Hydrocodone: Side Effects
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Hydrocodone Side Effects

 
What are hydrocodone side effects?
This drug is a narcotic that can produce a calm, euphoric state similar to heroin or morphine. This medication is an effective antitussive (anti-cough) agent. It is also an opiate which makes it is an effective analgesic for mild to moderate pain control. Studies indicate that hydrocodone is as effective, or more effective, than codeine for cough suppression and nearly equipotent to morphine for pain relief.
 
 
For example, 5 mg of hydrocodone is equivalent to 30 mg of codeine when administered orally. In the past, comparisons have concluded that hydrocodone and morphine were equivalent for pain. However, it is now considered that a dose of 15 mg (1/4 gr) of hydrocodone is equivalent to 10 mg (1/6 gr) of morphine. Hydrocodone side effects are considered to be morphine-like in all respects.
 
Hydrocodone abuse is on the rise. The common hydrocodone abuser has been shown not to be the inner city youth, but instead a famous actor, a suburban real estate agent, or your next door neighbor. First time abuse of medications containing hydrocodone and oxycodone type painkillers have been surging for years. The two drugs differ slightly in their chemical makeup but have similar hydrocodone side effects on the user’s body.
 
Hydrocodone is the most frequently prescribed opiate in the United States with nearly 130 million prescriptions for hydrocodone-containing products dispensed in 2006. There are several hundred brand name and generic hydrocodone products marketed. All are combination products and the most frequently prescribed combination is hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Vicodin®, Lortab®, Lorcet®).
 
Hydrocodone side effects include drug addiction. Hydrocodone addiction is a growing crisis in the United States. While illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin remain in the headlines many individuals may be surprised to know that hydrocodone addiction could lurk right behind them as one of the most widely-abused drugs of addiction. In fact, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration believes hydrocodone may be the most abused prescription drug in the country. Nationwide, its use has quadrupled in the last ten years, while emergency room visits attributed to hydrocodone abuse soared 500 percent.
 
Hydrocodone diversion and abuse has been escalating in recent years. In 2006, hydrocodone was the most frequently encountered opioid pharmaceutical in drug evidence submitted to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) with 25,136 exhibits; the System to Retrieve Investigational Drug Evidence (STRIDE) analyzed 654 exhibits in 2006. In the 2005 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) combination products were associated with more emergency room visits than any other pharmaceutical opioid with an estimated 51,225 emergency room visits. Poison control data, medical examiners’ reports, and treatment center data all indicate that the abuse of hydrocodone is associated with significant public health risks, including a substantial number of deaths.
 
Hydrocodone Side Effects:
  • anxiety
  • constipation
  • decreased mental & physical performance
  • difficulty breathing
  • difficulty urination
  • dizziness
  • drowsiness
  • dry throat
  • emotional dependence
  • exaggerated feeling of depression
  • exaggerated sense of well-being
  • extreme calm (sedation)
  • fear
  • itching
  • mental clouding
  • mood changes
  • nausea & vomiting rash
  • restlessness
  • sluggishness
  • tightness in chest

Hydrocodone: Side Effects
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