Lortab Side Effects, Abuse & Addiction

What is Lortab?

Lortab, the brand name for hydrocodone/acetaminophen, is an opioid pain medication and combination drug. It either includes a mixture of acetaminophen and hydrocodone or aspirin and hydrocodone. Lortab relieves moderate to severe pain and coughing.

Acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, and aspirin belong to two different drug classes. Tylenol is a fever reducer and analgesic pain reliever that increases the effects of hydrocodone. Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Lortab ASA contains aspirin. Regular Lortab contains acetaminophen.

Drugs that contain hydrocodone, like Lortab, are classified as Schedule II substances. This means they are habit-forming and have a high risk of misuse, abuse, and addiction. Other hydrocodone/acetaminophen combination drugs that produce similar effects include:

• Zydone
• Vicodin
• Norco
• Anexsia
• Anolor DH
• Lorcet

Side Effects of Lortab

Lortab triggers several side effects that range from mild to life-threatening. Most commonly, Lortab users experience:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sedation

Less common mild to moderate symptoms include:

• Mental clouding
• Lethargy
• Impairment of mental and physical performance
• Anxiety, fear, or dysphoria
• Mood changes
• Constipation
• Ureteral spasm, spasm of vesical sphincters and urinary retention have been reported with opiates
• Skin rash

Lortab is also associated with serious, potentially life-threatening side effects, including respiratory depression and liver failure.

Respiratory depression is a risk when Lortab is used in high doses or by sensitive patients. This is because large amounts of hydrocodone act on the brain stem’s respiratory center, which affects respiratory rhythm. This can result in irregular and periodic breathing. Respiratory symptoms tend to be worse when a Lortab user has a head injury, existing intracranial pressure, or other intracranial lesions.

Drug Interactions

The FDA warns Lortab is likely to interact with alcohol, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, migraine medications, and other drugs.

According to the FDA review, the combination of opioids, benzodiazepines, and other drugs that depress the body’s central nervous system (CNS) can cause potentially fatal breathing problems. Because of this risk, the FDA now requires a Black Box Warning (the strongest type of warning) on Lortab, all prescription opioids, and benzodiazepines. 

The FDA also encourages medical professionals to limit prescribing opioid pain medications to patients using benzodiazepines and other CNS depressants. 

Additionally, the FDA issued a warning regarding multiple opioid risks, including:

• Harmful interactions with other medications, including antidepressants and migraine medications
• Decreased sex hormone levels
• Impotence and infertility
• Adrenal gland problems, resulting in inadequate cortisol production
• Toxic levels of serotonin build up in the brain (serotonin syndrome)
• Do not take Lortab while breastfeeding, as the drug passes through breast milk and can harm your baby

Combining Lortab and alcohol is extremely dangerous. This is because both substances depress the central nervous system (CNS), which results in shallow breathing and can lead to loss of muscle control or death.

Lortab Overdose Symptoms

It is possible to overdose on hydrocodone or acetaminophen, both of the active ingredients in Lortab. When taken in large doses, a Lortab overdose can occur.

Symptoms of hydrocodone overdose include:

• Signs of respiratory depression (decrease in respiratory rate, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, or cyanosis)
• Coma
• Skeletal muscle flaccidity
• Cold and clammy skin
• Bradycardia
• Hypotension
• Sleep apnea
• Circulatory collapse
• Cardiac arrest

Symptoms of acetaminophen overdose include:

• Hepatic necrosis, which causes indicated by nausea, vomiting, diaphoresis, and general malaise
• Renal tubular necrosis
• Hypoglycemic coma
• Thrombocytopenia

Lortab Addiction Symptoms

Lortab has a high addiction risk due to its hydrocodone content.

Long-term use of Lortab, and other opioid medications, leads to tolerance and the need to take higher doses to achieve the same effects. This increases the risk of overdose and alters the way your brain functions.

After just a few weeks of using a highly addictive narcotic, such as Lortab, a mild form of physical dependence can form.

With continued use, the body will become completely physically dependent on the drug. This means you must take more of it in order to function properly. Not taking Lortab after physical dependence forms will trigger withdrawal symptoms that range from mild to severe.

Symptoms of Lortab addiction might include:

Stopping the use of Lortab after an addiction develops can trigger symptoms. Early withdrawal symptoms that tend to occur within 24 hours of the last dose include:

• Muscle aches
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Watery eyes
• Runny nose
• Excessive sweating
• Insomnia
• Excessive yawning

The following symptoms tend to occur after 24 hours without a dose:

• Abdominal cramping
• Diarrhea
• Nausea 
• Vomiting
• Goosebumps
• Dilated pupils
• Rapid heartbeat
• Elevated blood pressure

Medical supervision is important for anyone breaking an addiction to Lortab or any other opioid.

Lortab Addiction Treatment Options

It is possible to recover from Lortab addiction. It is an unpleasant process, and in some cases, should include medical supervision. Mild withdrawal symptoms might feel like a case of the flu and can be managed in much the same way. This includes the use of over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen, Imodium, anti-nausea medications, and fluids and rest.

More severe withdrawal symptoms often require medical attention. Prescription medications, including clonidine, ease intense withdrawal symptoms, such as:

• Muscle aches
• Cramping
• Restlessness
• Sweating
• Tears
• Runny nose
• Anxiety

Suboxone (a mild opioid) and naloxone (an opioid blocker) also make withdrawal easier. Methadone (a synthetic opioid) is a long-term maintenance treatment that is gradually reduced in a controlled manner. It also eliminates withdrawal symptoms and relieves drug cravings. 

Rapid detoxification is also an option, but it is rarely used because many doctors believe the risks outweigh the benefits. 

People addicted to Lortab tend to experience the best recovery results when they undergo:

• Medication-Assisted Treatment
• Therapy
• Counseling