When you’re experiencing a substance use disorder, it can be difficult to moderate how much of a substance you take at once. When it comes to opioids, like Vicodin, the consequences can be deadly.
A Vicodin overdose happens anytime you take a larger dose of the medication than your body is capable of safely metabolizing. This causes symptoms like small pupils, shallow breathing, low heart rate, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. If it goes untreated, an overdose may lead to brain damage, organ failure, or even death.
If you’re concerned that you may be at risk of an overdose, it’s important to know the facts. In the first half of 2024, 152 people died with hydrocodone (Vicodin) in their system. In at least 44 of those cases, the overdose was the direct cause of death.
At Clean Recovery Centers in Tampa, Florida, we’re committed to empowering you to leave opioids like Vicodin in the past. We know that recovery is a lifelong journey, and we’re ready to meet you wherever you are along that path.
Key Takeaways:
- Vicodin, a combination of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen, can trigger an overdose any time you take more of the substance than your body can handle.
- Hydrocodone is the active ingredient that causes overdoses. The exact dose that would cause you to overdose depends on factors like your metabolism, tolerance, and pre-existing conditions.
- Common symptoms of a Vicodin overdose include loss of consciousness, pinpoint pupils, slowed breathing, clammy skin, vomiting, and difficulty walking.
- If you’re with someone who is overdosing on Vicodin, you should administer naloxone and call 911 immediately.
- Factors like Vicodin use disorder, combining the medication with other substances, and increasing tolerance can all make you more susceptible to an overdose.
Understanding Vicodin Overdose: How It Happens and Why It’s Dangerous
Vicodin, also known by the generic name hydrocodone, is a semi-synthetic opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain. Its active ingredients include hydrocodone bitartrate, which is an opioid, and acetaminophen (Tylenol), which is a mild, non-opioid pain reliever. Although the original Vicodin brand is no longer available in the U.S., medications with the same active ingredients are still available and are often referred to as Vicodin.
Other common brand names include:
- Xodol
- Zydone
- Norco
While acetaminophen is available over the counter, hydrocodone is only legally available through a prescription. It works by attaching itself to the opioid receptors in your body, reducing pain and releasing feel-good dopamine, which produce feelings of euphoria.
Over time, your body builds up a tolerance, meaning you need higher and higher doses of the substance to get the same effect. Eventually, repeated use can lead to a psychological and physical dependence on Vicodin, which is a sign of painkiller addiction, whether you have a prescription or are buying the substance illegally.
A Vicodin overdose occurs any time you take more of the substance than your body can handle at one time. If you take a high dose, this can happen the first time that you take the substance. When you overdose on a substance, your liver and your renal system can effectively filter toxins. Because of this, the rest of your body is impacted, and other vital organs are harmed.
Hydrocodone and Overdose Risk: Why Dosage Isn’t Always the Whole Story
In large doses, it’s possible to overdose on both acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate. Typically, if you overdose on Vicodin, your side effects are caused by hydrocodone because it’s the stronger of the two ingredients. However, acetaminophen also causes liver damage in large doses, which may further complicate the impact of a Vicodin overdose.
The following chart highlights typical dosages of the two key ingredients in Vicodin.
| Acetaminophen | Hydrocodone |
|---|---|
| 300 mg | 2.5 mg |
| 600 mg | 5 mg |
| 900 mg | 7.5 mg |
| 1200 mg | 10 mg |
For context, a single extra-strength Tylenol typically includes about 500 mg of acetaminophen.
The amount of Vicodin that would cause you to overdose is unique to you. It depends on factors including:
- Metabolism
- Tolerance
- Pre-existing conditions
- Other substances in your system
If you have a Vicodin prescription, it’s essential to follow the guidelines exactly and consult your doctor about any necessary changes. In the case that you, or someone you love, is taking Vicodin recreationally, you’re at a greater risk of overdose.
Recognizing the Signs of a Vicodin Overdose — and When to Act Fast
There are three primary signs of a Vicodin overdose to look out for, also known as the “opioid overdose triad.”
These include:
- Falling in and out of consciousness (nodding)
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- Very small or pinpoint pupils
Because nodding out happens outside of an overdose, it’s often written off. However, it is often one of the first signs of an opioid overdose.
Other common signs of an overdose include:
- Blue or purple fingernails or lips
- Slow heartbeat
- Loss of consciousness
- Clammy skin
- Vomiting
- Difficulty walking
- Dizziness
- Gurgling noises
- Difficulty talking
- Confusion
You may not experience every potential symptom of an opioid overdose. If you or someone you’re with exhibits any of the above symptoms after taking Vicodin, you need to contact medical personnel immediately.
Dangers of An Overdose: Why Vicodin Use Can Turn Critical in Minutes
If you or someone you love is experiencing the symptoms of an opioid overdose, getting emergency assistance is vital. Within minutes of when an overdose begins, serious consequences can occur.
Opioids depress the central nervous system, causing both breathing and heart rate to slow. This means that blood and oxygen are not circulating through your body as they normally would. When your major organs are deprived of blood flow and oxygen, they no longer function properly. As a result, you could experience brain damage, organ failure, seizures, coma, or death.
A Vicodin overdose is reversible. However, you need to act quickly to avoid potential long-term damage.
What to Do Right Away if You Suspect a Vicodin Overdose
There are steps you need to take immediately if you or someone you’re with experiences a Vicodin overdose:
- Administer naloxone. If you have access to naloxone, which is also known by the brand name Narcan, you should use it immediately. Naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose temporarily.
- Call 911 immediately. Don’t worry about getting in legal trouble. Florida’s Good Samaritan Act protects you from legal repercussions for possessing heroin or being with someone who possesses heroin. You won’t get in trouble for seeking help.
- Stay with the person experiencing the overdose. Try to keep the person who’s overdosed awake. Ask them questions and try to keep them engaged. It may also help to apply gentle pressure, such as rubbing the sternum.
- Be prepared to do CPR. If someone you’re with stops breathing, providing rescue breaths is vital. If the person becomes unconscious, placing them in the rescue position will prevent them from choking in the event that they vomit.
- Relay all info to first responders. Tell the emergency personnel everything that could be relevant, including the amount of Vicodin the person overdosing took, what other substances might be in their system, and any other medical information you have about the person in question.
Who Faces the Highest Risk of Vicodin Overdose, and How to Protect Yourself
If you’re taking Vicodin under the supervision of a doctor, and you’re following instructions, your risk of experiencing an overdose is very low. However, if you take Vicodin recreationally, or if your use of the substance goes beyond the scope of what is permitted by your prescription, your chances of overdosing on the medication increase.
Overdose doesn’t discriminate. Depending on the dosage you take, you could experience an overdose the first time that you take the substance, or the 100th.
5 factors greatly increase the likelihood that you’ll experience an overdose, including:
- Experiencing a physical and psychological reliance on the substance, also known as Vicodin use disorder.
- Developing a tolerance, leading to higher dosages to experience desired effects.
- Returning to your dose after not taking the substance, resulting in a lower tolerance.
- Using the substance without the guidance of a doctor, resulting in an unsafe dosage.
- Taking the medication in combination with other substances, like opioids, which could compound the side effects, or stimulants, which could mask them.
There is no surefire way to prevent a Vicodin overdose if you’re taking the substance recreationally. Ending your opioid use is the most effective way to protect yourself. You can reduce your risk by avoiding these risk factors.
Compassionate Care at Clean Recovery Centers: Treatment Options For Vicodin in Tampa Bay, FL
Vicodin overdose poses a real threat, especially if you’re taking the medication recreationally. Thankfully, you don’t have to live with the threat hanging over your head forever.
The right Vicodin addiction treatment can provide you with the support you need to safely stop taking the substance and reclaim control over your life.
Clean Recovery Centers focus on a 12-step approach to recovery. When you come to Clean, you aren’t just receiving isolated treatments; you’re joining a community that will support you throughout your journey. Call us at (888) 330-2532 to get started today.
Get clean. Live clean. Stay clean.
