Dilaudid is a particular pain reliever mainly used in treating moderate up to severe pain. This is also known by the generic name of hydromorphone. Dilaudid comes in pill and liquid form. In the street, individuals often call this drug as dillies.
Just like other prescription drugs or painkillers, the Dilaudid drug is considered common target for abuse. Whether this drug is injected, snorted or intensely abused orally, this is known for its very addictive properties. Since the physical dependence rapidly develops, individuals who consume this drug and abuse it often experience common withdrawal symptoms when they lessen or they stop drug use.
How Does Dilaudid Dependence Form
Dilaudid is a widely known physically addictive substance binding opioids receptors in the human brain. These receptors tend to affect an individual’s perception of pleasure and pain. With repeated uses, the brain turns out to be dependent on drugs requiring it to work or function in a way that it perceives to be normal.
Tolerance also generally forms. This simply means that users will need more hydromorphone in order to feel similar effects which were previously obtained with such a lower dosage. Withdrawal symptoms appear when users stop taking drugs or when they lower the standard dose.
Physical Dilaudid withdrawal symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Muscle pains
- Sweating
- Muscle spasms
- Chills
- Diarrhea
- Yawning
- Tremors
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Watery eyes
- Loss of appetite
- Dilated pupils
- Headaches
- Tachycardia
An individual who becomes addicted to Dilaudid might also experience other psychological withdrawal symptoms like:
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Cravings
- Mood swings
- Depression
Dilaudid withdrawal can really be a painful process, especially upon heavy use. The symptoms that are commonly encountered within just a few hours of discontinuation of drug use can last up to several weeks upon depending in the intensity of Dilaudid drug use. Aside from the symptoms mentioned above, other Dilaudid withdrawal symptoms might include:
- Cramp-like pain
- Leg kicking habit
- Long-lasting and severe sleeping difficulties
- Bone aching
- Goose bump skin and more
Some individuals complain about a painful condition known as itchy blood. This results to compulsive scratching that leads to skin sores and bruising. All these notable symptoms can be pronounced triggering patients to experience intense pain and suffer a “cold turkey” withdrawal that is ultimately unbearable. This triggers patients to continue using the drug.
For individuals taking this drug chronically, withdrawal symptoms can begin the moment Dilaudid drug is processed out of their bodies usually in about as short as 6 hours upon taking that last dose. The physical withdrawal symptoms tend to reach their peak on the second day.
Though some individuals notice signs starting to decrease between the third day or the fourth, these given symptoms might last up to one week or two. The severity of symptoms and the time duration an individual experiences the symptoms depend on various factors like frequency of drug use, duration of a person’s drug use, ways by which the drug was taken (maybe through injections or snorting) and average dosage.
