Many of the short-term side effects of Dilaudid are why people take it in the first place. For those who suffer from chronic or acute pain, they’re looking for pain relief. For those who abuse the drug recreationally, they’re seeking euphoria, calmness and drowsiness. However, it can lead to other short-term effects as well, including:
- Slower breathing rates
- A dry mouth
- Pain in the stomach
- Muscle or joint pain
- Anxiety or depression
- Reproduction problems in women
- Sexual performance issues in men
As you might expect, taking this medication long-term is likely to have more serious consequences. The long-term effects of Dilaudid are dangerous, which is why it’s not intended for long-term use. If you’ve been taking this drug for a while, you could suffer from:
- An increased sensitivity to pain
- Hypoxia, which is a condition in which oxygen isn’t delivered to the brain efficiently
- The possibility of permanent brain damage
- The risk of physical addiction
- The risk of HIV, hepatitis and other diseases if the drug is injected
- The possibility of seizures
- The onset of hallucinations
- The possibility of chest pains
Detoxing and How to Wean Off Dilaudid
When you want to stop using Dilaudid, it’s best to go through an opiate detox. You should not try to wean yourself off it on your own. Detoxing from Dilaudid is very difficult, and you should be under the care of qualified professionals.
Weaning off this drug is highly recommended because of its potency. It’s a hard medication to just quit cold turkey, even with the best withdrawal treatments. During a medical taper, you’ll be given smaller amounts of it over time. This will help your body adjust to not having as much.
During the detoxification period, you’ll also be exposed to other treatments. You may be given additional medications to help with withdrawing from Dilaudid. You could also be a part of a more holistic detox that involves dietary changes and exercise.
When it comes to tapering off Hydromorphone, slower is actually better. However, the right taper schedule for you will be discussed with you. The slower the taper, the less stress will be placed on your body. You may even be able to avoid many of the more common symptoms of withdrawal with this method.
What to Expect With Hydromorphone Withdrawals
Hydromorphone is one of the most difficult types of opioids to withdraw from. However, it can be done successfully with the right treatment.
When you go through withdrawal, you should expect to experience:
- Profuse sweating (hot or cold)
- Feelings of malaise
- Anxiety and depression
- Pains in the muscles
- Aches in the bones
- The onset of diarrhea
- Severe bouts of insomnia
- A low-grade fever
Sometimes people complain of having “itchy blood.” This is a condition that causes them to scratch their skin. Open sores and bruises can result from this.
Fortunately, there are many Hydromorphone treatment options available to help. Several of these withdrawal symptoms can be avoided with the right care.
Finding the Right Dilaudid Rehab Facility for Your Recovery
There are a lot of Dilaudid rehab options available to you. However, you do need to know that they’re not all the same. It’s also not enough just to wean off your medication during detox. This helps with the physical part of your addiction. In order to truly recover, you need do more than this.
Going through opiate detox is only part of the solution for your addiction to Hydromorphone. You also have to think about the psychological part of your addiction. Rehab is very effective at treating this component.
Think about why you started using this drug. Perhaps for you, it was simply to help with your pain. Before you knew it, you were having cravings for it, and your prescriptions ran out early. Or, it’s possible that a friend offered you some and you started taking it without a prescription.
Either way, there is a root cause for your problem. Identifying what that root cause is is the key to your recovery. Unless you do this, you’re not likely to be able to stop using. This is why choosing the best Hydromorphone rehab program is highly recommended.
When you go to a pain reliever recovery program, you participate in many types of therapy. You meet regularly with a counselor during individual therapy sessions. You’ll also become involved in group therapy meetings.
Various methods of therapy help to address all aspects of your addiction. You’d be surprised how complicated it really is. The goal is to treat the problem as a whole, and not just one part of it. This gives you the best opportunity to recover successfully.
Yes, you can choose not to go to rehab for your Dilaudid addiction. However, this puts you in great danger. You could possibly relapse back into using, which many addicts do. If you suffer from a relapse, you are at risk of overdosing.
Overdosing on Dilaudid usually occurs when people go back to using it after a period of abstinence. They have often decided to stop taking it on their own. Without the proper support, they revert back to their substance abuse patterns.
An overdose usually occurs because of lowered tolerance levels in the body. You simply can’t handle taking that much of the drug any longer. Your usual dose overwhelms your body and you end up overdosing, which can be fatal.
Hydromorphone Statistics and Trends in the United States
According to the latest in drug use statistics, Hydromorphone use is at an all time high. In 2014, there were close to 2 million prescriptions written for this drug that year. This is up from only 500,000 in 2005.
With so many more people using this medication, instances of abuse and addiction are going to be higher. If research is correct, this trend is very likely to continue as time goes on.
Is it Time for You to go to a Dilaudid Treatment Facility and Get Help?
It’s not easy to make the decision to stop using an opioid drug. However, if you believe you’re addicted to Dilaudid, you may agree that now is the time. It’s so important for you to understand how dangerous this medication can be. Continuing to use it is only going to make your addiction stronger.
At Northpoint Recovery, we know the severity of this type of addiction. We also understand how to treat it effectively. We only use proven methods when we treat our patients. You’ll benefit from working with professionals who have dealt with it in the past. Please know that you don’t have to continue in your addiction. Once you get the right kind of help, it is possible to quit using.
Do you have additional questions about Hydromorphone addiction? Are you interested in talking with someone about your treatment options for recovery? Contact us today and we’ll be more than happy to assist you. It’s a major step, but it’s one that you’ll be thankful you took.
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