Pines Recovery Life – Addiction Stops Here
Hydrocodone Detox Program in South Florida
Pines Recovery Life Detox is well versed at helping people get through Hydrocodone addiction and withdrawal treatment and breakthrough to the freedom that is sobriety. The dangers and discomfort that come along with hydrocodone addiction withdrawal can be challenging to overcome on your own. Here at Pines Recovery Life Detox, you will be surrounded by an industry-leading team of medical and therapeutic professionals who will support you and provide you with a firm foundation of solutions that will not only see you through your withdrawal but prepare you for the long-term sobriety that you seek far beyond that withdrawal. At Pines Recovery Life Detox, hydrocodone addiction has met its match.
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Hydrocodone Detox at Pines Recovery Life
Detoxing from Hydrocodone
Unfortunately, addiction can be a common result of taking opiates and is especially true with hydrocodone, even when prescribed as a medication by a doctor and not the result of substance abuse. Hydrocodone addiction almost always requires a medical detox program to overcome and manage symptoms of withdrawal, including both short-term and long-term psychological effects. At Pines Recovery Life Detox, our hydrocodone detox program always begins with an evaluation to find the safest path possible towards your sobriety. We treat mind, body, and spirit to set you on the right path. Are you or a loved one struggling with hydrocodone or other opioid addiction and in need of detoxification? Pines Recovery Life Detox can help! Contact us today for your risk-free consultation and find out how we can help you begin your journey to recovery.
According to the National Library of Medicine, hydrocodone is a moderately strong prescription pain medication. It is often found in the form of a pill that also contains acetaminophen. A common brand name for the combination prescription drug containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen is Vicodin. Other brand names for hydrocodone combination drugs include Norco or Anexia. Regardless of the brand new or specific formulation, hydrocodone, despite being a prescription medication, has the potential to be dangerous. In some cases, people may develop a hydrocodone addiction that requires treatment.
What is Hydrocodone?
Hydrocodone is a prescription opioid drug, meaning it binds to opioid receptors in the brain to relieve pain. As an opioid, hydrocodone can also create feelings of euphoria and even lead to physical dependence, which means the body cannot function properly without it. Doctors typically prescribe hydrocodone to treat moderate to severe pain, but in some cases, it may be used to treat cough. When learning about hydrocodone, people may wonder about the difference between oxycodone and hydrocodone. Experts writing for the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology have explained that the two drugs have a similar chemical structure and act on the same opioid receptors in the brain to relieve pain. That being said, the body metabolizes the two into slightly different substances, but ultimately, both have pain-reducing effects.
There is some evidence that oxycodone may be stronger than hydrocodone, but in research, the two drugs seem to be equally effective. For example, a study in Academic Emergency Medicine compared the effects of oxycodone/acetaminophen to hydrocodone/acetaminophen and found that the two medications were equally effective for reducing pain among people being treated for broken bones. The two drugs also caused similar side effects, but hydrocodone was more likely to cause constipation. In summary, hydrocodone is a prescription opioid medication with pain-relieving effects. It is similar to other opioids like oxycodone, although people may experience different side effects with hydrocodone versus oxycodone.
We strive for clinical excellence, employing doctors, nurses, and clinicians who specialize in addiction treatment. Many have personal experience or family members in recovery, so we truly understand recovery.
Our 18,000-square-foot clinical facility is five miles inland from tropical Hollywood Beach. We care for only 40 patients at a time, ensuring that every person receives our full attention and care.
At The Pines Recovery Life Detox Center, we adhere strictly to HIPAA guidelines to ensure absolute confidentiality. Respect for our patients includes respecting privacy and dignity always.
About Hydrocodone Addiction
Side Effects of Hydrocodone
As suggested in the research with opioid medications, drugs like hydrocodone can cause side effects. In addition to constipation, hydrocodone may cause the following adverse effects:
Treatment for Hydrocodone Withdrawal
While hydrocodone is a prescription medication with legitimate uses, it is also possible for people to abuse this drug. In fact, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (FDA) classifies hydrocodone as a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Drugs in this category carry a high potential for abuse.
People can abuse hydrocodone by taking more of the drug than is prescribed, by taking medication not prescribed to them, or by purchasing hydrocodone illegally from drug dealers. Some people may steal hydrocodone from a friend or relative or go to multiple doctors so they can get more than one hydrocodone prescription and therefore obtain additional pills.
Some individuals who abuse hydrocodone may simply take pills by mouth, whereas others may crush them up and snort them, or dissolve pills in water and then inject them into the veins. Regardless of how hydrocodone is abused, misusing this drug, or taking it any way other than how it is prescribed by a doctor is dangerous.
More About Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone Addiction
Unfortunately, when people abuse hydrocodone, there is a risk that they may become addicted to the drug. This can occur when people develop a tolerance, meaning they need more and more hydrocodone to achieve the same effects. Tolerance can develop even when people take hydrocodone as prescribed. Since the drug is a relatively powerful pain reliever, people may find its effects to be rather pleasurable. As they continue to take the drug, they may need larger doses of hydrocodone over time to achieve the same effects. This can lead to misuse and ultimately addiction. People can also develop a tolerance when they abuse hydrocodone with the intent of getting high. For instance, some people may use hydrocodone illegally for its euphoric effects and take larger and larger doses of the drug over time. As people build a higher tolerance for hydrocodone, they may also eventually become dependent upon it, meaning they cannot function normally without the drug in their system. When a person becomes addicted to hydrocodone, he or she will begin to lose control of drug use. This means that the drug may appear to take over a person’s life, and he or she will put himself or others in danger, or take serious risks, in order to obtain more hydrocodone.
Signs of Hydrocodone Addiction
When a person develops an addiction to hydrocodone, the clinical term that addiction professionals use to describe the condition is an opioid use disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders outlines the diagnostic criteria for this disorder. Some of the criteria are as follows:
Given these symptoms, someone who has an opioid use disorder as a result of hydrocodone may begin to miss work because of drug use and may continue to use despite arguments with a spouse. Other behaviors that meet the criteria for an opioid use disorder may include driving under the influence of hydrocodone or losing friendships as a result of drug use. Additional behaviors could include failing to fulfill parenting duties or spending a large amount of time going to various doctors to get additional hydrocodone pills.
Hydrocodone Overdose
In addition to the fact that hydrocodone can be addictive and lead to a clinical substance use disorder, there is a risk of overdose with this drug. Some users may think that hydrocodone is safer than other drugs since it is a prescription medication, but this is not the case. When taken in too large of a dose, hydrocodone can cause breathing problems, such as labored breathing or long pauses between breaths. In some cases, hydrocodone overdose can cause breathing to stop. Other symptoms of hydrocodone overdose include the following, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
In some cases, hydrocodone overdose can lead to death, especially if untreated. A life-saving medication called naloxone can block the effects of opiates like hydrocodone and reverse potentially fatal overdose symptoms. Emergency medical personnel can administer naloxone to reverse a hydrocodone overdose, so it is imperative to call 911 immediately if someone begins to display overdose symptoms.
Hydrocodone Withdrawal Effects
Hydrocodone Withdrawal
Hydrocodone can lead to addiction and overdose, and following long-term use, people are likely to experience severe withdrawal symptoms when they stop using hydrocodone. This is because hydrocodone can create a physical dependence, meaning that the body cannot function normally without it. The body becomes adapted to the effects of hydrocodone, so when the drug is no longer active in the body, unpleasant symptoms appear. According to the World Health Organization, when a person is withdrawing from opioid-like hydrocodone, the following side effects are common:
The hydrocodone withdrawal timeline can be expected to last from four to 10 days. Per the World Health Organization, this is the typical length of withdrawal associated with short-acting opiates. Initial withdrawal symptoms tend to appear from eight to 24 hours after a person stops using hydrocodone.
Treatment for Hydrocodone Withdrawal
Since hydrocodone can cause extremely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, medical treatment is often necessary to help a person through the withdrawal phase. Hydrocodone detox programs can provide people with medical supervision as they undergo withdrawal. In detox, medical staff can treat specific symptoms such as anxiety, diarrhea, or sleep problems and monitor symptoms to ensure that no complications, such as dehydration arise. The goal of opiate detox is to make people as comfortable and safe as possible as they rid their bodies of drugs. In detox settings, medical staff will often administer an instrument called the Short Opioid Withdrawal Scale, which provides a withdrawal score of mild, moderate, or severe. Those who experience mild withdrawal will likely receive care just to address specific symptoms. When withdrawal progresses to moderate or severe, patients are often given buprenorphine or methadone, which can reduce opiate cravings and provide relief from some withdrawal symptoms.
The FDA also recently approved a medication called lofexidine, which is the first drug marketed specifically for opioid withdrawal. This medication can treat the physical withdrawal symptoms associated with drugs like hydrocodone and can be an alternative to buprenorphine and methadone. Regardless of the specific medications or treatment protocols used, it is important that those who are addicted to hydrocodone seek professional intervention if they wish to stop using the drug. Withdrawal symptoms can be incredibly uncomfortable and make it very difficult to stop using, but detox programs can make the process more manageable.
About Hydrocodone Addiction
Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment
While detox programs can help people to cope with initial hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms, it is also necessary to receive ongoing treatment beyond detox. Withdrawing from hydrocodone is only the first step toward stopping the use of this drug. In order to receive lasting sobriety from hydrocodone, it is important to receive psychological or behavioral treatment to address the underlying issues that contributed to addiction. People who have a severe hydrocodone addiction may attend treatment in an inpatient or residential program, whereas others may be successful in an outpatient program. Regardless of the treatment setting, hydrocodone addiction treatment typically involves a combination of individual and group counseling.
One form of counseling that may be effective for treating hydrocodone addiction is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This format of therapy teaches people to replace negative thinking patterns with healthier ways of thinking. For instance, if a person feels that he or she cannot live without hydrocodone, cognitive behavioral therapy can help him or her to explore this belief and formulate more realistic ways of thinking. It can also help people to learn new ways to cope without turning to hydrocodone.
In addition to therapy, it is also relatively common for people to take medication during their recovery from addiction to opioids like hydrocodone. This type of treatment, called medication-assisted treatment (MAT) typically involves the use of one of the same medications used in treating withdrawal: methadone or buprenorphine. These drugs can reduce cravings and help people to remain abstinent from hydrocodone.
One study, published in a 2016 edition of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, suggests that the combination of medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy may be especially effective for treating hydrocodone addiction. Study results showed that among people taking buprenorphine to treat prescription opioid addiction, those who also participated in cognitive behavioral therapy were significantly more successful with remaining abstinent from drugs when compared to those not in therapy. Those who are seeking treatment for hydrocodone addiction would therefore benefit from selecting a program that combines cognitive behavioral therapy, or similar psychological treatment, with medication.
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Why Choose Pines Recovery Life Detox for Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment?
Pines Recovery Life Detox provides a safe and structured environment where patients receive the best care possible. Our expert staff focuses on easing intense withdrawal symptoms and minimizing the risks associated with opioid addiction. With our compassionate care and medical supervision, you can begin your recovery journey with confidence.
If you or a loved one is struggling with hydrocodone abuse, substance abuse, or opioid addiction, Pines Recovery Life Detox is here to help. Our personalized codeine addiction treatment services can help you regain control of your life. Contact us today to learn more about our addiction treatment options and begin your path to recovery.
