Vicodin is the name brand for a medication combining hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is an opiate used to treat pain while acetaminophen enhances the effect of hydrocodone. Vicodin was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1983. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2008, there were more than 136 million prescriptions for Vicodin and its generic equivalents. Because Vicodin contains opiates, patients may become addicted due to its withdrawal symptoms. Patients may also develop a progressive tolerance, increasing dosages in order to achieve the same effect. The symptoms of Vicodin addiction can vary with each person and are usually dose dependent.
Physical Symptoms
Vicodin addiction can cause several physical symptoms, while medicated and during withdrawal. While medicated, Vicodin can result in an opiate high, giving a sense of well-being, euphoria, high pain tolerance and sedation. Once patients become dependent, the reverse of these effects takes place if the medication is abruptly stopped. According to Dr. Kathleen Bigsby at The Canyon substance abuse center, some of the physical symptoms of withdrawal include nausea, vomiting, bone and muscle pain, agitation, irritation, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, sweating and diarrhea. According to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Text Revised, 4th edition," opioid abuse also includes the continued use of the drug despite physical harm that is caused or made worse by the opioid. This can also include significant liver damage caused by excessive use of acetaminophen. According to Dr. Paul Watkins and associates at the University of North Carolina, acetaminophen combined with opioids can raise liver enzymes up to 44 percent.
Psychological and Behavioral Symptoms
Patients who are addicted to Vicodin may also develop several psychological and behavioral symptoms. According to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Text Revised, 4th edition," opioid dependence involves the loss of control of drug use, or the inability to put a stop to it. Patients may use Vicodin longer than initially planned, or may use a much larger quantity than required for their conditions. The criteria also states that opioid dependence involves an excessive amount of time spent acquiring, buying and using the drug. Patients may plan their whole day around getting more Vicodin and may plan activities around dosing times. Vicodin dependence can also significantly interfere with social, family and work relationships. Someone with a Vicodin addiction may keep their drug problem a secret by avoiding contact with people close to him.
Other Indicators
Addiction to opiates such as Vicodin can also lead to other negative outcomes. Sufferers may become clinically depressed, especially during withdrawal. In the September 2006 issue of "Canadian Family Physician," Dr. Meldon Kahan and associates stated that opiate dependency may include the selling of prescription drugs, prescription forgery, abuse of related illicit drugs, stealing or borrowing drugs from others, obtaining non-medical sources of drugs and injecting oral formulations. In addition, in the August 2007 issue of "BMC Psychiatry," researchers Hege Kornor and Hilmar Nordvik reported several underlying traits of opioid dependency. In their study, participants dependent on opioids showed significantly higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of conscientiousness compared to non-dependent participants. Neuroticism included factors such as anxiety, anger, hostility, self-consciousness, impulsiveness and vulnerability. Conscientiousness was categorized into competence, order, dutifulness, striving for achievement, self-discipline and deliberation.
References
- U.S. Department of Justice: Hydrocodone
- The Canyon: Opiate Addiction Symptoms
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Text Revised, 4th Edition"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
- "Canadian Family Physician"; Misuse of and Dependence on Opioids; Dr. Meldon Kahan et al.; SEptember 2006
- "BMC Psychiatry"; Five-factor Model Personality Traits in Opioid Dependence; Hege Kornor and Hilmar Nordvik; August 2007
