Vicodin Facts

What You Need to Know

Vicodin is a prescription drug that contains hydrocodone and paracetamol. The medicine is prescribed for severe pain and is commonly recommended by physicians in the US. This prescription drug is considered to be an opioid-based medicine, meaning that it is a derivative of opium, something that is also used to make heroin.

While effective, Vicodin is extremely addictive and also shows withdrawal symptoms. The common roots of the prescription medicine with heroin make it one of the most abused prescription medicines in the United States. The advisory panel for Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the drug be removed from the market due to the likely overdose of this product.

Effects of Vicodin Consumption

The initial effects of this prescription drug include change in heart rate, constipation, nausea and dizziness. As the addiction for the drug advances other effects such as hallucinations, confusion, lightheadedness, sedation and blurred vision also set in.

Vicodin Abuse

It was estimated in 1999 that about 2.6 million Americans were abusing pain killers with Vicodin being the most common. In most cases the abuse does not start on its own. Patients who are prescribed the drug tend to get addicted to the drug and are unwilling to stop medication. Physicians generally tend to identify these symptoms and stop prescribing the medicine. This leads to exaggerating and faking symptoms to get the doctor to prescribe the drug that they have gotten addicted to. Some patients even visit multiple doctors to extract a prescription from them.

The pain that one feels during the withdrawal of the prescription drug itself becomes the most persuasive motivating factor for abuse. If the medication has been stopped, the only way one can really check on whether someone is continuing to abuse the drug is to opt for a Vicodin test.

Vicodin Test

A Vicodin test can be done up to 4 days after the consumption of the drug. A home Vicodin test can easily detect 100 nanograms of the drug per mL. The test actually checks for hydrocodone, which is the active ingredient in the medicine. All that you need to do is to take a urine sample and follow the instructions. The result of the test shall be ready within 5 minutes at an accuracy of 98%.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Once the abuse has been established with the use of a Vicodin test it is necessary that a proper rehabilitation be sought for managing the situation. The withdrawal symptoms of the drug can be extremely difficult to manage without some kind of professional advice and help.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, muscle pain, cold flashes, involuntary leg movement, vomiting and diarrhea, irritability, watery eyes, runny nose, loss of appetite, insomnia and extremely shaky chills.

The addictive nature of the drug almost necessitates that the consumption of this medicine be controlled. If you know that someone in your family has been prescribed this medicine, it is pertinent to be careful and be aware that the drug can be abused very easily. Using a Vicodin test kit at home can help if you suspect anything before consulting the doctor for further help.

You can check out our Vicodin Test / OxyContin Test if you want to test for this drug and put an end to its abuse.

Article by Anne Hamilton