Vicodin is an opiod pain reliever that is commonly prescribed for chronic pain or for pain after surgery. It is highly addictive. In fact, more than 12 million people in the U.S. are addicted to Vicodin and other opiod pain relievers like it. Being on Vicodin can make you listless and unmotivated, and you become focused only on getting more of it. Much drug-related crime is attributed to addiction to Vicodin and similar drugs. It is necessary for the addict to go through a Vicodin detox and rehab to regain a normal life.
Symptoms of Withdrawal During Vicodin Detox
The hardest part of Vicodin rehab is detox. This is getting the drug completely out of the addict’s system so healing can begin. Because the body has become dependent on Vicodin, the Vicodin detox symptoms can be unpleasant. That is why Vicodin detox is best done in an inpatient rehab facility under medical supervision.
Some of the symptoms of Vicodin withdrawal include:
- Muscle aches
- Symptoms similar to hay fever
- Abdominal cramps
- Lots of sweating
- Tremors and shaking
- Paranoia and hallucinations
The Importance of Inpatient Care During Vicodin Detox
While the symptoms of Vicodin detox can be unpleasant, most people get through them without any ill effects if they go through it with medical assistance in an inpatient facility. There are doctors available in an inpatient facility who can administer non-addictive medications that will help relieve the symptoms of the detox.
Sometimes, though, the symptoms can be especially severe, and even life-threatening in some cases of severe and long-term addictions. Doing the detox in an inpatient facility is really a necessity in order to ensure the addict gets through the detox safely. While there is no painless detox, doing it in a medical facility makes it much easier.
Medications Used to Ease Detox from Vicodin
There are several medications used to make Vicodin detox easier, but they are only available at rehab facilities that specialize in prescription medication addition treatment. These medications include:
- Librium–Eases tension and shaking
- Chloral hydrate–To help facilitate sleeping during detox
- Clonidine–To lower blood pressure and assist in relaxation during detox
- Trazadone–Also to assist with sleeping, and a non-addictive way to relieve pain associated with detox
If you or a loved one is addicted to Vicodin, getting them inpatient rehab treatment is the only way to ensure they get the medications to assist them in getting through it. It is also the safest way to do a Vicodin detox, and the best way of ensuring their addiction becomes a thing of the past, without them returning to it. Effective Vicodin rehab must be done in an inpatent facility.