Vicodin Detox Centers

Vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen and is an opioid (also called opiate or narcotic) pain medication. It is prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain.  In 2014, the medication was moved from a schedule III category to a schedule II, meaning it was upgraded from a moderate to low risk of abuse and subsequent physical and psychological dependence to high risk.

Opioid pain medications, like Vicodin, have been increasingly in the public eye as of late because of the prescribing and overdose rates. According to data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hydrocodone is one of the drugs most commonly involved in overdose deaths, the rate of which is on the rise. Prescription opioids were involved in 165,000 deaths between 1999 and 2014. Both sales of prescription drugs and overdose deaths involving opioids have increased fourfold since 1999.

You may have found yourself caught up in a pattern of Vicodin use that evolved into a dependence and you now find yourself preparing to enter treatment. That’s a great choice. You need to know that recovery has a step that precedes formal treatment: detoxification. You need to stop using Vicodin and have it cleared from your system. This will trigger withdrawals and it is in your best interest to seek help from a professional detox program trained to ease or alleviate your withdrawal symptoms.

To find a detox program that can develop and implement a treatment plan specifically designed to meet the needs of your situation, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). Advisors are waiting to give you answers to your questions, discuss funding your detox, and recommend appropriate detox facilities.

Why Did I Become Dependent Upon Vicodin?

End your Vicodin dependence today! Call DetoxCenters.com to get started.

Firstly, it’s the hydrocodone that triggers the dependence and not the acetaminophen. Opioids cause an intense euphoria and a feeling of well-being. Your brain will, over time, come to desire that “reward” for Vicodin use. This will lead you to take more of the medication.

Now that your brain wants more and more of the drug and you are delivering it, tolerance will set in. At this point, your original dose will no longer be satisfactory and you will begin taking larger amounts and/or using more frequently.

The brain will learn to function with Vicodin present and that will become the new normal; it will believe that it needs Vicodin to function normally and you will have to keep using to maintain any sense of well-being. If you stop using, your brain will trigger a negative physical and mental response; this is what withdrawal symptoms are, your body’s way of demanding more.

Withdrawals are what cause people to relapse and continue using. The discomfort can be severe and users will do anything to make it stop.

What Are Vicodin Withdrawals Like?

Withdrawals will vary, but individuals who use larger amounts with greater regularity experience more severe withdrawals. Symptoms will set-in within 15 hours after your final dose. Despite being quite uncomfortable, withdrawal does not generally pose a risk to your life.

Withdrawal for opioids, like Vicodin, occur in two stages.

Early stage:

• Yawning
• Agitation
• Sweating
• Anxiety
• Runny nose
• Muscle aches and pains
• Insomnia
• Increased tearing

Late stage:

• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramping
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Goose pimples
• Dilated pupils

Detox will work to help you through your discomfort and to minimize the pain your experience.

What Can Detox Do for Me?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance may continue for weeks after you stop using. A professional detox will be able to determine whether these mental conditions are the result of withdrawal or an existing psychological condition, something that you won’t be able to do on your own, as you lack the expertise and experience. This will keep your treatment relevant to the actual issues at hand.

You may be given a drug specifically approved to treat opioid addiction, like buprenorphine or methadone. These can limit both withdrawal symptoms and cravings. They can only be prescribed and you can only access them through licensed providers, like professional detox.

You may also be given supplementary medications for secondary symptoms. For example, anti-nausea medication.

If you are interested in attending a professional detox program and want to learn more, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). Don’t wait.