Hydrocodone gained its popularity in 1978 when the Food and Drug Administration approved the
drug Vicodin - a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. It is one of the nation's most
widely prescribed medications and is currently considered by the DEA to be the most abused
prescription drug in the United States. A drug that is most commonly used to relieve moderate
to severe pain, hydrocodone is best known for its ability to cause a state of calm and
euphoria. However, as attractive it may sound, this powerful painkiller has that ability to
cause dependency and even death in unsuspecting users.
Compared to morphine in its pain-killing abilities, hydrocodone can be found in over 200
products in the U.S. with the most common product form being Vocodin. It is also administered
with antihistamines, aspirins and ibuprofen. All of which increase the effects of the
hydrocodone drug, producing an increased ability of the medication to relieve pain and instate
euphoria. Users of the drug have been known to become both physically and psychologically
dependent on its pain relieving power. With side effects ranging from drowsiness to headaches
to depression, the common reactions to the drug are to numerous to list. For an extensive list
of side effects, please visit http://www.drug-addiction.com/hydrocodone_side_effects.htm
The users of hydrocodone are as varied as the products in which is it found. Abusers of the
drug have been found on all social levels, and first-use addiction is common. Often prescribed
for the pain caused by injuries such as broken bones, users that attempt to stop taking
hydrocodone experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those found with other illegal
substances. Noted symptoms of hydrocodone withdrawal have been mostly physical with users
experiencing muscle aches, nausea, irritability, sweating, dilated pupils, runny noses, fevers
and chills within 12 hours of stopped drug use. Mental withdrawal symptoms such as intense drug
cravings and emotional symptoms (irritability and depression) have also been noted.
Because of the overwhelming control hydrocodone has over the brain's ability to rationalize
the drug's importance, treating a hydrocodone addiction is usually done through a combination
of detoxification, medication and counseling. As each patient is different, so much be each
cure for addition. Professional assistance is usually required to effectively treat most
addicted hydrocodone users.
Hydrocodone is structurally related to codeine and is approximately equal in strength to morphine in producing opiate-like effects. The first report that hydrocodone produced a noticeable euphoria and symptoms of addiction was published in 1923; the first report of hydrocodone addiction in the U.S. was published in 1961.
Every age group has been affected by the relative ease of hydrocodone availability and the perceived safety of these products by professionals. Sometimes seen as a "white-collar" addiction, hydrocodone abuse has increased among all ethnic and economic groups. DAWN data demographics suggest that the most likely hydrocodone abuser is a 20-40 yr old, white, female, who uses the drug because she is dependent or trying to commit suicide. However, hydrocodone-related deaths have been reported from every age grouping.
