How to identify a Lortab overdose.
Lortabis a prescription pain reliever that contains the opioidhydrocodone. Along with hydrocodone, Lortab contains acetaminophen, a common painkiller found in Tylenol and other over-the-counter medicines includingNorco, Lorcet, andVicodin.
Opioid overdosesare, unfortunately, common. Recognizing an overdose can be crucial to saving someone’s life. The overdose risks associated with Lortab use are particularly important to consider since hydrocodone and acetaminophen can both cause overdoses.
Signs and Symptoms of Lortab Overdose
Signs and symptoms of a Lortab overdose can be due to an overdose of the hydrocodone component, the acetaminophen component or both. Common signs of ahydrocodone overdoseare:
- Decreased respiration
- Extreme sleepiness, which can progress to coma and death
- Muscle weakness
- Clammy skin
- Pinpoint pupils
Signs of acetaminophen overdose may not be obvious until two or three days after the overdose and are usually related to liver damage. These signs are:
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- Yellowing of the skin and eyes
- Abdominal pain
- Bleeding easily
- Coma
Lortab Overdose Timeline
The times it takes for a Lortab overdose to occur depends on the person taking the drug and varies from person to person. Generally, it can take one or two hours for an overdose from the hydrocodone component to be recognized. With especially large doses, that estimation is shorter. Acetaminophen overdoses may take a few days to be noticeable.
Lortab Overdose Statistics
As the opioid epidemic continues, Lortab and similar opioid-containing medications are overprescribed and misused recreationally. Lortab use can result in serious consequences — such as an overdose — if an individual is not careful, and sometimes, even then.
Accordingto data from 2017from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 142,557 visits to emergency rooms related to opioid overdoses in the United States. This was an increase of almost 30% from the previous year.
Lortab Overdose Deaths
Across the United States, opioids are responsible for thousands of deaths. In 2017, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were a factor in approximately 47,600 overdose deaths. Increasingly, many of these deaths are due to powerful synthetic opioids that were not associated with a prescription. Although the number of deaths due to Lortab specifically are not available, it is safe to say that opioid-related overdose deaths are quite common.
What to Do if You Suspect an Overdose
If you suspect that someone may have overdosed on an opioid-like Lortab, it is important that they receive medical attention immediately. Medical professionals can administer treatment to reverse the opioid’s effects and address acetaminophen toxicity if necessary. Since opioid overdoses can lead to respiratory depression, the brain may not be receiving enough oxygen, and this can cause coma or death very quickly. Calling emergency services may be life-saving in overdose situations.
Remain calm if you suspect someone has overdosed and call 911. If the person can communicate, try to find out what drugs they took so you can inform medical personnel when they arrive.
Lortab Overdose Treatment
Opioid overdoses require swift medical attention to counteract the depressive effects on the central nervous system. The administration ofnaloxone, an opioid-reversing compound that binds to opioid receptors to block an overdose at its source, should be a priority if available. Individuals who overdose should be taken to a hospital for careful monitoring and treatment. Once in a hospital setting, an individual who overdosed on Lortab has a strong chance of surviving the medical emergency.
If you or someone you love struggles with Lortab,contact The Recovery Village. Call today to speak to a representative about the Lortab misuse taking place, and how The Recovery Village addresses addiction andco-occurring mental health disorders. Opioid misuse is life-threatening and should be addressed as soon as possible.
