Side Effects of Hydrocodone

While useful, this medication may come with a heavy load. Learn more about the side effects of Hydrocodone

Hydrocodone is the name given to an opioid medication, available legally by prescription, and used to treat and manage severe to chronic pain. Despite the fact that the medication is aimed at helping someone cope with their symptoms, side effects of Hydrocodone are many, and it may lead to dependence or addiction.

More often than not, a person in need of opiate addiction treatment will admit he or she started using the medication for an actual, legitimate medical reason. But, the strength of the drug, added to the pleasurable feelings one may experience after taking it, can lead to serious consequences if mishandled.

The only way to safely overcome a dependency or abuse problem after engaging in an abusive practice, is though opiate detox and rehabilitation.

To understand the concept of how something that is intended to help you, can actually hurt you when abused, let's look at the most common side effects of hydrocodone:

• Slow or stop your breathing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stomach pain and constipation
• Drowsiness
• Flu-like symptoms (stuffed nose, sneezing, sore throat)
• Itching
• Swelling of hands and feet
• Dizziness

Moreover, this opioid is considered to be highly habit-forming, could be lethal when combined with alcohol, and may cause harm to unborn babies when taken by pregnant women.

All these side effects of hydrocodone however, don't seem to stop the abuse of the narcotic. When someone becomes dependent, and falls victim of an abusive pattern, they need opiate addiction treatment in order to get regain sobriety.

Opiate Addiction Treatment

An opiate addiction treatment will have 4 major phases to guarantee your recovery. These phases include:

• Opiate Detox: The process through which your body gets rid of the toxins that come from the drug, and regains its natural chemical balance. In the case of opioids, medical detox is necessary to ease out the withdrawal symptoms that appear during this stage.
• Psychotherapy: The therapeutic phase of rehab, this is where you are able to identify, understand and address the emotional and psychological issues behind your addiction. What could have caused it and/or contributed to it.
• Coping Skills: Learning new coping skills and mechanisms that serve to prevent relapse; the group of activities and habits you adopt to focus on your health and wellbeing, and avoid falling for old triggers.
• Aftercare Plan: This final stage, where you develop your continuous care plan. The set of guidelines, tools and resources you use to seek support, find comfort and reassurance whenever necessary, after you've completed rehab.

While not everyone needs an intensive opiate detox process, if they've taken the medication for a considerate period of time, they may need support in order to deal with their withdrawal symptoms.

This type of support is only available through opiate addiction treatment and counseling at the hands of experts and specialists. It is highly recommended that you never try to abruptly stop taking the medication, because you could actually be putting your life in danger.

Withdrawal symptoms that come from removing an opioid from your system can be extremely uncomfortable, and develop into serious conditions that could last months at a time, or even become dangerous if untreated.

If you are struggling with the side effects of hydrocodone, and you need orientation and treatment their experts are available to help you right now. Call Memphis Drug Treatment Centers (901) 620-0983; speak to one of the counselors who will guide you on the right path to recovery.

Sources:

https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Hydrocodone.pdf

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601006.html