Hydrocodone Addiction
Hydrocodone addiction destroys the lives of thousands of people daily. This highly addictive drug is a semi-synthetic compound derived from Codeine or Thebain and includes acetaminophen to enhance the pain-relieving effects. It is a narcotic analgesic that comes in tablet, capsule or syrup forms.
People whom we wouldn’t think of as drug addicts are just ordinary people that became addicted to the medicine after surgery or injury. Even
though Hydrocodone is generally considered safe when used as directed, in many cases, prolonged use leads to increased tolerance levels and this is when dependency or addiction can develop.
Lack Of Information Can Often Cause A Hydrocodone Addiction
Most Hydrocodone users feel that the drug is safe because it was prescribed by their physician and will not take time to get information about the drug. Most pharmacies provide a print-out with the prescription warning of the dangers and possible reactions to other substances. Anyone taking these drugs should study these warnings carefully and follow their doctor’s directions to the letter.
Hydrocodone Addiction Often Occurs From Not Following Directions Of The Medication
Some Hydrocodone users become careless about following the dosage recommendations. This can happen for a variety of reasons such as forgetting to take the pill on time or when it seems the pill isn’t having the desired effect. When the pills are taken too close together, or the dosage is doubled for added pain relief, dependency, addiction and serious side-effects can occur and some can be deadly.
If you are taking your medication like the doctor told you then you probably are not addicted. There would be signs of Hydrocodone addiction. Some of the signs include withdrawal symptoms when the drug is withheld such as: bone and joint pain, hot and cold sweats, tremors, shakes, anxiety, nervousness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. These symptoms will last 3 to 5 days but still could have them for a few weeks after, depending on the person.
Other warning signs of Hydrocodone addiction can manifest in strange behavior patterns such as buying the drug off the street, using different doctors (doctor-shopping), or going to the emergency room to try to get more pills, running out of the medicine too soon, snorting the pills instead of taking them orally, or taking more than the doctor prescribed.
