Your healthcare provider will most likely start you on a low dose, and slowly increase until the pain is well-controlled. The risk of harm increases with the amount of alcohol consumed, but for people who use opioids, there is no safe level of alcohol to consume. Your eco sober house review doctor may prescribe naloxone (Narcan) to keep on hand while you’re taking hydrocodone. Narcan is a nasal (nose) spray that can be administered in an emergency to treat respiratory depression. Hydrocodone and oxycodone are both strong pain relievers called opioids.
Hydrocodone oral forms and pregnancy or breastfeeding
Alcohol and hydrocodone work differently in the body, but they both serve to slow down the body and diminish response time. Substances that work in this way are referred to as depressants. Over an extended period, alcohol use can lead to increased incidences of liver problems and even some forms of cancer.
- Elderly people were most likely to experience respiratory effects after mixing opioids and alcohol, the report found.
- Speak with your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about drinking alcohol while taking oxycodone.
- For more information on this warning, see the “Hydrocodone oral forms and pregnancy or breastfeeding” section above.
- The risk is highest when starting treatment and if your doctor increases your dosage.
Alcohol and Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment
Do not crush, split, chew, or dissolve these dose forms, as this can cause overdose and in some cases death. You shouldn’t suddenly stop taking hydrocodone without talking with your doctor first. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, your doctor will usually recommend gradually reducing your dose of hydrocodone. This allows your body to readjust to not having the medication before you stop taking it. Your doctor or pharmacist can provide you with more information about the interactions between these medications and hydrocodone.
Outpatient Treatment
Do not take more of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that can make you drowsy or less alert). Also, there may be a greater risk of liver damage if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages while you are taking acetaminophen. Do not drink alcoholic beverages, and check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines while you are using this medicine. As mentioned above, the hydrocodone found in Vicodin is an opioid, which is classified as a depressant. It’s generally prescribed for moderate to severe short-term pain.
Side Effects and Precautions
Hydrocodone overdose can be fatal, especially if it’s taken with a benzodiazepine, alcohol, or another CNS depressant. Certain drug interactions can also raise your risk for fatal overdose from hydrocodone. See the “Hydrocodone oral forms precautions” section above to learn more. If hydrocodone is taken accidentally by someone it’s not prescribed for, especially a child, this can be fatal even with just one dose.
No one chooses the brain’s response, and no one chooses addiction. Most outpatient programs last anywhere from two months to a year. Your doctor will explain how you should take hydrocodone, including how much to take and how often. You should not consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking hydrocodone, as they can interact with this drug.
Do not stop using this medicine suddenly after long-term use, or you could have serious withdrawal symptoms. Never use this medicine in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Swallow it whole to avoid exposure to a potentially fatal dose. Zohydro ER and Hysingla alcohol and migraine drinks to avoid, remedies, and more ER are extended-release forms of hydrocodone that are used for around-the-clock treatment of severe pain. Some medications—including many popular painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies—contain more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol.
The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications. If you have unused medication that’s gone past the expiration date, talk with your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it. Most of these side effects may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. However, if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Outpatient treatment programs vary—some require daily attendance, whereas others meet a couple of times per week. If you think someone is having an opioid overdose (e.g., slowed or stopped breathing, disoriented, blue lips), call 911 immediately. how to take suboxone tablets Combining oxycodone with alcohol can have unwanted, unpredictable, and dangerous consequences. Both drugs can both make you drowsy, light-headed, and impair judgment. Drinking alcohol while taking oxy can intensify these effects.
These release hydrocodone into your body slowly over time, not all at once. Do not suddenly stop taking hydrocodone without talking with your doctor first. To help you avoid withdrawal symptoms, they’ll likely recommend that you slowly reduce your dose before you stop treatment.
Combining the two can have a synergistic effect, meaning that the effect of both drugs together is greater than when they’re used separately. If you find yourself taking hydrocodone for longer than prescribed or taking it in larger doses despite any negative consequences, you may have an addiction. Your doctor may have you reduce your use slowly rather than stopping it suddenly. Hydrocodone is an opioid in a class of drugs known as narcotic analgesics. These drugs connect to proteins in the brain and spinal cord called opioid receptors. Hydrocodone can be very effective, but it can also become habit-forming.