Article contributed by Salina Ball

In the past 10 years there’s been a massive increase in hydrocodone addiction in the United States. It is one of the most commonly prescribed pain medications by doctors today. It is often mistaken as safer than a street drugs like heroin. Prescription pain pill abuse affects demographics of all ages. It is often prescribed for tooth pain, post injury, chronic pain, or surgery pain. Someone may go to the hospital for a simple operation and find themselves addicted to hydrocodone many years later. Polls have shown over the past five years, students as low as grade 8 have admitted to using some form of pain medication, not for the medical benefit, but for the high. Even multimillion dollar pro athletes are today, admitting to an addiction to hydrocodone. Over half of the prescription pain medication abusers that will admit their abuse are reported to be female while 90% of all first-time users are reported to be Caucasian.

One of the symptoms of hydrocodone addiction withdrawal is an increase in tolerance. The addict is most likely to begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms within the first 12 to 24 hours after they stop taking the medication. Some of these symptoms include restlessness, muscle pain, insomnia bone pain and diarrhea cold flashes, vomiting, watery eyes and runny nose, loss of appetite irritability panicky and sweating.The worst side effects is the way the withdrawals plays on the mind. It will tell the body that it cannot live without the drug no longer. Because of the increased mental and physical distress in the body is very important that the addict withdrawals under the care of a trained medical professional that deals with hydrocodone addiction treatment. There are special facilities and doctors trained to handle this kind of detox. Hydrocodone addiction is very serious and should not be taken lightly, because there is always the possibility of death

After an addict has properly with drawled from the drug and proper detox has been administrated by medical authorities, after care and recovery can be discussed with their doctor. There are many options for hydrocodone addiction recovery depending on the level and length of the abuse. A doctor may advise for the patient to be checked into a rehabilitation facility, where they can further work on the psychological issues that led to the addiction. The doctor may require weekly visits to ensure that the patient’s vital signs stay stable after their release from the hospital. There is also a new treatment available to opiate addicts, the drug is called buprenorphine/naloxone. This drug has been tested through research to show how it blocks the effects of the drug on the addicts brain so it no longer feels the high. It is also a very valuable tool in the detoxification process, as well as further aftertreatment maintenance. To read more about the drug and its clinical trials. Visit the site at NIDA clinical trials.

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