Tabular array of Contents

How Hydrocodone Works
How Long Hydrocodone Lasts
Treatment

Hydrocodone is the most unremarkably prescribed opioid in the United States and is continued to unprecedented levels of abuse. It is virtually commonly used for treatment of chronic pain, and is prescribed every bit Lortab or Vicodin.

Hydrocodone acts by activating opioid receptors, which inhibits your brain cells from sending out sure chemical signals. This disables the reception of feelings of pain and affects the reward center of the brain resulting in feelings of euphoria, reduced stress, drowsiness, and numbness, in addition to the pain relief. How long Hydrocodone stays in your system volition depend on a number of factors and varies from person to person.

How Hydrocodone Works

Hydrocodone is prescribed to exist taken by mouth, and therefore must pass through the digestive system before y'all will experience its effects. Normally, it takes about an hour to feel symptom relief. The dosage reaches peak concentration roughly i.three hours afterwards it is taken. For people who take developed a tolerance of the drug, it may take longer to feel relief, or the effect of ane dose may not be as strong. With repeated use, the brain changes how it functions in order to accommodate the drug, and eventually it can no longer function properly without it. At this point, withdrawal symptoms will occur when you lot stop taking the drug. Withdrawal symptoms indicate that your trunk has developed a dependence on the drug. Dependence is when your body cannot function properly without the drug.

How Long Hydrocodone Lasts

The life of a drug is measured by its one-half-life, or how long information technology takes the torso to metabolize half of the drug. For a standard 10mg dose of hydrocodone, the half-life is around four hours, meaning that information technology takes roughly four hours for the torso to procedure and eliminate half the hydrocodone. It takes several half-lives to fully eliminate the drug, but generally one dose of hydrocodone should be gone within 24 hours. You will stop feeling the effects of the hydrocodone before it fully leaves your trunk. Withdrawal symptoms usually brainstorm anywhere from 6-12 hours afterward the dose has been taken. Dosage, frequency of employ, and bodily heath all play a role in the timeline and the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms are more often than not flu like symptoms, including: musculus aches, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, chills and sweats, irregular eye charge per unit, difficulty concentrating, irritability, headaches, fatigue. Symptoms tin also be more severe such as seizures or spikes in blood force per unit area. It is important to be nether supervised medical intendance when coming off of hydrocodone. The process can be stressful and uncomfortable, or even painful, for someone who has developed a dependence on or habit to hydrocodone. Medically supervised detox is recommended, and inpatient or outpatient treatment for hydrocodone addiction should also be used. Withdrawal symptoms more often than not begin to meliorate within 72 hours, and are significantly better within ane week.

How long hydrocodone stays in your system varies from person to person. Below are several key factors that determine how fast a person'due south body will eliminate the hydrocodone:

  1. Typically, the younger a person is, the faster they will be able to eliminate toxins because they accept healthier and better performance organ arrangement and metabolism. The faster a person'south metabolism is, the faster they will go through foods, drinks, and drugs. A slow metabolism will wearisome a person's ability to clear the drugs from the torso.
  2. Body composition, including body fatty content and weight. Dosage of hydrocodone is relative to height and weight. A body that has too much hydrocodone in its organisation for the person'due south body composition will take longer to fully eliminate the hydrocodone.
  3. Genetics play a role in how a person processes and reacts to hydrocodone. They are also a factor in a person'due south predisposition to addiction.
  4. Function of the kidney and liver. These are key organs for processing and eliminating anything from the body, including drugs. Whatever harm to or bug with either organ will make the elimination process take longer.
  5. Frequency of use. A person who has been using for months or years is going to take longer to eliminate the drug from their system when compared with a person who has just taken one or two doses.

It is helpful to know that hydrocodone can exist detected by a blood test for up to 24 hours, by a urine test for up to 4 days, and by a hair follicle drug exam for upward to 90 days.

Although hydrocodone is a very constructive pain relief medication, it is also a highly addictive substance. It should be taken with specific care to your medico's instructions and according to the prescribed schedule so that the drug can work fully and optimally without undesired negative side furnishings. Open and abiding communication with your physician is crucial while taking hydrocodone.

Treatment

It is important to get the correct treatment. As mentioned above, it is highly recommended to seek out medically-assisted detox , in-patient, or out-patient treatment. At New Choices, we offer all of these options, with specialists who volition look at your specific situation to provide customized care .

Related: Opioid Addiction Handling