Vicodin Addiction, Abuse, and Symptoms

How Vicodin affects the brain

Experts from the National Institute of Drug Abuse explain that Vicodin and other opioids affect the nerve cells in the brain. When an individual takes Vicodin, the amount of dopamine in the brain increases, producing a pleasurable sensation. The extra dopamine affects the brain’s reward center, which makes some individuals continue taking Vicodin so they can keep experiencing a “high” or a sense of euphoria.

Vicodin affects several parts of the brain, including the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. The basal ganglia are an important part of the brain’s reward center. They reinforce certain behaviors that are considered pleasurable to humans, such as eating and socializing with other people. When an individual first starts using Vicodin, it does not take much of the substance to produce a euphoric sensation. Over time, however, the basal ganglia get used to the effects of Vicodin. As a result, more Vicodin is needed to produce the same pleasurable effects. The prefrontal cortex is involved in impulse control. In people who misuse Vicodin, it becomes difficult to control impulsive behavior. Some individuals develop a compulsive need to take Vicodin and other substances.

Behavioral signs of Vicodin usage and abuse

It’s not always apparent when someone starts misusing Vicodin, but some behavioral changes are likely to occur over time, signaling to others that the individual has a problem with substance abuse. Some people engage in doctor shopping, which is the practice of visiting multiple health care professionals to obtain additional Vicodin prescriptions.

Users may also engage in drug-seeking behavior when they visit their doctors. Drug-seeking behavior is an attempt to manipulate a prescriber into giving out a prescription for Vicodin even if it’s not warranted by the individual’s condition. Users who engage in these behaviors may exaggerate their symptoms or state that other, less addictive medications do not control their pain. If these tactics don’t work, someone who abuses Vicodin may start to engage in criminal behaviors such as forging prescriptions or stealing Vicodin and other opioids from friends and family members.

Individuals who abuse Vicodin may also engage in deceptive behaviors to cover up the fact that they are using Vicodin or to prevent other people from finding out how much Vicodin they are taking. For example, some users hide Vicodin in their cars to prevent family members from finding it in their homes. When people misuse Vicodin, they may also engage in risky behaviors or start neglecting their responsibilities. Adolescent users may skip school or start getting bad grades. Adult users may miss work, have trouble arriving to work on time, or start having performance problems.

How Vicodin affects the body

Vicodin is classified as an opioid, a type of drug that works on the opioid receptors in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. When Vicodin attaches to opioid receptors, it blocks pain signals, relaxing the body and relieving pain caused by surgery, serious injuries, and chronic illnesses. Because Vicodin contains acetaminophen, taking too much of it can have serious effects on the liver, with some people experiencing liver failure as a result of Vicodin abuse. In some individuals, long-term Vicodin use may even cause seizures, irregular heartbeat, fainting, and changes in heart rate.

Early physical effects of Vicodin

Due to its short half-life, Vicodin typically starts producing physical effects within 20 minutes of taking a dose. Some of the early physical effects of this substance are unpleasant. In users who take other medications or have a history of chronic health conditions, these effects can even be dangerous.

Severe and long-term physical effects of Vicodin

Acetaminophen is hepatotoxic when used for longer than recommended or in larger doses than recommended, which means that it can destroy liver cells. As a result, long-term use of Vicodin and other hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) is associated with an increased risk of liver damage.

Vicodin can affect the heart and respiratory system, making Vicodin misuse especially dangerous for people who have medical conditions involving the heart and lungs. In one study, researchers found that people taking opioids like Vicodin were much more likely to die within six months of starting the medication than people who were taking other types of medications to relieve pain. Because Vicodin slows a person’s breathing rate, it can worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea, increasing the risk for heart attack and sudden death.

The harmful physical effects of Vicodin are even more pronounced when the substance is combined with alcohol. Like alcohol, Vicodin depresses the user’s central nervous system, which slows down breathing and heart rate. When both substances are taken together, the user’s breathing rate and heart rate may get even slower, increasing the risk for sudden death. Vicodin is also dangerous when combined with illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin, especially in people with a history of chronic heart and lung conditions.

Rates of opioid use have skyrocketed, especially in the United States

The International Narcotics Control Board reports that the United States had more than 47,000 daily doses of opioid medications available for every one million people between 2013 and 2015. Germany had just over 30,000 daily doses per one million people between 2013 and 2015. Japan, which ranked third on the list of most populous countries, only had 1,220 daily doses per one million people.

The use of Vicodin and other opioids is also fairly common in Australia and New Zealand. According to the 2019 World Drug Report, approximately 3.3% of the adult population in this region uses prescription opioids such as hydrocodone, tramadol, codeine, and oxycodone. Although Asia has a prevalence rate of only 1%, it also has a large population, which means that more than half of all global users of opioids reside in an Asian country. In Asia, the prevalence rate of opioid use varies by region. South-West Asia and the Middle East have the highest rates of opioid use at 2.3% of the population.

One of the reasons why Vicodin use has been increasing is because hydrocodone is sometimes used in place of medications with a higher potential for abuse and addiction. According to the 2019 World Drug Report, there has been a 300% increase in the amount of hydrocodone available for consumption. Some of the increase has been attributed to the need for pain relievers that can be substituted for other drugs.

Although there was a sharp increase in the hydrocodone supply between 1998 and 2012, data from the 2019 World Drug Report indicates that the supply is starting to go down. In 1998, approximately 12,000 kilograms of hydrocodone were available for medical use. The supply peaked at approximately 45,000 kilograms in 2012, and it declined to about 25,000 kilograms in 2016.

The United States is grappling with an opioid "epidemic" due to the large quantity of opioids available to Americans

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 12 million people aged 12 and older reported using an opioid like Vicodin within the previous year. This represents 4.4% of the American population, indicating the severity of the opioid epidemic in the United States.

Fortunately, the results of the Monitoring the Future Study indicate that young people are not using opioids at the same rate they were in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, only 3.4% of the 12th graders surveyed reported that they had used an opioid within the past year, a decrease from previous years. Furthermore, only 6% of the 12th graders surveyed indicated that they had used an opioid at any point in their lives, which was also a decrease from 2017 and 2018 rates of lifetime use.