Hydrocodone Addiction

Do you feel anxious about getting your prescription filled before it runs out? Do you need to take more pills than before to achieve the effect you desire? Do you get your prescriptions from many doctors? Perhaps you are, like many others, a sufferer of a drug addiction. One of the most common addictions in the American society today is a relatively unheard of drug called hydrocodone. So, why haven't you heard of it before? Because, pure hydrocodone is seldom sold on its own.

Why is hydrocodone addiction so common?

Evidence shows that hydrocodone addiction is increasing amongst habitual users in the United States. Perhaps one of the most important factors causing this alarming rise is the fact that hydrocodone is consumed with drugs whose use and distribution is not as severely restricted. Pure hydrocodone is classified as a Schedule II substance, whereas when it is mixed with other non-narcotic ingredients to create other medicines, it is classified as a Schedule III drug. Schedule III drugs, such as Vicodin and Lortab, which contain hydrocodone, are not as strictly restricted as pure hydrocodone would be if it was sold as is. Thus its easy availability becomes one of the root causes for its devastating addiction. The lack of regulation makes these drugs susceptible to misuse and addiction.

Painkillers containing hydrocodone are available in tablet, capsule and syrup forms. Chief sources of hydrocodone's easy availability can be traced to forged prescriptions, large scale thefts at pharmacies and deviations by unprincipled pharmacists from ethical medical standards.

Treating Hydrocodone Addiction

The good news is that hydrocodone addiction is definitely treatable. Methods for treating hydrocodone drug addicts are similar to treatment given to heroin addicts. In most cases long-term abuse of the drug changes the brain in a fundamental manner in that the drug starts controlling the brain's role in establishing pleasure and motivational hierarchy. The drug effectively moves itself to the highest priority in the person's motivational hierarchy, superseding all other drives. Thus a person feels compelled to use the drug to derive pleasure and this slowly leads to a persistent addiction. It is in this state that people may start pretending to be ill to obtain prescriptions, steal from pharmacies and even go "doctor shopping". So, much so that it may become impossible to quit the drug on one's own accord and the person may have to resort to undergoing treatment to get cured.

Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options to treat hydrocodone addiction and to help mange the withdrawal symptoms associated with the treatment. These options include medications, such as methadone, levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol (LAAM), and counseling. Usually, a patient is detoxified prior to any treatment for hydrocodone addiction. This, although not a treatment in itself, can help to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms while the patient learns to live a drug free life.