Dilaudid
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Dilaudid is the brand name of a narcotic painkiller that acts on the central nervous system. The generic name of this drug is hydromorphone. Hydromorphone is two to eight times stronger than morphine, but similar to it chemically. ‎Dilaudid comes as a liquid, a tablet, or in a solution that is injected.
Dilaudid is very addictive. People who abuse this drug without prescriptions often crush the pills and then snort or inject them in order to get a "rush" or intense feeling of euphoria, similar to heroin. You can become addicted to this drug within two weeks, especially if you are using it off-label and not to relieve pain. Your body will build up a tolerance and you will have to take it in higher doses in order to achieve the same effects. If you stop taking Dilaudid, you will experience withdrawal symptoms.
Dilaudid is frequently prescribed to terminally ill people who are not in danger of becoming addicts. Other trademarked names of this drug are Exalgo and Palladone.
The drug has relatively few side effects, and does not make people as groggy as most narcotic painkillers do. When taken as directed, pain relief begins within 15 minutes and lasts about five hours.
Side effects can be drowsiness, constipation, dizziness, mental and physical impairment, moodiness, restlessness, slow breathing, sleep walking, joint pain, nausea, and vomiting. Some patients faint when they stand up after lying down. Some people have severe and life-threatening allergic reactions to Dilaudid.
Dilaudid interacts with some 50 drugs, such as antihistamines, other narcotics, alcohol, Demerol, Xanax and other tranquilizers, and antidepressants. Pregnant woman and children cannot take this drug, and it is not usually prescribed to those with breathing problems, liver or kidney disease, epilepsy, underactive thyroids, histories of drug or alcohol abuse, and other conditions.
Overdose symptoms can be increased sensitivity to light, lack of muscle tone, and unusual drowsiness. The heart rate can slow so much that the person can suffer circulatory collapse or cardiac arrest and die.
Withdrawal symptoms generally begin four hours after your last dosage, and are similar to withdrawal from other narcotics. These symptoms are chills, sweating, muscle spasms, shivering, restlessness, yawning, insomnia, anxiety, anorexia, vomiting, intestinal cramps, diarrhea, sneezing, hot and cold flashes, severe back and leg pain, and restless legs. These may last up to ten days. People addicted to Dilaudid usually need to go into a chemical detoxification center where they can be medically supervised during withdrawal, or sometimes their physicians will withdraw them off this drug in a gradual way. Addicts most often have to deal with their psychological dependence on drugs by undergoing psychotherapy and attending support meetings.
