A hydrocodone overdose is extremely dangerous and frequently life threatening. Common symptoms include shrunken pupils and extreme tiredness. Blood pressure and heart rate might dip dangerously low, and the patient might have difficulty breathing. Victims of hydrocodone overdose might slip into a coma or even die.
As a prescription drug, hydrocodone is used to treat extreme pain. Tolerance to the drug rises with use, meaning that a patient will have to increase the dose to maintain the same pain relief benefit over time. Hydrocodone is also addictive, and chronic users will experience withdrawal symptoms. The drug is not intended for long-term pain management.
Despite the dangers, hydrocodone is often misused and abused. In addition to the pain relief effects, the drug is derived from opiates and causes a euphoric sensation associated with these substances. One common side effect of hydrocodone is drowsiness, and some people choose to use it as a sedative, with long-term use leading to addiction.
Hydrocodone side effects include tiredeness, confusion and nausea. During a hydrocodone overdose, these side effects might become magnified. Extreme weakness might impair or prevent even simple movement. Nausea might escalate, causing vomiting, which can be quite violent. The patient might fall unconscious, failing to respond to shouting, shaking or other attempts to wake the individual.
Victims of a hydrocodone overdose might experience a dangerous drop in blood pressure and heart rate, moving far too slowly to provide sufficient oxygen to the body. Lips might turn blue, and skin might become cold and clammy. Hydrocodone overdose might even cause cardiac arrest, stopping the heart entirely.
Breathing is similarly slowed during a hydrocodone overdose, becoming slow and shallow. Along with the reduced blood flow, this reduced breathing starves cells of vital oxygen, slowing the body’s functions even further. An overdose might even sedate the person sufficiently to bring breathing to a complete halt.
Other substances might also react with hydrocodone and trigger an overdose. Prescription, non-prescription and illicit drugs might react badly with hydrocodone, especially if they have sedative or soporific side effects. Alcohol is also dangerous when taken with hydrocodone.
When hydrocodone overdose is suspected, immediate emergency medical attention is required. All available information regarding the overdose should be supplied to medical professionals: the name of the medication, whether it was prescribed to the individual, the time it was taken and the dosage. This information by no means guarantees a happy ending, but it does give the victim the best possible chance for survival and recovery.