Lortab Rehabilitation and Treatment

This guide was written to provide an overview of the Lortab rehabilitation process, as well as to offer helpful resources for those recovering from Lortab addiction.

Breaking the psychological, physical, and mental dependence on any type of opioid often requires rehabilitation. The first step taken during rehab intake is sharing facts about your usage with medical professionals to help them determine the level of your addiction and the best course of treatment, including detoxification. Withdrawal symptoms are the most painful part of detoxification, so a tapering process and/or medication-assisted treatment may be included in your detoxification to help ease these symptoms.

Once you’ve successfully detoxed from Lortab, you’ll take part in various types of therapy, which may include behavioral, individual, and group therapies. Rehab for Lortab dependence or addiction can take anywhere from several weeks to several months. Lengthier rehabilitation and recovery periods are often required if you took large doses for a long time, are addicted to multiple substances, and/or you also have a mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety. When you’re ready to leave the treatment facility, aftercare — including outpatient therapy sessions — is generally prescribed to ensure your continued recovery and to prevent relapse.

Lortab has the potential for abuse and physical dependence, so even though it’s legally available by prescription, it’s still listed as a Schedule II controlled substance. Possessing Lortab without a valid prescription puts you at risk of serious legal penalties. Non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids, especially those containing hydrocodone like Lortab, is a primary concern in the United States, but opioid use is also a problem on a global scale. An estimated 53 million people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 64 used opioids at least once during 2017.

The hydrocodone in Lortab blocks pain signals in your brain, which changes your perception of pain. It also stimulates the reward center in your brain, producing feelings of well-being and pleasure. This combination of euphoria and pain relief can become habit-forming, and the longer you use Lortab, the more your body develops a tolerance to it. Once you build up a tolerance, it takes more to achieve the desired effects. Chronic abuse affects brain processes, which can lead to dependence and addiction. Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms occur when you try to stop taking it, so the cycle of misuse often continues.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated in 2018:

• 47,731,000 people 12 years old and older — 17.4% of the population — used hydrocodone products, including Vicodin, Lortab, Norco, Zohydro ER, or generic hydrocodone.
• 1,694,000 people ages 12 and over — 0.6% of the population — had a pain reliever use disorder.
• 75,000 people 12 years old and older — 1.76% of the population — received treatment for a pain reliever use disorder.

Lortab detoxification is the process in which your body rids itself of the drug, which is required to achieve recovery from your dependence and/or addiction. To safely and more comfortably complete detoxification, it’s generally recommended to seek medical assistance, which may include medication-assisted detox to lessen the effects of withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms, while not usually life-threatening, are usually very uncomfortable, which can increase the likelihood that you will go back to using Lortab to make the symptoms go away.

Early symptoms of Lortab withdrawal can begin as early as six hours after taking your last dose but may take up to 24 hours, depending on how much/often you were using the drug. Be prepared for muscle and body aches, excessive sweating, runny nose, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, anxiety, and irritability.

After the first day or two, the initial symptoms may become more severe, and you may begin feeling other more uncomfortable symptoms. These new symptoms may include chills, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat. Generally, your withdrawal symptoms should peak within about 72 hours and gradually improve over the course of a week. However, it’s possible that certain symptoms will last up to a month — or sometimes even longer. Lingering symptoms usually include anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fatigue. Your doctor may suggest medications to help you through withdrawal.

Several medications have been successfully used to help individuals through withdrawal, including some that can shorten or ease the withdrawal process and others that can make certain symptoms less severe. Common medication-assisted treatments include the use of methadone, buprenorphine, or buprenorphine combined with naloxone during withdrawal to ease symptoms and reduce cravings. Buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone may also be used to prevent relapse following detox. Another medication frequently used is clonidine hydrochloride, which can help treat specific symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal.

For more information about withdrawal, read our guide on Lortab addiction.

A wide range of treatments are available for prescription opioids like Lortab, including behavioral therapies and medication-assisted treatment. Both options are effective in helping with opioid addiction. Behavioral therapies help you modify your behaviors and attitudes concerning drug use and learn new, healthier life skills. Some common therapies used include cognitive behavioral therapy and group therapy. Medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, naloxone, and/or clonidine may also be used.

Within either an inpatient or outpatient setting, treatments such as detoxification services, behavioral therapies, and medication-assisted treatments are offered for varying lengths of time.

Inpatient treatment involves living full-time (including overnight) at a treatment facility for a set period of time. Outpatient treatment involves scheduled appointments at a facility, and you are free to come and go. Within each category, there are several distinctions.

When taken as prescribed, Lortab helps effectively manage moderate to severe pain. However, since the hydrocodone ingredient is an opioid-based narcotic pain reliever, it can be addictive, especially when taken long term or not as directed. Abusing Lortab can cause you to develop a tolerance, which requires you to take higher and/or more frequent doses to achieve the same results. This ever-increasing tolerance can lead to dependence and addiction, and the increased doses of acetaminophen found in Lortab can cause significant liver damage.

Choosing a reputable rehabilitation center that can provide customized treatment plans to meet your individual needs can help you overcome your Lortab addiction. These facilities may offer inpatient and/or outpatient treatment options, and you may benefit from both options to ensure lasting recovery from your addiction.

Our directory of rehab programs includes a comprehensive list of available treatment centers and programs as provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In the directory, you will find tools to filter the programs by setting, price, and location.