As one of the most frequently prescribed opiate medications, hydrocodone products produce a range of pain-relieving effects that can treat most any type of pain symptom. Some of the more commonly prescribed hydrocodone-based drugs include:

• Lortab
• Lorcet
• Vicodin
• Oncet
• Norco

Hydrocodone’s classification as an opiate drug carries certain risks and dangers, one of which is a potential for overdose.

When abused on an ongoing basis, the risk of overdose looms ever closer to becoming a reality.

For those who survive hydrocodone overdose treatment, the need for treatment help is greater than ever before. In effect, hydrocodone overdose treatment offers a second chance to get it right with no guarantees that the next overdose event will offer the same chance.

How Does Hydrocodone Overdose Happen?

Like most all opiates, when used on a continual basis, hydrocodone’s effects produce diminishing returns, regardless of whether it’s used for pain relief or to get “high.” According to the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the brain naturally develops a tolerance for hydrocodone over time, so a person has to keep increasing his or her dosage amount in order to experience the same desired effects.

Meanwhile, physical dependence and eventual addiction gradually take hold, which only works to increase drug use and speed up the rate at which tolerance levels rise. Since hydrocodone’s pain relieving effects develop out of its ability to slow the brain’s chemical processes, a large enough dosage amount can actually shutdown the brain’s regulatory processes. When this happens, major bodily systems stop working and overdose occurs.

If you’re considering getting addiction treatment help but don’t know where to turn, call our toll-free helpline at 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) .

The High Potential for Relapse After Hydrocodone Overdose Treatment

It’s not uncommon for someone who’s undergone hydrocodone addiction treatment to abstain from drug use for a while, if only because of the scare of having almost died. This period of abstinence places a person at an even higher risk of having another overdose episode if he or she should use again.

In effect, the brain’s tolerance for hydrocodone plummets during periods of non-use. Should a person end up using again, not only have brain tolerance levels dropped, but his or her judgment in terms of how large a dose to take will likely be based on the dosage used prior to overdosing. These make for prime conditions for another overdose event to occur.

The Need for Drug Rehab

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, even in cases where a person overcomes the body’s physical dependence on hydrocodone, the mind’s psychological need for the drug can persist for years thereafter. Under these conditions, a person will likely undergo multiple rounds of hydrocodone overdose treatment, or die, in the absence of needed drug rehab help.

If you or someone you know has gone through hydrocodone overdose treatment and continue to abuse the drug, it’s imperative that you seek immediate treatment help before a bad situation turns worse.

Call our toll-free helpline at 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) to discuss treatment options with one of our addiction counselors.