If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately. This means that a patient can overdose, build up a tolerance, and become dependent on it, along with many other side effects. In the case of Vicodin, one can sustain serious damage to the liver and overdose on small amounts of the drug. Patients that take this medication and strictly observe the doctor’s consumption guidelines should not experience side effects.

Recovery Advocacy

This will often lead to a person taking more of the drug to get the same effect, which can lead to dependence on the drug. When a person needs Vicodin to vicodin addiction feel normal, they have become dependent on it. Since Vicodin is used for pain relief, you may ask yourself, “Why do you get addicted to Vicodin? ” Vicodin can be additive because in addition to its pain-relieving effects it also can cause a euphoric or high feeling.

• Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for people to start buying opioids illegally or using illicit opioids, such as heroin, if they can no longer obtain a prescription from their doctor.
• Whether genetic, psychological, or environmental, there is always an underlying issue for addiction.
• While Vicodin withdrawal can be unpleasant, there are things you can do to help relieve many of your symptoms.
• This medication is designed to treat individuals with severe, chronic pain who are opioid tolerant and have not found relief with alternate treatment options.
• Vicodin withdrawals can be intense and painful, and many people will continue using Vicodin just to avoid them.
• Since Vicodin contains acetaminophen, mixing Vicodin with alcohol significantly increases the risk of liver failure.

Effects of Vicodin Abuse

As discussed above, it is best to engage in a medically assisted withdrawal program instead of quitting cold turkey. While withdrawal is not physically dangerous, people undergoing the emotional strain of withdrawal are at risk for medical complications, self-harm, or relapse. Hydrocodone abuse and dependence results in a number of consequences, including issues with controlling drug use, personal relationships, and fulfilling certain responsibilities. Help prevent opioid misuse in your family and community by storing opioid medicines securely while you use them. In the U.S., find the closest Controlled Substance Public Disposal Locations on a website the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains. Or contact your local law enforcement agency or your trash and recycling service for information about local medicine takeback programs.

Side Effects and Precautions

Vicodin addiction accounts for nearly half of the number, with two million individuals who are physically or psychologically dependent on the medication. Once a physical dependence on Vicodin develops, addiction becomes more likely. Vicodin withdrawals can be intense and painful, and many people will continue using Vicodin just to avoid them. Do not share your pills with others because this can cause them to experience an overdose or develop addiction.

• Even if you don’t experience vomiting, nausea can be very uncomfortable.
• Though the side effects of Vicodin withdrawal are uncomfortable, they are not lethal.
• Many people who used the medication only therapeutically and as prescribed, sometimes do not even realize they are experiencing withdrawals.
• The signs of a Vicodin overdose related to acetaminophen can include dark urine or trouble urinating, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and ultimately it can lead to liver failure.

Because of the way addiction manipulates the mind, it is likely that your loved one may not confess to you that they have a Vicodin addiction. It may be clear to you at this point why Vicodin addiction is achievable. The euphoria is a leading factor in the list of reasons why people feel the need to revisit Vicodin. Whether genetic, psychological, or environmental, there is always an underlying issue for addiction.