Hydrocodone is a powerful prescription painkiller that is also highly addictive and commonly abused. How long hydrocodone stays in the system depends on various factors such as the amount used, age, weight, and metabolism. On average, hydrocodone stays in the system for 20 to 45 hours. However, it can be detected on drug tests for anywhere from 12 hours to 90 days. Please continue reading to learn more about hydrocodone effects, how long it stays in the body, and detoxing from this opioid drug.
What is Hydrocodone?
Hydrocodone is a prescription opioid drug. It is used to manage moderate to severe pain that does not respond to other non-opioid painkillers.
Opiates are narcotic drugs derived from the opium poppy plant. Hydrocodone belongs to a group called semi-synthetic opioids which are made from natural opiates such as morphine and codeine in the laboratory.
Hydrocodone is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance because it has the potential to be misused. There is a high risk of developing physical and psychological dependence on hydrocodone which can result in an opioid use disorder.
Common Brand Names
Hydrocodone is available as a generic drug as well as brand name products. Common brand names include:
- Hysingla ER
- Zohydro ER
Combination products of hydrocodone and acetaminophen include:
- Vicodin
- Lortab
- Norco
On the street, hydrocodone is sold as Hydros, Vic, Vike, Fluff, and Watson-387. Another opioid drug, oxycodone, is sold on the street as Beans, Blues, Cotton, Kickers, Oxy, Roxy, and Whites, among others.
Mechanism of Action in the Body
Hydrocodone and other opioid drugs attach to an area on nerve cells in the brain called opioid receptors. This blocks the transmission of pain signals between the body and the brain. In other words, hydrocodone changes the way the brain and nervous system receive pain signals.
How Long Does Hydrocodone Last?
Hydrocodone provides fast pain relief, typically within 30 minutes of taking a dose. It’s effects last for 4-24 hours depending on the dose and formulation.
Why is Hydrocodone Prescribed?
Hydrocodone is mainly used for pain management. It is prescribed for moderate to severe pain that is not effectively treated with alternative non-opioid pain medicines.
Doctors prescribe hydrocodone to treat pain that is severe enough to require round-the-clock pain relief from a prolonged time, such as cancer-related pain. It is also used for some types of acute (sudden and short-term) pain such as post-surgical pain and vascular pain (acute sickle cell crisis).
Hydrocodone also has antitussive (cough relieving) properties and is present in some combination products for treating non-productive cough in adults.
What Percentage of People Take Hydrocodone?
Hydrocodone is one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States. In 2021, approximately 26.6 million prescriptions of hydrocodone were dispensed to 8.6 million patients.
Hydrocodone is also one of the most abused prescription painkillers. In 2022, among the 8.5 million Americans who reported misusing prescription pain relievers within the past year, 45% (or 3.7 million people) said they misused generic hydrocodone or brand name products such as Vicodin, Lortab, or Norco.
How Long Does Hydrocodone Stay in Your System?
Hydrocodone can stay in the system for 20 to 45 hours. It can be detected in the body for 12 hours to 90 days depending on the type of drug test. The average detection time for hydrocodone is up to 4 days on urine drug testing.
Hydrocodone Half-Life
Half-life is the amount of time it takes for the body to clear half the dose of a drug, including hydrocodone. Immediate-release hydrocodone has a half-life of 4 hours and extended-release hydrocodone has a half-life of 7-9 hours. This means, 4-9 hours after you take a dose, the concentration of the hydrocodone falls to half its peak value. It usually takes 4-5 half lives for the body to completely clear a drug from the system.
Therefore, immediate-release hydrocodone stays in the system for up to 20 hours and extended-release hydrocodone stays in the system for up to 45 hours. However, drug tests can detect hydrocodone in the body several days or even months later.
How is Hydrocodone Detected in the Body?
Testing for opioid drugs including hydrocodone primarily consists of urine screening; however, other drug tests such as blood, saliva, sweat, and hair tests are also available.
How Long Can Hydrocodone Be Detected in Urine?
Hydrocodone can be detected in urine for 2-3 days on average and up to 4 days in some cases.
Urine drug tests are preferred because they detect hydrocodone for a relatively longer window of time (up to 4 days). Also, they are easy to administer and cost-effective.
Average Hydrocodone Detection Times in Blood, Urine, Saliva, and Hair
After the last dose, hydrocodone can be detected on a drug test in:
- Blood for up to 24 hours
- Saliva for 12 to 36 hours
- Urine for up to 96 hours
- Hair follicles for up to 90 days
Factors Affecting Hydrocodone Metabolism and How Long Hydrocodone Stays in the System
Many factors affect how hydrocodone is metabolized (processed and broken down) in the body, and consequently, how long it stays in your system. Some of the factors that affect hydrocodone metabolism include:
Dosage and Frequency of Use
The amount of hydrocodone consumed and the frequency of use can have a big impact on how long hydrocodone stays in your system. Heavy drug use or consistent use over a long period of time can lead to higher concentrations of hydrocodone in your body and cause it to stay in your system for longer.
Body Weight and Body Fat Percentage
Your body weight can affect how long hydrocodone stays in your system. If you have a high body fat percentage, the drug and its metabolites (breakdown products) can accumulate in fatty tissues and stay in your system for a longer duration.
Age, Gender, and Race
Hydrocodone and other opioids are metabolized more slowly in older adults and can stay in the system longer as a result. Women may have different opioid metabolism compared to men and may therefore show differences in how long hydrocodone stays in the system. Similarly, people of some races, such as Asians, may have low function of enzymes that metabolize hydrocodone, and therefore, the drug may stay in their system longer.
Metabolism
Hydrocodone is metabolized (processed) by the liver. Genetic differences in the rate of metabolism can affect how long hydrocodone stays in the system in different people who took the same dose.
Liver Function
Hydrocodone is primarily metabolized in the liver. Therefore, liver health can affect how long the drug stays in your body. People with advanced liver disease and cirrhosis may have altered drug metabolism.
Drug Interactions
Concomitant use of certain other drugs can affect the metabolism of hydrocodone and how long it stays in the body. Additionally, drug interactions can impair the body’s ability to process hydrocodone and put you at risk of serious adverse effects.
Drug Testing for Hydrocodone
Situations Where Drug Testing Might Occur
Drug tests may be scheduled or done randomly. Testing for opioids and other illicit drugs is done for many different reasons, including:
Do you have a loved one struggling with addiction?
We know how hard that can be. Give us a call to find out what options you have.
+18442884672 - To prevent misuse of prescription opioids: If your health care provider has prescribed an opioid medication for pain, they may order periodic drug testing to ensure you’re taking the medicine at the prescribed dose.
- To screen for illicit drug use: You may be asked to undergo drug testing to check for prescription drug abuse as well as a variety of illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Drug tests may be requested as part of:
- Screening for drug use in professional athletes.
- Pre-employment screening and/or testing for on-the-job drug use.
- Court cases, legal evidence, and police investigations into accidents and criminal activities.
- Monitoring during treatment for a substance use disorder.
What Makes Healthcare Providers Suspect Hydrocodone Misuse?
Your health care provider may order drug testing routinely while you’re on prescription hydrocodone. They may also order a drug test if you have signs or symptoms of opioid misuse or addiction, such as:
- Requesting higher doses
- Asking for early refills
- Complaining of increased pain without any change in your condition
- Obtaining hydrocodone from multiple doctors or pharmacies
- Reporting withdrawal symptoms when you don’t take opioids
- Showing signs of a possible opioid overdose in the emergency room
Meaning of Drug Test Results and Their Implications
If you have been prescribed hydrocodone, your healthcare provider may order opioid drug screening to ensure you are taking the medicine as prescribed. Meaning, they want to make sure you are not taking larger or more frequent doses and you are not sharing your medicine with others. A positive drug test (detectable hydrocodone on urine screening) in this case tells your doctor that you are taking the medicine as prescribed. A negative drug test, on the other hand, can indicate that you are redirecting your medicine to others (selling or giving it away).
If you haven’t been prescribed hydrocodone, a positive drug test (detectable hydrocodone on a urine test) tells your doctor that you may be getting this drug from friends or family members or buying it from street dealers. This is a misuse of hydrocodone even if you’re using it to treat a medical condition. A positive urine test can also indicate that you are using hydrocodone recreationally to get high. A negative drug test, if you haven’t been prescribed hydrocodone, can clear any suspicions about opioid abuse.
Short-Term Hydrocodone Effects
When used as prescribed, hydrocodone provides effective pain relief. However, this drug also triggers powerful reward centers in the brain and causes strong feelings of euphoria. This is the reason some people abuse hydrocodone. Misuse or abuse of hydrocodone carries serious risks, including a risk of addiction and overdose.
Common Side Effects of Hydrocodone
Possible side effects of hydrocodone are listed below. These side effects usually get better once your body adjusts to the medicine:
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Mood changes
- Clouded thinking
- Anxiety
Serious Side Effects of Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone can also cause more serious side effects. Call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care if you develop the following serious symptoms:
- Slowed breathing
- Chest pain
- Fast heartbeat
- Skin rash, hives, itching (signs of an allergic reaction)
- Difficulty urinating
- Decreased sexual desire
- Erectile dysfunction
- Irregular menstruation
Long-Term Hydrocodone Effects
Hydrocodone is habit-forming and carries risks of dependence, addiction, and overdose. In addition, chronic use of hydrocodone is linked to health issues such as constipation, sleep disordered breathing, an increased risk of fractures, and cardiovascular disease.
What is Hydrocodone Detox?
People who take hydrocodone regularly for a long time can develop opioid dependence. They can experience a set of symptoms called withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to discontinue or reduce hydrocodone use.
Withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable and are frequently a major barrier to successfully stopping hydrocodone use. Medically assisted hydrocodone detoxification can ensure a safe and comfortable withdrawal from hydrocodone use.
A hydrocodone detox can take place in both inpatient and outpatient settings, depending on the severity of drug use and whether other substances are also being abused.
The goal of detoxification from hydrocodone or other opioids is to provide supportive care, pain management, emotional support, and adequate nutrition to better manage withdrawal symptoms.
In addition, professional detox centers such as Discover Recovery can provide access to prescription medications that can lessen the severity of hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms.
Stages of Hydrocodone Detox
There are two stages of a hydrocodone detox:
- The acute phase of initial withdrawal symptoms which is managed with supportive care and medications to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
- Longer-term recovery and stabilization which involves psychotherapy (talk therapy) and behavioral counseling along with medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders.
Managing Withdrawal Symptoms from Hydrocodone
Common Hydrocodone Withdrawal Symptoms
The type and severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms depends on the amount, frequency, and length of time of hydrocodone use.
Common symptoms of early withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Muscle spasms and muscle aches
- Insomnia
- Increased tearing
- Yawning
- Sweating
- Runny nose
- High blood pressure
- Fast pulse
- Elevated body temperature
Common symptoms of late withdrawal include:
- Abdominal cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Enlarged pupils
- Goosebumps
Timeline of Hydrocodone Withdrawal
Each person has a unique experience during opioid or hydrocodone withdrawal. Therefore, the timeline can vary from person to person. Broadly speaking, the withdrawal timeline for short-acting opioids such as hydrocodone is as follows (after last use):
- 6-12 hours: Withdrawal symptoms start.
- 1-3 days: Acute withdrawal symptoms peak.
- 5-7 days: Withdrawal symptoms slowly subside.
- Weeks to months: Chronic symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, unease, and apathy can persist.
Strategies for Hydrocodone Withdrawal Symptom Relief
The best way to manage unpleasant hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms is to undergo a detoxification under a medical professional’s guidance. While withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable, they are temporary and not usually life-threatening. Some of the strategies that can help to manage hydrocodone withdrawal include:
- Staying well hydrated to replace fluids lost through sweating, diarrhea, and vomiting.
- Practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing to manage symptoms.
- Seeking the help of family and friends for support.
Medical Support for Hydrocodone Detox
Medication-Assisted Detox for Hydrocodone Addiction
There are over-the-counter and prescription medicines that can be used to manage opioid withdrawal and decrease the severity of symptoms. Treatment options include:
- Clonidine for relief from sweating, irritability, anxiety, fast heartbeat, and high blood pressure
- Metoclopramide to manage nausea and vomiting
- Loperamide for diarrhea
- Acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief
- Diazepam to reduce anxiety and irritability
- Lofexidine to manage withdrawal symptoms such as feeling sick, stomach cramps, muscle tension, muscle cramps, muscle twitching, pounding heartbeat, yawning, watering eyes, and insomnia
- Buprenorphine to reduce drug cravings
- Methadone to decrease cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms
- Naltrexone to block the euphoric effects of opioids
The Importance of Professional Medical Supervision
It’s vital to consult medical professionals if you are considering stopping or reducing opioid medications such as hydrocodone. This makes the whole process safer and more effective and gives you a higher chance of long-term recovery.
The fear or withdrawal symptoms prevents many people from seeking hydrocodone addiction treatment. However, when a hydrocodone detox is done under medical supervision, it is more manageable and less uncomfortable. The healthcare team can lower your dose gradually and ensure your safety and comfort during the acute phase of the hydrocodone detox.
They can then transition you to long-term addiction treatment consisting of psychotherapy and medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders with methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone.
Preventing Relapse
When you seek treatment for hydrocodone addiction at a professional facility such as Discover Recovery, your journey doesn’t end at the end of the rehab program. You continue to receive aftercare and learn and practice strategies for relapse prevention. The goal is to maximize your chances of long-term success in staying clean from hydrocodone use. Some relapse prevention strategies include:
- Taking medications such as methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone
- Learning coping strategies to deal with triggers and cravings
- Acquiring skills to manage urges to use hydrocodone
- Identifying and avoiding high-risk situations
- Adapting your lifestyle to include more healthy pursuits
- Building a support network
- Undergoing regular monitoring with urine drug screens
Get Help for Hydrocodone Addiction in Washington
Hydrocodone is a commonly prescribed opioid pain medication that is also frequently misused and abused. Prolonged hydrocodone use can put you at risk of physical and psychological dependence on the drug. Without treatment, a hydrocodone addiction (opioid use disorder) can put you at risk of serious health complications, including overdose and death.
If you or a loved one has developed an addiction to hydrocodone or other prescription painkillers, it’s important to seek professional treatment.
At Discover Recovery, we provide evidence-based treatment programs for hydrocodone detox and long-term recovery, including medication-assisted treatment and counseling and behavioral therapies for opioid use disorders. Contact Discover Recovery today to find out how you can reduce and discontinue hydrocodone use and lower your risk of a potentially fatal opioid overdose.
