Hydrocodone is a potentially habit forming opiate used for pain relief. It acts on opiate receptors in the brain to provide moderate to severe pain relief. Doctors often prescribe hydrocodone in combination with acetaminophen, marketed as Norco, Lortab and Vicodin. People who take hydrocodone for an extended period of time or at high doses risk developing a physical dependency. This is when the body comes to rely on the medication and no longer responds to the prescribed dose. Once a person builds up a tolerance, they require more and more of the drug to achieve pain relief. Many people escalate use at this point and it’s easy for an addiction to develop. This is when people feel physically and/or psychologically pressured to keep using the drug despite increasingly negative consequences. At this point, getting off hydrocodone is difficult without professional medical support.
Some Options to Treat Hydrocodone Dependency May Be Ineffective
In order to get off opiates, some people may try to quit cold turkey which is always a bad idea, especially if use has been long-term. This can result in seizures and other life threatening complications. Some people have been successful with gradually tapering their use of the drug. This can take a long time and some people find it difficult to fully wean from hydrocodone. Many detox and rehab facilities offer opiate replacement therapy with Suboxone or methadone. This approach to replacement therapy was originally intended to keep heroin “addicts” from resorting to crime to get their fix.
This is now a mainstream approach to opiate addiction but has its own problems. These drugs are opiates too, meaning they may also cause a dependency and require another detox. Replacing one addiction with another is not the goal of Waismann Method’s opiate detox. We aim to treat opiate dependency once and for all, in a safe and humane manner.
Hydrocodone Detox Can Be Safe, Quick and Effective
The dangers of hydrocodone withdrawal necessitate a medically supervised detox. Opiate withdrawal can be very painful, even dangerous. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body shakes, insomnia, extreme agitation, strong drug cravings and sweating. Waismann Institute offers rapid opiate detox that is safe, effective and manages withdrawal to ensure comfort. We use intravenous and oral medications to eliminate the physical addiction to hydrocodone in less than two hours. Patients are sedated during the procedure and aren’t consciously aware that an accelerated withdrawal takes place during this time. This allows them to have a comfortable and dignified recovery. After 2 to 4 days in the hospital, staff transfer patients to our private aftercare facility, Domus Retreat. While there, guests receive around-the-clock care and staff emphasize holistic and therapeutic treatments.
