Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed. Your doctor can explain the consequences of mixing painkillers and alcohol. Then you can present this information to your teens so they might be less likely to simultaneously use these substances.
Treatment for Hydrocodone and Alcohol
Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up. But combining the prescription opioid hydrocodone with alcohol can produce a range of health effects, from drowsiness to severe liver problems. In some cases, drinking while using the medication can lead to death.
Overdosing on Opioids and Alcohol
Other outcomes from mixing opioids with alcohol silexan vs xanax include extreme sedation, confusion and sleepiness. Any prolonged use will cause severe liver damage, as both alcohol and opioids are processed in the liver. Continued use will also cause reoccurring stress to the lungs and long-term damage. As mentioned above, the hydrocodone found in Vicodin is an opioid, which is classified as a depressant. It’s generally prescribed for moderate to severe short-term pain.
As a result, effects of the opioid can be heightened, leading to possible toxicity. Because hydrocodone is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, when it is mixed with other substances that have similar mechanisms of action on the CNS, the risk for overdose is compounded. The FDA has issued its strongest warning, stating that the combination of benzodiazepines and opioids can cause dramatic breathing difficulties and even death. Hydrocodone is a potent drug with many potential side effects, even when it is taken as directed. Opioids are considered extremely habit-forming and have a high rate of diversion and abuse, which can lead to fatal overdose, drug dependence, and addiction.
Support Your Recovery
First, Vicodin and other hydrocodone-based prescription drugs are highly addictive, in part because of their potency. The effects of opioid drugs on a person’s neurochemistry are extremely powerful. But prescription painkillers are also dangerous because people may let their guard down in regard to the dangers when these medications are prescribed by a trusted doctor or healthcare provider. People can unwittingly become dependent or addicted to painkillers very quickly. With Vicodin or hydrocodone, the opioid depresses or slows the brain’s functioning which results in slower breathing and heart rate.
Polydrug abuse, especially involving two depressants like hydrocodone and alcohol, is extremely dangerous. The risk of a fatal overdose is much higher when drugs are combined to get high. If a person struggles with alcohol abuse, opioid addiction, or both, they need medically supervised detox and evidence-based rehabilitation to overcome these dangerous conditions.
Your doctor will order certain what are whippets? lab tests to check your body’s response to hydrocodone. Swallow the extended-release capsules or extended-release tablets one at a time with plenty of water. Swallow each capsule or tablet as soon as you put it in your mouth. Do not presoak, wet, or lick the extended-release tablets before you put them in your mouth.
Follow the directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides. Never use hydrocodone in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Tell your doctor if you feel an increased urge to take more of this medicine.
The mother said her children had never before been in trouble for drinking or using drugs. If your loved one experiences breathing problems after combining hydrocodone and alcohol, call 911 immediately. Emergency workers may be able to prevent an overdose from resulting in long-term health complications. The CDC and many other science organizations believe that the steep rise of prescription narcotics fed the epidemic of addiction and overdose. While many people now abuse street opioids like heroin and illicit fentanyl, most report beginning their substance abuse when they received a prescription for hydrocodone or oxycodone from their doctor.
- Continued use will also cause reoccurring stress to the lungs and long-term damage.
- It’s imperative that you seek medically assisted treatment to fully detox from these substances and cope with the withdrawal symptoms.
- Call The Recovery Village today to talk with a representative about your options for treatment and start on the path to drug-free living.
- The extended-release capsule is usually taken once every 12 hours.
Be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor on a regular basis so that you do not run out of hydrocodone if your doctor wants you to continue taking this medication. If you continue to have pain after you finish your hydrocodone prescription, call your doctor. Skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take more than one dose of hydrocodone extended-release capsules in 12 hours or extended-release tablets in 24 hours. This monograph only includes information about the use of hydrocodone alone.
Fatal side effects can occur if you use opioid medicine with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing. If any warning signs are present, what happens if i report a drug dealer to the police loved ones should reach out to professionals for help. Licensed addiction specialists can address your specific concerns and identify options. Professionals can also arrange treatment and continuing care to pursue a healthy recovery from addiction to Vicodin, alcohol, opioids or opiates, or any other drug. In addition to the physical, flu-like symptoms someone experiences during the withdrawal period, there are other warning signs that indicate a dependence on prescription painkillers or other drugs.
What Are the Side Effects of Hydrocodone and Alcohol?
Consuming a single Vicodin pill with a small amount of alcohol can result in respiratory depression. A 2017 study published in the journal Anesthesiology found that mixing painkillers and ethanol, the intoxicating ingredient in alcohol, can cause dangerous breathing problems. Alcohol increases the effects of opioids on the central nervous system, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
