of hydrocodone. Vicodin can be an excellent tool for pain relief that ranges from moderate to severe.
More than 6.2 billion hydrocodone pills were dispensed or sold nationwide in 2016. Before you or your child have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are taking this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. Check with your doctor right away if you have darkening of the skin, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, loss of appetite, mental depression, nausea, skin rash, unusual tiredness or weakness, or vomiting. This medicine may cause sleep-related breathing problems (eg, sleep apnea, sleep-related hypoxemia). Your doctor may decrease your dose if you have sleep apnea (stop breathing for short periods during sleep) while using this medicine.
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies hydrocodone as a Schedule II controlled substance.
- The brand name Vicodin has since been discontinued, but other generic forms of the drug with varying amounts of hydrocodone vs acetaminophen (e.g. Norco, Lortab, Xodol) still exist.
- Accidental ingestion of hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets , especially by children, can result in a fatal overdose of hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets see WARNINGS.
If you have a family member who has experienced addiction, you are more likely to experience it, too. Hydrocodone addiction is classified as a substance use disorder (SUD). Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor.
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Hydrocodone addiction can manifest through various behavioral, physical, and psychological signs and symptoms. Recognizing these signs early is crucial for seeking appropriate treatment and initiating recovery. Hydrocodone works by interacting with opioid receptors in your brain and throughout your body. This interaction reduces the intensity of pain signals reaching your brain, changing your perception of pain. Yes, Hydrocodone has a high potential for abuse and addiction, which is why it is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States. Addiction is a chronic disease that changes your brain and makes it hard to stop using a substance, even when it causes problems.
Advise pregnant women using Sober living house opioids for a prolongedperiod of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will beavailable see PATIENT INFORMATION. Monitor patients closely for respiratory depression, especially within thefirst hours of initiating therapy with and following dosage increases of hydrocodone bitartrateand acetaminophen tablets. Hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets expose patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death. Assess each patient’s risk prior to prescribing hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets , and monitor all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions see WARNINGS. Prescription opioids are used to treat non-chronic moderate to severe pain (like from an injury during healing, or post-surgical pain) and are intended for short-term use only.
- When this medication is used for a long time, it may not work as well.
- A medically supervised detox can help manage symptoms and avoid complications, ensuring a safe and comfortable experience.
- Though these factors are common among people who do and do not develop addiction, respectively, there are always exceptions.
- Elderly patients (aged 65 years or older) may have increased sensitivity to hydrocodone bitartrate andacetaminophen tablets.
Warnings
Serious , life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression may occur with use of hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets . Monitor for respiratory depression especially during initiation of hydrocodonebitartrate and acetaminophen tablets or following a dose increase see WARNINGS. Vicodin users will develop a tolerance — their body will become accustomed to the drug — and they’ll need larger or how addictive is vicodin more frequent doses to feel the same effects.
However, this mechanism not only alleviates pain but can also induce feelings of relaxation and euphoria, contributing to Vicodin’s high potential for abuse. Since Vicodin is a combination drug that includes an opioid and acetaminophen, there are other side effects as well. Acetaminophen can be harmful to the liver in large doses, when combined with alcohol or when taken regularly. Vicodin side effects in the long-term can include jaundice, urinary problems, liver damage, or liver failure because of the acetaminophen.