Lortab is a Schedule II injection drug antidepressant used to treat mild to surgical severe or chronic pain patients. The drug, a mixture of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, is highly addictive and quickly causes dependence.
Most people will automatically believe that the antidepressant in this drug combination poses the most significant risk; nevertheless, acetaminophen is lethal in large and regular doses. According to
Lortab is a Schedule II injection drug antidepressant used to treat mild to surgical severe or chronic pain patients. The drug, a mixture of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, is highly addictive and quickly causes dependence.
Most people will automatically believe that the antidepressant in this drug combination poses the most significant risk; nevertheless, acetaminophen is lethal in large and regular doses. According to Consumer Reports, nearly 80,000 people are treated each year for the symptoms of acetaminophen overdose. When a proper medication is combined with an opioid analgesic, the result is a solid and lethal drug at the wrong dose.
Lortab can help you relieve some of the pain associated with osteoarthritis by keeping the joints, bones and muscles limber. Lortab can be used by patients of all ages, although it usually works best on younger people. If you are planning on using Lortab to treat your osteoarthritis, then there are some things that you should know before you start taking Lortab.
Who Uses it?
Many people who are addicted to Lortab were once patients in pain who took their medicine as recommended. Many people abuse their prescription medications and become physically dependent on them later in life. Lortab is a prescription medication that comes in two separate components: an oral tablet and a cream that you apply to the affected area. It appears females are more likely than males to become dependent on these drugs, and they also seem to suffer from dangerous side effects more often. Your Lortab doctor may recommend that you start taking Lortab daily or reduce the dose so that you do not suffer from complications. According to CBS News, about 18 women died every day from opioid drug overdoses in 2010. Those between the ages of 45 and 54 had the most significant risk of death from a painkiller overdose.
According to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, in 2010, over 210 million prescriptions for opioid drugs like Lortab were written, and that number is only expected to rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number had risen to 259 million just two years later. As a result, many of the people who abuse Lortab do so because they have a prescription for it. Lortab has also been used to treat both infectious and non-infectious shoulder pain. It is used to reduce the inflammation of shoulder muscles.
Prescription opioids are abused more often by young people than by any other group. Reports on Teen Health , in 2012, 24% of teenagers interviewed admitted to using a prescription drug for non-medical purposes. Every year, an increasing number of adolescents and young adults join the drug addiction bandwagon. How Lortab Works Lortab acts by binding to the opioid chemicals in your brain and spinal cord to give your muscles temporary relief from the pain. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, only 4% of people aged 26 and older used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons in 2011, compared to 7% of those aged 12 to 17 and 13% of those aged 18 to 25. Lortab may have serious side effects, however. Some of the side effects include nervousness, drowsiness, dizziness, difficulty breathing, constipation, dry mouth, insomnia, and flu-like symptoms. Lortab must be taken cautiously.
Although the figures aren’t relatively as high as they are for teenagers, older drug users are indeed rising. Lortab is commonly misused and exploited by the elderly, much to the surprise of many. Older people account for a significant proportion of prescriptions written each year. Pregnant women should not use Lortab, people with liver or kidney problems, asthma patients, those taking certain medications such as heart medications or antidepressants, children younger than 12, breastfeeding women, and HIV-positive men. If you are taking other prescription drugs besides Lortab, talk to your doctor about how Lortab may affect your use of those other drugs. One research by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project analyzed patient hospitalization rates for individual drug groups and discovered that opioids were responsible for more hospital stays among the elderly population than any other drug category, accounting for 12.2 percent of all hospital stays.
Who Can Take Lortab is usually recommended as a treatment for muscle pain or stiffness. Lortab is not safe for all ages or for everyone who will take it. Always speak to your doctor before you take Lortab. Lortab may not be suitable for you if you: Are taking other prescription pain medications to treat your pain or condition, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen; You have kidney or liver disease; You have a history of muscle or joint injuries, or if you have diabetes, AIDS or cancer.
How Lortab Is Taken, Lortab is usually taken orally. To help prevent side effects, you should take Lortab precisely as it is recommended. Lortab is best absorbed when it is partially digested. Lortab should never be taken with aspirin or other immune system suppressants such as azathioprine or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Lortab may cause a decrease in muscle mass or an increase in pain if taken with NSAIDs. According to According to Helpguide, the mental disorder affects nearly 37% of all alcoholics and 53% of all opioid abusers., the mental disorder affects nearly 37% of all alcoholics and 53% of all opioid abusers.
Side Effects Lortab has no known side effects, but you should discuss any health changes with your doctor. Lortab may interact with other prescription or over-the-counter medications, and it can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. Lortab should never be combined with any medication that makes you anxious or agitated, and it should not be taken with alcohol. If you have an existing condition or are taking other prescription or over-the-counter medications, you should also avoid driving or operating machinery while taking Lortab. If you are pregnant, you should avoid taking Lortab or taking any other oral medications, including aspirin, blood thinners, birth control pills, asthma medicines, antidepressants, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and steroidal hypoglycemic drugs.
Lortab is sold under different brand names, including Reglan, Lortab, Leurigol, Metronidazole, and Vigabld Plus. Lortab may also be referred to as Latin for “limber”. Lortab side effects are rarely reported. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- difficulty breathing
- fast heart rate
- nausea
- vomiting
- weakness
- dizziness
- depression
- diarrhea
- constipation
- change in appetite
Call your doctor immediately avoid driving or operating machinery while taking Lortab. Symptoms that may occur after Lortab use include excessive sweating, nausea, drowsiness, increased urine output, dry mouth, itching in the mouth, dry skin, flaking or peeling skin, increased thirst, decreased libido, fatigue, muscle soreness or pain, unusual bruising or swelling, and grew or missed menstrual cycles.
How is Lortab Abused?
Lortab, the drug most commonly known as the “happy pill,” has been used to treat a wide range of ailments since it was introduced in the 1960s. The effectiveness of Lortab as an addictive drug was a subject of much debate in the medical community until recent years. Is Lortab safe for long-term use?
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a compulsive disorder that affects both the mind and the body when a person becomes physically dependent on a drug such as Lortab. In 2013, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced that about 22.7 million people were dealing with substance abuse and in need of care. :Most doctors and clinics will prescribe Lortab for pain relief during severe physical conditions such as those that are caused by advanced cancer or digestive problems. In these cases, patients may need a prescription from a doctor that treats the ailment explicitly. The following are some of the signs and symptoms of addiction:
- Increasing tolerance to the substance that necessitates higher doses to achieve the same effect to which the individual has grown accustomed.
- Disengagement from social events and activities that the person used to enjoy engaging in, mainly because he would instead isolate himself and spend his time drinking or doing drugs.
- Continuing to use the substance despite the negative effects it may have had on the individual’s personal life, health and loved ones.
- Attempting to reduce the level and volume of drugs or alcohol consumed and finding it difficult to do so, or failing to achieve those targets regularly.
- Preoccupation with drug abuse habits and unnecessary time spent worrying about using or drinking.
- Continued drug abuse so that the person does not have to deal with withdrawal symptoms.
- Substance abuse causes legal, financial, and interpersonal damage.
The Lows of Lortab
Because of potentially dangerous substance use habits, such as exchanging needles or preparation supplies, those who misuse the drug by IV injection methods face several risks, the most serious of which is developing an infectious disease. According to the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California, San Francisco, injection drug use caused approximately 36% of all AIDS infections and 60% of all hepatitis C infections in the United States.
If you do not suffer from any of these debilitating symptoms and take a higher dose of Lortab for chronic pain, the dosage range you should use will be extended. The medicine is also available without a prescription in the dosages up to 75 grams per dose, which is about double the amount that can be legally sold. The US government approved this lower dose of medicine to treat nausea and vomiting following the consumption of chemotherapy. Even though Lortab has not yet received approval from the FDA for treating cancer, it effectively relieves nausea in patients who undergo chemotherapy.
Furthermore, crushing the ER form of the drug is even riskier than crushing the standard version. Since it must consistently provide sufficient pain relief for an extended period, the ER type is a more concentrated dosage. While it was designed in this manner to discourage substance abusers, those who smash the concentrated tablet run the risk of overdosing while injecting the medication.
A common question asked about Lortab is how it is taken. The lower dose is mainly snorted to achieve the fastest pain relief. The medicine is usually taken three to six times a day, either before breakfast, lunch, or dinner. To reduce the possibility of side effects from taking Lortab, you should check with your doctor first. Some people find it more comfortable to take their medicine in the morning with breakfast than during the day at dinner. Some Lortab users take medicine with grapefruit juice to achieve the quickest results.
A Treatment for Lortab Addiction
If you’re reading this, that means you’re one step closer to a new life in rehab. It begins with a meeting between you and members of the facility of your choice’s workers.
You will then begin the detoxification process. When it comes to opioid detox, you now have a range of recovery choices, including herbal remedies and non-medicated detox, but the majority of patients choose medicated detox.
Because of the medication’s side effects, many patients have been forced to stop taking the medication, which puts them at risk for developing an addiction to this drug. This dangerous addiction has put thousands of patients in counseling and is threatening to put even more people in harm’s way. When the problem becomes acute, addicts face the possibility of losing everything they have worked so hard for, including their families and careers.
The most common type of treatment for Lortab Addiction is inpatient therapy. Inpatient treatment can work very well if the patient is committed to getting help for their problems. However, patients who want the medications will find it extremely difficult to stick with an inpatient treatment plan. In some cases, patients who use Lortab addiction to get through their lives will need outpatient treatment. For this type of treatment, the patient must be committed to not using the medications without consulting their doctor first.
Another standard treatment for Lortab Addiction is a short term rehab clinic or outpatient clinic. In these facilities, the patient will only receive care for the length of time needed to overcome their addiction. This type of treatment can provide much-needed relief for the patient while allowing them to keep their job and continue their daily routines. It is essential to understand, however, that the short-term treatment may not cure the patient completely. Nor will it necessarily rid the patient of the dependency on Lortab. Instead, patients will likely go through a long period of uncomfortable symptoms until they can fully and successfully overcome their addiction.
One type of short term treatment for Lortab Addiction is known as buprenorphine. This drug, also known as Narcan, is a close relative of morphine and has similar bodily results as the original chemical. However, when the patient takes this medication, they will not feel the intense withdrawals that come with most long-term treatments of Lortab. This treatment option allows the patient to wean him or herself from the medication gradually. During this process, patients may experience some side effects such as nausea and diarrhoea. These side effects will subside once the patient begins to wean himself from the Lortab addiction entirely.
Patients who cannot wean themselves from Lortab and are unwilling to withdraw from their medications and at-home treatment for Lortab Addiction may be an alternative. This at-home treatment is similar to the symptom-based treatment approach in that it uses the knowledge of the at-home patient to diagnose symptoms and develop a treatment plan to combat those symptoms. This process of at-home treatment allows the patient to take control of his or her recovery. However, should the patient wish to continue receiving Lortab, they will have to discuss this with a medical professional. Depending on the type of addiction, Lortab may be prescribed under certain conditions to combat the addiction itself.
It is important to remember that no single form of treatment is effective for all patients seeking Lortab addiction treatment. The various at home and hospital treatments are designed to combat the symptoms of the habit. In contrast, other treatment options may be necessary to combat the drug’s physical dependency on the person’s system. Those interested in entering into a treatment program for this type of addiction should consult their medical doctor to determine the best treatment course. Regardless of which treatment option is chosen, patients are sure to find comfort in the fact that they are receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness that was once thought to be untreatable.
Methadone has long been used as one of the main treatment options for opioid addicts. The opioid antagonist works by filling opioid receptors, tricking them into thinking the patient has taken a Lortab dose when she hasn’t. When methadone is used as the recovery drug, the California Society for Addiction Medicine records a 60 to 90 percent success rate.
For getting help in Lortab addiction, call us on 844-899-1532. For your treatment, we are here to provide you with a free consultation.
Ben Lesser is one of the most sought-after experts in health, fitness and medicine. His articles impress with unique research work as well as field-tested skills. He is a freelance medical writer specializing in creating content to improve public awareness of health topics. We are honored to have Ben writing exclusively for Dualdiagnosis.org.