will you help me on this question concerning the medication/drug Vicadin?

Question

I know someone who had been addicted to cocaine for about 10 years....was clean for 2-3 years.. and now has admittted she is addicted to vicadins.......she has been off them 8 days. Has entered treatment at a clinic.....I'm curious if those are as bad as being addicted to cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes,.....etc.?
I know they probably aren't as strong as some drugs, but her life has been affected by something lately, how does being addicted to a pain med affect you....how do you act? ...I've seen w/drawal when people haven't had a cigarette....drink....pot....but was curious what you do when you can't get a painkiller....what does it do to a person...when they where maybe not even in pain......what's the addiction to? how hard is it going to be for her to get off them?

Answer 1

Vicadin (generic hydrocodine) is a narcotic like opium, heroin, and cocaine. They mimic neural transmitters in the brain, which produce pleasure. The have two major problems:
A.The high decreases with continued use; so the person has to take more of it to get the same high. Taking higher and higher doses eventually leads to death.
B.B. Addiction to pleasure is very hard to quit. In a research project mice were given the choice to press a button for food, or press a button for direct neural stimulation to their pleasure centers. The mice starved to death after 24 hours. All they wanted was the pleasure, and would rather get the pleasure then eat, even when hungry, even when dying they were dieing of hunger the pleasure was so addictive that they couldn't stop themselves. Luckily we haven’t invented a drug that delivers pure pleasure or addictions would be almost impossible to get over.

That is why narcotics are so dangerous and so addictive. It is going to be a hard battle to recover from the addiction, and unless you are an addict yourself you won't understand just how hard it can be.

Cigarettes are an effective nicotine delivery system and the Tobacco Companies are only making them more and more addictive. Nicotine has another use, in pesticides; so long term use is dangerous. Alcohol is also a poison for the body and too much of it will kill you.

I haven’t had to recover from addiction, I don’t engage in addictive activities or take addictive substances, but I do suffer from depression and I know that if you are saddled with any addiction it is a hard road to recover. I can’t tell you just how addictive each substance is, it varies with the drug and the person. The problem is complicated by a person’s personality some have addictive personalities. Some are thrill seekers that need that adrenaline high. Others are looking for a psychological crutch, in this case depression is the really problem and the drugs give a temporary high to pull them out of it. Many people can fill this need with roller coasters or in a racing car, or just by running fast, but some need a whole lot more—these are those that can be addicted.

The big question is how did your friend get addicted to cocaine. If she took it as a party drug and accelerated from there then she may only have a physical addiction. If she was on it for a while then it may have become a psychological addiction as well, so she is probably suffered from both.

In a physical addiction the body needs the substance. Narcotic abuse falls into this category. As the body takes more of the drug it produces more neurotransmitters that can stimulate the pleasure centers. The body gets used to this and tapers off on how much of similar neurotransmitter it generates and releases. So when you get off a drug like cocaine you become depressed. You will be more depressed then you ever had been, but with the lack of the drug, the body will readjust itself to normal levels, however that feeling of depression is hard to face. Treating it with medications will only develop a dependency on those medications, so their only course is to hang in there, avoid suicide and keep on living. There are other forms of physical addiction, basically the body was getting something from the drug that it needs, and a lack of that can cause serious harm, until the body has time to recover.

With a mental addiction the addicted person feels a need for the drug. This psychological dependency means that they need the drug just to be happy. Most addictions have features of both forms of addiction, making it even harder to quit them.

Being addicted is like being bipolar. You suffer from mood swings. You are up and happy when you have your drug, and without it you get down and depressed. Only the swings start to grow stronger. Instead of a pendulum slowing down, as it would in nature, the pendulum of your mind is increasing. At some point the mind or the body will fail, because it can’t continue to take these huge swings. That’s another way that addictive substances can kill you. When you get off the drug the pendulum swings to the down side and starts to slow, but it never gets to the all the way to the high side again. Eventually the lows and the highs will start to even out, but until then the recovering addict spends most of their time on the down side. The body and brain need time to ramp up their production of endorphins.

The danger of addiction is that it can reoccur so easily. The person is used to getting those massive highs and just like those mice they will do almost anything to get them. This explains why addicts will lie, cheat, kill and murder; they need that high. This isn’t just a strong desire for the drug; this is a “get it or die” type of feeling. If a person who was addicted starts with their addictive substance again then they face a huge chance of falling into their same patterns. If they find another addiction then they will fall into it, because it makes those highs that their previous addiction did. Your friend found this out the hard way. That’s why she became addicted to the pills. The pattern has been set so ALL addictive substances and behaviors have to be closely watched or they will go out of control.

A lot of recovering addicts turn into smokers. They are using one drug to replace the other. Since cigarettes are socially acceptable this behavior is allowed. For these people quitting smoking will be very difficult there previous addictive behavior will just reinforce their new addiction. That’s why alcoholics CAN NEVER drink again. To do so is to start on the road to destruction. They may only take a little or try to avoid the addiction, but the pattern is set and the brain loves to follow patterns. Addiction has become a permanent pattern in their brain and one that is every bit as strong as most of our instincts. To once addictive people expose to even a mildly addictive substance can quickly lead to a new addiction.

As for pain control, I take Tramadol (brand name Ultram). It is a safe non-narcotic drug that handles pain. Since I have chronic pain and have had it since 1989 I need something like this. The problem with narcotics is that they only provide short-term relief. I have taken Vicadan before my last prescription was for 500 mg every 4 hours (I have serious pain issues). The Vicadan doesn’t work well for me and I could probably pop it like candy with no effect. Since I can still get physically addicted to it I don’t take it very often. I have also taken Percodan and Percocet for pain and I have tried the nonsteroidal anti-inflamatories (NSAIDS) I started with Motrin, taking up to 1200mg each day. I have been through a whole string of them, and found them to only be effective for a while. The Ultram has been working for me since 1994 so I trust it. I take about 200 mg every 8 hours. I can go longer than 8 hours without taking the drug so I know that I am not addicted to it, and despite my long history with it Tramadol has been very effective for me.

The strongest pain reliever I have ever found is also the cheapest and the most dangerous; Prednisone. It is a powerful steroid that really stomps out your pain. It can also stomp our your body. It causes dangerous mood swings, spontaneous nosebleeds and other problems including bone necropsy (your bones are dying). The mood swings are as bad as being bipolar and the risk of a temper flare can be really, really dangerous. I know from first hand experience. It is safe to use for a week though.

I am not a doctor but the best way to handle the pain is to start small with something like Motrin. Thanks to my abuse of NSAIDS I now have partial kidney failure, so large doses for a long period are not wise. Each step in pain management has to be a slow and careful one. For really intense pain, and I mean root canal with no novacane pain, you can take a short course of Prednisone. You should start a course of Ultram at the same time, the Prednisone will give the Ultram time to build up to an effective level in your body. But, if the pain isn’t that bad, and few pains are then the Motrin will help a lot and the Ultram will magnify its effect. Aleve is another over the counter medication that helps to relieve pain. Taken in large doses though it can be dangerous.

Science is not sure how NSAIDS actually work, but most of them reduce inflammation that can decrease the pain, especially the pain of an injury. Aspirin works by breaking apart blood platelets, which reduces pressure against the blood vessels around the brain or the injury site so it can help. But, it is dangerous to the stomach and by breaking down blood platelets you cannot clot as easily. A patient taking aspirin should NOT be operated on. Creams and rubs don’t do a lot for pain. They increase the blood flow which will take away fatigue poisons faster so they are good for sports injuries, but the don’t help long-term pain very much. Medications like Ben Gay work by irritating the site where they are applied most do it with a pepper (the same pepper is used in larger concentrations to make mace). This irritation only increases the blood flow it does nothing to help with the actual pain.

I don’t know what kind of pain your friend is suffering from, and her past addictions will only make it worse. I do know, from personal experience, that depression only magnifies pain. If she is in the depression from an addiction produced pendulum swing then she will want to take more of the drug to help the pain, which only increases the chance of being addicted. NSAIDS and Ultram don’t have that problem.

The most effective way to treat pain is with distraction. If you get involved in a project that you really like then enduring pain is much easier, you can forget about it. This is the best way I have found to control my chronic pain. Relaxation techniques can also help. Like NASIDS then can stimulate blood flow, by calming down the pressure put on the blood vessels. They can also help you sleep, and it is crucial to reach a deep sleep for the body to heal properly. Relaxation techniques can also create a state where you can transition beyond the pain, like a runner’s high. Since I never got a runner’s high I can’t tell you just how effective this technique is. I have tried it of course (mainly to help my chronic insomnia), but it is hard to get into a relaxed state when someone is frying your legs and poking you with a few dozen needles. Acupuncture also helps. It can release endorphins to handle the pain at the site of the needle (in most people this is a very mild pain since the needle is so thin). The area that is in pain then has more endorphins to help relieve that pain. I received acupuncture with electro stimulation and it worked for a couple of months. Biofeedback is another good way to treat the pain. If you can reach a state where you can stimulate your body’s production of endorphins on your own then you can handle the pain. However, to get biofeedback to work you need to enter a relaxed state, which is very difficult for me to do.

I only know a little about addiction. I have never been addicted, mainly because the drugs I used were is such low dosages that they weren’t able to dampen the pain as much. As I continued my use of narcotics the helpful effect diminished so I stopped taking them before they became a problem. As you can imagine I am a master at handling pain though. It is not easy to really tell someone how much pain I am in, but I am immune to hunger pains, the pain you get after a moving a limb that feel asleep, and I can make the pain of exposed nerve endings in teeth fade into the background. I have also been cut or burned on several occasions without even knowing how I injured myself. So if your friend has continuing pain issues I can provide some help. You can contact me via my avatar for a private conversation.

Answer 2

Your friend appears to have an addictive personality. I can tell you from experience that Vicodin is no where near as addictive as cocaine or some other drugs, however the individuals personality and and predisposition to becoming addicted to a chemical ultimately determines how they react when they don't get it and how hard it will be to "get clean". I don't know the amount of Vicodin that your friend has been taking, I take them for chronic pain when it flares up. It does give me a relaxed slightly euphoric feeling and definate relief from the pain but I have never felt like I had to have more and more when the pain subsides, unlike the desire to continue consuming cocaine once started and the crash afterwards. The only side effect I have noticed is a slight grouchiness that lasts about 12-24 hours after stopping. Again this perons personality and recent stresses and the desire to stop will determine this persons success in quitting

Answer 3

Vicodin is an addictive medication. Many people start with 1-2 pills every 4 hrs. and end up taking 6-12 every 4 hrs. Soon all they do is work to buy pills on the black market. I know about this from people who are drug addicts. It will be difficult to get off them. A person needs to go into a rehab for help. They go thru the same withdrawals like sweating, trembling, feeling cold, cursing, wanting the medication. It is very hard. I know because I have an aunt who is going thru this right now... a person needs to be tapered off the meds and I think a person would need professional help and someone to watch over them while they get off...good luck to your friend.

Answer 4

Vicodin is a prescription medication that contains acetaminophen (the ingredient in Tylenol) and hydrocodone, a narcotic. If she has been off them for 8 days she is already past the physical withdrawal symptoms. There is much more to addiction than the physical aspect and the more difficult part is why she is still in treatment.
If you plan on being involved in her life I would encourage you to attend Nar-Anon which is a support group of family and friends whose lives have been affected by an addict. There you will be able to get answers to your questions from people who have been through what you are experiencing.

Answer 5

I am in chronic pain and have tried pain management but they said they couldn't help because of the vast area of the pain. I have been on prescribed Vicodin for several years. I take myself off occasionally to keep from becoming immune to the pain killing effect. I have taken them for as long as one straight year and went off for two or three months. I have had no adverse effects or with drawl except having to live with the pain. Some people just have more addictive personalities than others.

Answer 6

for some it is hard to break. it makes you high or gives you a very sleepy affect. if she has done eight days that is good it takes time and will power. it relaxes you really to where you just go to sleep. i wasnt in pain i just wanted to rest cause i had sleeping issues. but when i found that when i ran out and i was asking who had some or and finding myself going back to the doctor saying i was in pain just to get some then i knew i had a problem and had to resort in other means to go to sleep. i now tell the doctors not to prescribe them to me cause they are too addictive to me.

Answer 7

I dont know a whole lot about w/drawal from pain killers....but I do know that one visual side effect of being ON them is yellow rings around the eyes.