Vicodin addiction has been in the news in recent years. Radio personality Rush Limbaugh admitted to misusing this drug. But what is vicodin, and what kind of addition does it produce?
Vicodin is a powerful painkiller. It consists of acetaminophen, which most people know as Tylenol, and hydrocodone, an opium-based cough suppressant. The acetaminophen stops pain-causing prostoglandins and the hydrocodone binds to pain receptors to block pain.
Most people who become addicted start by using after an accident or surgery. But because vicodin is an opiate, its use can easily result in an vicodin addiction similar to heroin. Patients quickly build up a tolerance, and require more of the drug. This is especially true for people who develop chronic pain. This is sometimes called accidental addiction, since the person did not intent to take vicodin for recreational use.
Once a person has developed the addiction, he will keep taking the drug to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal. These symptoms are very unpleasant. They include pain, cold sweats, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, panic attacks, and depression. Continued use of vicodin leads to more tolerance and the need for larger doses. A vicious cycle develops that is very difficult to break.
Besides the debilitating effects of the addiction, people can go to the length of breaking the law to get vicodin. Many lives have been ruined this way.
The only treatment for this vicodin addiction is to go through withdrawal. Some people try to do this on their own, but few succeed. The symptoms of withdrawal are too unbearable. The better alternative is to go to a rehab facility, where patients can be monitored by medical professionals. Some addicts can stop cold turkey. But others may take up to thirty or more pills a day, and have to cut down gradually.
Vicodin is a double-edged sword, that can alleviate and also cause pain.
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