Need information on withdrawals from hydrocodone. My boyfriend is currently having withdrawals and is very sick. He is 47 and has been doing pills for a very long time. He is use to taking large doses of hydrocodone he has taken up to 39 pills in one day. He was keeping a record and I browsed the book and about fainted. He also takes valiums, heart medication, and a durietic. He is still taking the valiums I don't know how many a day but it is without a doubt a high quanity. We have been together for 2-1/2 years now and he has always been on something just not to this extent. He doesn't eat and stays in bed all day or will get up and lay around the house. He can't do anything for himself it's like he is in slow motion. I told him I would help him get through this one more time but I can't do this again. I don't really want to do this now. I don't want to be 37 living with a man who walks around like he is 80 years old on his death bed. It's getting really old and I'm getting really angry inside having to deal with this everyday. Is there any hope here that this will go away? If so how soon? I am emotionally give out here.
First off: Is he having them because he wants to quit? The withdrawls are nothing life-threatening, so don't worry about that. They usually last a couple weeks, but I don't think you can ever pin down a time frame.
Have you considered taking him to get his liver checked out? If you live in the US, which i assume you do, hydrocodone is only available, even w/ prescription, with non-controlled active ingredients (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, antihistamines, etc.) PLEASE tell us what kind he was taking - if he's taking vicodin, lortab, lorcet, or norco, which all contain acetaminophen, i am really concerned. I say concerned b/c i'm not going to bash and argue, but seriously 39 pills a day is very deleterious. It would be one thing if he took a great number of oxycontin or roxicodone, but this is a different drug with a dangerous drug in it. If you want to look at it mathmatically, every doctor has told me that more than 4 grams of acetaminophen can result in liver toxicity (per day). The lowest amount of acetaminophen in hydrocodone pills (in the US) is 500mg or a 1/2 gram. Some have i believe 660mg acetaminophen. But if he was even taking pills w/ 500mg acetaminophen, that would mean that he is taking 19.5 grams of acetaminophen which is almost 5 times the maximum daily dose. While some people's livers are stronger than others, this is still serious. If the pills were each containing 660mg that would be almost 25 grams of acetaminophen, which is almost an ounce. However, if your husband is taking Vicoprofen or Hycomine, this is a different case. I really do not know if excess ibuprofen is bad for the body. As far as your life goes, i can see where you are coming from. Supporting someone who makes your life a mess is really hard.
