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Effects of Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone is highly addictive. Individuals form an addiction to Hydrocodone due to its abilty to reduce the stress and pain in their lives and after becoming addicted, they also find that the drug sustains their energy and keeps them functioning. However, the "honeymoon" stage of the addiction is short-lived and soon they are finding many more negative effects than positive.
Subject to individual tolerance, many medical experts believe dependence or addiction can occur within one to four weeks at higher doses of Hydrocodone. Published reports of high profile movie stars, TV personalities and professional athletes who are recovering from Hydrocodone addiction are grim testimony to its debilitating effects.
Hydrocodone is abused for its opiate-like effects. It is equivalent to morphine in relieving abstinence symptoms from chronic morphine administration. The Schedule III status of Hydrocodone-containing products has made them available to widespread diversion by "bogus call-in prescriptions" and thefts. Three dosage forms are typically found (5, 7.5, and 10 mg) and their behavioral effects can last up to 5 hours. The drug is most often administered orally. The growing awareness and concern about AIDS and blood-borne pathogens easily transmitted by syringe needle use, has made the oral bioavailability of Hydrocodone attractive to the typical opiate abuser.
Examples of how severe Hydrocodone addiction has become:
An estimated 7 million dosage units were diverted in 1994 and over 11 million in 1997.
In 1998 there were over 56 million new prescriptions written for hydrocodone products and by 2000 there were over 89 million. From 1990 the average consumption nationwide has increased by 300%. In the same period there has been a 500% increase in the number of Emergency Department visits attributed to hydrocodone abuse with 19,221 visits estimated in 2000. In 1997, there were over 1.3 million hydrocodone tablets seized and analyzed by the DEA laboratory system.
Depending on your level of addiction to hydrocodone, you may neeed a specific type of treatment. There are many terms that are used to describe clinical actions related to hydrocodone. Some terms you may have come across are: Hydrocodone Detox Center, a Hydrocodone Rehab, Hydrocodone Treatment, Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment, Hydrocodone Addiction Counseling, Hydrocodone In-Patient Treatment and Hydrocodone Out-Patient Treatment. For anyone that has developed a physical addiction to hydrocodone, you will need hydroconde detox or withdrawal. Detox and Withdrawal are the same actions. Most of the time, that won't be enough hydrocodone treatment since it will only handle the immediate physical withdrawal symptoms. Anyone this having opiate withdrawal symptoms will be very anxious to end the severe flu-like symptoms that accompany any physical withdrawal from opiates, including hydrocodone. Since Hydrocodone is one of the mildest acting opiates on the market, the withdrawal symptoms from this drug are much milder than those from methadone or other strong opiates.
If you feel that hydrocodone withdrawal is all that you need, call 1-877-444-1137 and allow one of our counselors to help you with that assessment and they can also recommend a hydrocodone detox center, either in-patient or out-patient that can help you with your withdrawals.
Most people that detox from hydrocodone will relapse within the first two months since a physical detox is not a cure for this type of addiction.
Someone that is addicted to hydrocodone should take the time to enroll into a in-patient or residential drug treatment center to continue handling the issues besides the physical addiction.
Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment referral information is
available by submitting a from or calling the toll free help line 1-888-781-7060. | 
