The need for hydrocodone addiction treatment centers is real and vital. In fact, you can’t turn on a television talk show without hearing some mention of opiate addiction spreading throughout the country. Narconon International tells us that over five million people abuse pain pills each year. If you’re addicted to hydrocodone, you are not alone and there is help available.
What Is Hydrocodone?
Hydrocodone is a synthetic opioid medication. That means that it comes from opium, but it’s manufactured—not an organic byproduct. It’s artificially produced from codeine, which itself is one of the chemical compounds found in the poppy plant. Hydrocodone appeared first on the market in Germany, way back in the 1920s. The United States’ Food and Drug Administration did not approve it until 1943, and it was introduced to Americans as Hycodan, a cough syrup—and a less popular tablet—which is no longer on the market. Years before the need for hydrocodone addiction treatment centers skyrocketed, the drug was categorized as either Schedule II or Schedule III, according to its strength and added ingredients. However, In October 2014, the FDA reclassified all forms and strengths of hydrocodone to Schedule II. That puts it among the most tightly controlled drugs on the market, which tells you just how dangerous it can be if not taken as prescribed.
The Number One Prescribed Drug
According to IMS Health, an information management firm that has divisions servicing different industries, hydrocodone is the number one prescribed drug in the country. That includes all types of prescription medications such as those for high cholesterol, thyroid disease, heart and blood pressure problems, and even the prescription strength version of Ibuprofen. Hydrocodone surpasses all other prescriptions by a significant amount: In this country, for every 131 prescriptions written, only 94 were written for the number two prescription drug—Simvastatin, used for high cholesterol. Even oxycodone was way down on the list holding the number 21 spot. It’s no wonder that we have such a need for hydrocodone addiction treatment centers.
Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment Centers and Symptoms
If your doctor started you on the road to hydrocodone addiction by prescribing Vicodin, Lortab, or another of hydrocodone’s many formulations, you may be experiencing symptoms related to tolerance. Tolerance occurs when you no longer benefit from taking the medication. You have pain from an accident or injury, and the dose prescribed by your doctor no longer helps it. Common symptoms from hydrocodone include anxiety, drowsiness, fatigue, and constipation. You may have headaches or feel some nausea. Other people find, instead of being drowsy, that they cannot sleep. Some complain of itchiness. If you can’t stop using hydrocodone, the symptoms above will worsen, and you can also expect some diarrhea, sweating, shivering, and even vomiting. You may find that your heartbeat speeds up so much that you’re fearful. Constipation can lead to bowel obstruction. And through it all, you cannot stop craving it. That’s when it’s time to go to one of the area’s hydrocodone addiction treatment centers. Treatment centers can help you stop using hydrocodone with the use of methadone or Suboxone therapy. Instead of requiring multiple doses of your hydrocodone medication throughout the day—and discovering that you need more and more of the drug—methadone can relieve your withdrawal symptoms with just one daily dose. The staff at hydrocodone addiction treatment centers will not be shocked to learn that you’re stealing your medication from a family member or that you go to more than one doctor to get the pills you need. They’ve heard it all! They can also help you if you’re taking other drugs or drinking when you take your pain medication. If you don’t get help, you could make the mistake of turning to heroin when you can no longer get hydrocodone—one of the most dangerous things you could ever do. While you’re in the methadone program, your counselor will help you talk about the reasons why you began using and then abusing hydrocodone and steer you back to a normal life. You don’t need to abstain from the drugs before you go to a methadone clinic; in fact, you should be feeling some withdrawal symptoms when you go for your first dose. Call one of the local hydrocodone addiction treatment programs that offer methadone and get all the facts. Only you can make that call!
