The secret to successfully getting through hydrocodone withdrawal is patience and plenty of ongoing emotional support.
Hydrocodone is a narcotic drug commonly prescribed as a pain killer and cough suppressant. Because it is an opiate so readily dispensed, many individuals become addicted from constant and increasing usage. Stopping all usage causes hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms to occur in as little as six hours. Symptoms vary from individual to individual, but include irritability, depression, fever, chills, sweating, dilated pupils, vomiting and nausea, body aches, sweating, insomnia, the inability to concentrate, diarrhea, heart palpitations and respiratory difficulties. The addict may also exhibit a manic craving for hydrocodone to the exclusion of every other activity. If usage of the drug has been intense, sudden withdrawal from using it can even prove life-threatening.
Getting Through Hydrocodone Withdrawal
Any combination of these symptoms can be scary to undergo while alone, so the hydrocodone withdrawal process is much easier with the understanding and support of a friend or loved one, or the supervision of a medical professional in a recognized treatment program. Symptoms will usually peak within four days of stopping the drug and can last up to 14 days or more.
A wiser approach than going cold turkey to overcome hydrocodone addiction is a withdrawal process called tapering off. This involves using an increasingly smaller amount of the drug over a period of time to allow the body to adjust to the physical changes taking place.
Because the psychological effects of hydrocodone addiction can be just as severe as the physical ones, psychological counseling and emotional support is essential to successful hydrocodone withdrawal. For most patients, the craving for hydrocodone and the euphoria it gives never completely goes away. That is why ongoing participation in out-patient support groups are important even after the patient has gone through the withdrawal phase participating in an in-patient detox program.