Have you ever been in pain and had to take a prescription painkiller? Or maybe you struggle with depression or anxiety and take medication to ease some of your symptoms. Every year, millions of people take prescription drugs as directed, and function in life as usual. But some people suffer from prescription drug abuse. Certain opioid prescriptions may be of larger potential for risk of abuse than others, including Vicoprofen.
What Is Vicoprofen And How Does It Work?
Vicoprofen is an opioid prescription medication which contains both hydrocodone and ibuprofen. An opioid is a medication used to treat pain. However, opioids (both prescription and illicit) have a high potential for abuse due to the enhanced effects they produce. Vicoprofen works by offering the relaxing and calming effects of hydrocodone combined with the painkiller effects of ibuprofen. This is not a medication used for small ailments—people taking it are often in a great deal of pain. Because of this, symptoms for which the medication is prescribed may contribute to abuse. People may take larger doses than prescribed or take it more frequently than directed to try to seek greater relief.
Yet unlike some opioids, the effects of Vicoprofen only last for a limited number of hours. The medication is designed that way as opioids in general are harsh on the body. In fact, Vicoprofen is generally not prescribed for a long period of time, but just enough to help a person through the worst symptoms of pain. Unfortunately, for some, that is long enough for abuse to take place. In other cases, abuse can lead to addiction.
What Is Prescription Drug Abuse?
Because so many people take opioid prescriptions every year, it is important to form a distinction between proper use of medication and abuse. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a person may be involved in prescription drug abuse if she has engaged in one or more of the following:
- Taking prescription medications meant for someone else
- Taking larger doses of medications than prescribed
- Administering medications by methods other than prescribed, such as snorting or injecting medications to produce faster effects
- Administering medications for reasons other than symptoms for which they were prescribed (i.e. seeking the calming effects of an opioid)
Every medication prescribed may have side effects. Physicians know this and take it into account when writing prescriptions for patients. However, not every person may know the risks associated with each medication. Therefore, it is important to take prescriptions only as prescribed in order to eliminate risk of abuse.
How Does Someone Become Addicted To Vicoprofen?
Vicoprofen, like many prescription opioids, is prescribed by a doctor. People may not see the danger of abuse if they think it is safe since it is not an illicit drug. But opiate medications pose a strong threat for abuse because opioids affect the reward circuit in the brain. Each time a person takes an opioid, the chemicals in it bond to opioid receptors in the brain and nerves, creating that enhanced reward feeling. This feeling is usually produced only when the brain recognizes something pleasurable, such as the smell of good food. Opioids cause either continual release of this reward feeling, or stop the brain from recycling good chemicals (the normal process). When a person becomes addicted to this feeling, the brain changes to make a person continually seek this effect. To change a pattern of substance abuse, it may be necessary for a person to undergo extensive treatment.
What Types Of Treatment Are Available For Vicoprofen Addiction?
There are several methods available for treating prescription drug abuse. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps a person learn to form good habits and engage in behaviors which will eliminate substance abuse. Examples may include focusing on work, school, or getting into a solid daily routine filled with positive activities free from substance abuse. It may also include keeping a person away from the environment which fosters addictive behavior.
Medications may also be utilized to help ease withdrawal symptoms during the detoxification process. A person may need medications for any co-occurring disorders, such as mental health disorders or other substance abuse problems. Counseling at the family, group, or individual levels may also help a person to work through the emotional and mental changes of recovery. A treatment plan which works to fully meet all a person’s health needs or issues with substance abuse may include a combination of these methods.
Finally, when seeking treatment, there are many things to consider. Because treatment may be a lengthy process, it can also be a costly one. However, state funding, scholarships, or grants are available for people seeking treatment—a person just needs the proper resources to find this funding. In addition, treatment may require the person to travel to an inpatient facility such as a rehabilitation center. In some cases, with a strong support system and less severe symptoms of addiction, a person may be able to undergo treatment in an outpatient process (from home). Treatment should always take into account the amount of medical or professional monitoring needed, and the proper treatment for any and all co-occurring disorders.
Finding The Treatment You Need Today
Have you witnessed someone take his prescriptions more often than directed? Or maybe you have noticed your prescription painkillers are disappearing, 
and you believe someone close to you may be at risk for abuse. If so, you are not alone in this struggle, and treatment is available for you or your loved one. To get started, contact us today at DrugRehab.org. We will connect you with resources, listen to your specific needs, and help you on your road to recovery.
Sources
Drugs.com—Vicoprofen
Mayo Clinic—Hydrocodone And Ibuprofen (Oral Route)
National Institute On Drug Abuse—Prescription Drug Abuse: Opioids
U.S. National Library Of Medicine—Prescription Drug Abuse