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How long does hydrocodone withdrawal last?
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The short answer
Hydrocodone withdrawal is highly individual — how long it lasts depends on how much was taken, for how long, and on the person’s own physiology. Because it can be difficult and unpredictable, it is managed most safely with medical supervision rather than alone at home.
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The safest & most comfortable hydrocodone detox program
Hydrocodone products are the most commonly misused type of prescription painkillers in the U.S., and in 2017, 6,262 people (2.3 percent of the U.S. population) misused hydrocodone products.1 The American Society of Addiction Medicine also reports about 2 million people have a substance use disorder involving prescription opioids.2
While the majority of people (62.6 percent) say they abuse hydrocodone for pain-relieving purposes, about 13 percent of people who misuse it do so purely to get high.1 The repeated misuse of any prescription drug, including hydrocodone, can quickly lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction, but getting off the drug isn’t so easy.
For those who are addicted, hydrocodone withdrawal can be a major deterrent that keeps them from getting sober. While the thought of enduring hydrocodone withdrawal can be scary, there are ways to ease the discomfort of hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms and achieve long-term sobriety.
In this blog, we’ll discuss how withdrawal works, what kind of hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms you can expect, how long hydrocodone withdrawal lasts, and what you can do to ease the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms.
Side Effects of Hydrocodone Addiction
Hydrocodone is an opiate analgesic and a prescription pain reliever. It’s used in combination with other drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to treat moderate to severe pain or to relieve a cough. When it’s used to treat pain, it binds to opioid receptors throughout the central nervous system and changes the way the body feels and responds to pain.3
When someone abuses hydrocodone by taking a very large dose of it, a rush of dopamine is triggered, and the person experiences feelings of euphoria and what we know as a “high.” These feelings often motivate a person to continue abusing hydrocodone, which can cause addiction.
Common side effects of hydrocodone addiction include:
- Dizziness
- Sleepiness
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Slower heartbeat
- Slowed breathing
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Ringing in the ears
- Blurred vision
- Depression
- Cold, clammy skin
- Muscle weakness4
What is Hydrocodone Withdrawal?
Heavy abuse of hydrocodone over time can cause a person to develop a tolerance. When this happens, the person needs larger doses of hydrocodone to feel its effects and the body has become accustomed to its constant presence.
If a person who addicted to hydrocodone stops taking it or cuts back, their body will need time to recover and catch up. This causes uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms like muscle aches, sweating, anxiety, and abdominal cramping, among others. These symptoms are known as withdrawal.
Even if a person wants to stop using hydrocodone, often times they may feel trapped because the hydrocodone is the only thing that keeps the uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal at bay. Hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms can be mild to severe, depending on the person, their drug abuse history, and several other factors, but any type of opiate detox and withdrawal is best completed under the supervision of a doctor.
How to Ease Hydrocodone Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawaling from any drug can be very hard and dangerous, but there are ways to safely and effectively ease hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms.
The safest way to treat hydrocodone withdrawal is with medication, clinical therapy, and support in a professional environment like a detox center People who complete detox at a hospital generally have very severe symptoms, but a detox center can accommodate people with mild to severe withdrawal symptoms by providing individualized medical and clinical care in a safe environment.
Some common medications that may be used to ease hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms include:
- Methadone - This medication relieves withdrawal symptoms and is also used for opioid maintenance therapy.
- Buprenorphine - This medication can shorten the length of detox and treat withdrawal symptoms. It can also be combined with Naloxone to prevent misuse and dependence.
- Clonidine - This medication helps reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms but is limited, as it does not reduce cravings.
- Naltrexone - This medication can help prevent relapse after detox.6
Many people also complete opioid maintenance therapy to eliminate symptoms of opioid withdrawal and gradually taper down off of opioid drugs completely. However, this isn’t always the best option for everyone who is addicted to hydrocodone.7 For instance, people who have suffered from alcohol or drug use disorders in the past or who struggle with chronic relapse may not be the best candidates for opioid maintenance therapy.
After detox and withdrawal, many people who are recovering from hydrocodone addiction continue their treatment with an inpatient or outpatient rehab program. This next level of addiction treatment provides behavioral therapy to address the contributing factors and root causes of the addictive behavior.
Additional continued care options after detox and withdrawal include:
- Intensive outpatient program
- Sober living program
- Personal monitoring program
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings
If you or a loved one is addicted to hydrocodone, a medical detox program can ease the uncomfortable symptoms of hydrocodone withdrawal so you can rest, heal, and recover. Call Briarwood Detox Center today to learn more about our personalized opioid detox programs, comfortable amenities, and executive detox options in Houston, TX.
References:
Straight answers
Common questions
What happens to your body when you stop taking hydrocodone?
Heavy use of hydrocodone over time causes physical dependence, and stopping produces withdrawal symptoms as the body readjusts. The page below sets out the symptoms the archive records for hydrocodone specifically.
What is the timeline for withdrawal from hydrocodone?
Hydrocodone is a short-acting opioid. Withdrawal from short-acting opioids generally begins 8 to 24 hours after the last dose, is fully developed within one to three days, and runs 7 to 10 days in total. Long-acting opioids take longer at every stage, which is why the drug matters when you are working out what to expect.
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