Many people mix Vicodin and alcohol to enhance their buzz. Even if you have a legitimate Vicodin prescription, drinking while you’re taking the medication can be dangerous. If you have trouble abstaining from alcohol even though you know that consuming it with Vicodin can have fatal effects, you might be suffering from addiction. Vicodin Contains Chemicals that Don’t Mix Well With Alcohol Vicodin is a prescription painkiller that contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The hydrocodone alters the way that pain signals interact with your brain. Acetaminophen is a pain and fever reducer. Even though you might think that acetaminophen is harmless because it’s sold over the counter, it shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol. Taking the recommended dosage of acetaminophen with moderate amounts of alcohol can increase your risk of kidney disease. Acetaminophen and alcohol have also been linked to kidney disease. Vicodin and Alcohol Slow Down Your Nervous System Because Vicodin is an opioid, it depresses the central nervous system. The medication can suppress your respiration rate, making you breathe slower than you normally would. This can diminish the amount of oxygen that you get. If you have taken painkillers for a significant period of time, you may notice that you’ve started snoring when you sleep. You may feel drowsy and sluggish during the day. These are signs that you’re not getting enough oxygen. When you add alcohol into the mix, your respiration rate can fall to dangerous levels. Alcohol makes your neurotransmitters fire more slowly and affects almost every organ, including the lungs. Sometimes, people experience shortness of breath, chest pain or a stuffy nose when they drink alcohol. Drinking regularly can even increase your risk of developing life-threatening respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia and COPD. Signs of Overdose Some people consume Vicodin and alcohol together because both substances can temporarily relieve pain. If you’ve been taking painkillers for some time, you might develop a tolerance. Adding another chemical to the mix can make you feel better, but it may have disastrous results. Others simply drink because it’s part of their lifestyle. You might not have an alcohol addiction or a drinking problem. Still, combining these substances can increase your chances of overdosing. Common side effects from taking Vicodin and alcohol include: Slurred speech Trouble remembering things Difficulty concentrating Impaired judgment Uncontrolled eye movements Stupor Liver problems Cardiac arrest Stroke Even if you haven’t exceeded your regular Vicodin dosage, you can overdose if you combine the drug with alcohol. Overdose symptoms can come on at different rates depending on your history with substances and the amount that you consumed. If you experience slow breathing, reduced heart rate, cold, clammy skin, pinpoint pupils, drowsiness, confusion, muscle spasms or loss of consciousness while taking these drugs, contact a medical professional. If you have combined Vicodin and alcohol more than once, you may want to seek help. It can be hard to stop drinking or using medication that helps control your pain. At Grace Recovery Community, we offer an alcohol detox program as part of our holistic approach to treatment. Some other therapies that we provide include: Support groups Psychoeducation Relapse prevention Trauma-informed yoga Acupuncture You can live a healthy, fulfilling life without being controlled by drugs. Find out how we can help you build a solid foundation for recovery by calling *DM_DirectNumber format=period*.
Continue readingWhat Is the Cocaine Overdose Amount?
Cocaine is a stimulant that comes from the coca plant. Repeated use can change your brain structure and lead to addiction. This dangerous drug results in hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits each year, and the cocaine overdose amount varies depending on the person who is using it and the other chemicals that may be present. Is Cocaine Pure? Although cocaine comes from a natural plant, the product that many people snort, inject, or smoke has been processed extensively. During the manufacturing process, people use other chemicals such as gasoline and acetone to make the final product. Adulterants may also be mixed with the drug to cut costs and enhance its effects. It’s difficult to identify other chemicals that users could find in cocaine. Even experienced users may not notice when the drug contains other substances until it’s too late. Can You Die From Using Cocaine? Pure cocaine can lead to a fatal overdose. When dealers blend cocaine with other compounds, it can be even more dangerous. One of the reasons that cocaine can be lethal is that it causes users to develop a physical dependency. When you consume the drug, it slows down the absorption of dopamine in your brain. This makes you feel good, but it also prevents your body from producing more dopamine. Plus, your body adjusts to the abundance of feel-good neurotransmitters. Over time, the dopamine doesn’t produce the same pleasurable effects, and you need to take more cocaine to feel an obvious high. Although your brain gets used to the excess dopamine, other organs don’t adapt to cocaine use. The stimulant restricts blood flow to the brain, increases heart rate, and raises blood pressure. This puts you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Mixing alcohol and cocaine can also be hazardous. The combination produces a compound called cocaethylene, which strengthens the effects of the cocaine but enhances the risk of death. In these cases, addiction therapy services are necessary. Get Help for You or a Loved One What Is The Cocaine Overdose Amount? In mice, the lethal dosage of cocaine is about 95 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. When applied to humans, that translates to about 6.5 grams for a 150-pound person. The cocaine overdose amount depends on the individual’s history with cocaine and the method of administration. For example, injecting the drug is more likely to produce an overdose than snorting or smoking it. People who have experienced recovery and relapsed might be in even more danger than other users. They typically develop dependency and get used to consuming a certain amount. When they stop using the drug, their tolerance decreases along with their individual cocaine overdose amount. If they relapse, they might return to the same doses that they were taking before, shocking the body and causing tragic results. If you’re worried that you or a loved one is struggling with a substance abuse disorder, the first step is to enroll in a cocaine detox program. Additional therapy and a supportive community are necessary to sustain recovery and prevent relapse. At Grace Recovery, we offer a variety of approaches to holistic healing, such as: On-site detox Meditation Acupuncture 12-step community Aftercare Contact us at 866-296-5407 to learn how our well-rounded approach to rehab can help you on the journey to wellness.
Continue readingHow Long Does Drug Detox Take?
Going through withdrawal is one of the most challenging parts about trying to quit drugs or alcohol. Trying to quit can be tough because although you want to quit, it seems easier to turn back to substances. The question everyone has when getting ready to go through this process is, “How long does drug detox take?” Before answering that question, it’s helpful to understand why withdrawal happens and the various factors involved with detox. How Long Does Drug Detox Take for Beginners? Understanding the process of chemical dependency will help you understand how long does drug detox take. The body is doing its best at all times to maintain a balance and that balance changes as you continue to take a substance. While withdrawal happens from different substances like caffeine, sugar, and nicotine, it’s much worse with drugs. As you continue to abuse these substances, your body changes and begins to need these substances to feel well. As the substances begin to leave your system, your brain, nervous system, and organs don’t know what to do. Various neurotransmitters in your brain start to misfire, and this is the primary cause for many of the withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms can change depending on the substances you use as well as your own biology. The most common symptoms of withdrawal from drugs include the following as well as more: Nausea Cramps Anxiety Flu-like symptoms Depression How Long Does Drug Detox Take at a Detox Facility? One of the worst things you can do is try to detox on your own because it’s dangerous as well as painful. The length of detox can vary from person to person, but there is something that will make it easier no matter what. Going to a qualified detox program will minimize your symptoms no matter what substances you were using. While your symptoms of withdrawal may last for anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, they’re much easier to handle with the proper care. At a treatment program that specializes in detox, you’ll get the best treatment possible with the latest in addiction medicine. There are a few medications that can help make withdrawal symptoms as minimal as possible. You can also benefit from more holistic ways of overcoming your symptoms, which are also great for helping you stay sober after the process is over. Overcoming Withdrawal Grace Recovery is an addiction treatment center that offers drug and alcohol rehab services as well as detox. Some facilities aren’t able to provide detox as well as treatment services, but we can. This is beneficial because it provides you with a smooth transition from getting sober to learning how to stay sober. We’ll walk you through the answers of how long does drug detox take while helping you learn to live a better life. Some of the methods we use include: Acupuncture Meditation therapy Medication assisted treatment Dual diagnosis treatment Aftercare To learn more about how long does drug detox take at Grace Recovery, call us today at *DM_DirectNumber format=period*.
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