Effects of Lortab in the Body
Lortab is a combination of the two drugs hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Together, these two substances can be used to treat pain in the body. The acetaminophen (Tylenol) acts as the pain relief component of the drug, and hydrocodone (opioid) helps to relax the body.
Because Lortab contain an opioid, it works by binding to your opioid receptors in your body and central nervous system. Once it goes into the bloodstream and passes into the brain barrier, it begins to increase the amount of dopamine in the body, creating a euphoric feeling.
This medication can be extremely addictive and potentially dangerous if it is not taken properly. If you are having a problem while taking Lortab, it’s important to reach out for help right away. AToN Center is highly trained in opioid abuse, and our team of professionals can help to treat the symptoms of opioid addiction.
What is Lortab Used For?
Lortab is a drug that consists of hydrocodone (an opioid) and acetaminophen (Tylenol). The combination of the two is prescribed by a doctor or physician to treat pain in patients that is moderate to severe. Lortab can be addictive like heroin, because of the opioid hydrocodone.
For most patients, they are prescribed Lortab to treat pain due to a surgery, dental procedure, or injury of some kind. There are instances where Lortab can be prescribed for a persistent cough, as well.
How Long Does Lortab Stay in Your System?
There are many variables that play a factor in how long Lortab will stay in your system. Every drug has a half-life which is how long it takes for half of it to leave your system. Other factors may affect the half-life of the drug, for instance how your liver is functioning.
The half-life of the acetaminophen in Lortab is approximately one and a quarter to three hours. The three components of hydrocodone include the metabolites norhydrocodone and hydromorphone, and it is processed by the liver. There is about 85% of the dose that is eliminated from your urine within 24 hours of the last dose.
Blood: Up to 24 hours
Urine: Up to three days
Saliva: Up to three days
Hair: Up to 90 days
Hydrocodone takes around five to six half-lives to eliminate most of the drug from your system. It has a half-life of about four hours. With that, it can be detected in your urine for up to three days.
While taking Lortab, a drug test will be able to detect opioids, so it is important to be up front about medications that you are taking to the testing facility that you go to.
Factors that Contribute to How Long a Drug Will Stay in Your System
The detection times that are listed above may not be the same for everyone. There are other factors that can impact the amount of time Lortab will stay detected in your system.
Fluid Intake
Lortab is filtered through the kidneys, which means that the amount of fluid you ingest will have an affect on how quickly it exits your body. It can also dilute the urine, which in turn, will make it less detectable on a drug test.
Metabolism
Our metabolism is a key indicator for how long any substance will stay in your system. If you have a higher metabolism, a drug may exit your body quicker than if you have a slower metabolism.
Age
There is no definitive information that suggests that if you are elderly that Lortab will affect you in a different way. There is evidence that shows that because the drug is excreted through the kidneys primarily, and an older person may have decreased kidney functioning, that this drug may stay in their system longer.
Dosage and Time of Use
How long you have been taking Lortab and how much you are taking severely effects how long it will be detectable in your system. If you take higher doses, it will take longer for it to be cleaned out of your system. If you have been taking it for a long time, it will begin to develop in the tissues in your body, making it more detectable.
Kidney and Liver Function
Both acetaminophen and hydrocodone are excreted through the kidneys and processed through the liver, which means that changes in the functioning in either of these organs can extend or decrease the amount of time it stays in your system.
Other Substances in the Body
If you are taking other medications it can interfere with Lortab and extend the length of time that it stays in your system. For example, if you drink alcohol while taking Lortab, it can affect your body’s ability to metabolize the drug. When your body is processing more than one substance in the body, it can slow down the metabolism and cause the drug to stay in your system for a longer amount of time.
Getting Lortab Out of Your System
The first step in working on getting Lortab out of your system, is to speak with your doctor or physician to talk about the potential risks and side effects, this is important before you stop taking it. Speaking to you physician is very important.
Other things that can help eliminate the drug from your system is maintaining a healthy lifestyle, being well-hydrated and regular exercise may increase your body’s metabolism. This will allow the drug to leave your body more efficiently and at a quicker rate.
Addiction to Lortab
When you continue to take Lortab when it is no longer needed to relieve pain, this could indicate that you have a problem and are becoming addicted to the drug. When you take Lortab often and the effects of the drug begin to wear off, your body begins to crave more and more to maintain the same feelings that it causes.
The first step in determining if you have a problem is to see a doctor or physician to perform an evaluation and a menu of other tests to see what the level of problem your substance abuse has caused. If it is determined that you are addicted, it’s important to reach out to a detox facility like AToN recovery center right away, to receive multiple levels of care for your addiction problem.
Overdose from Lortab
If you consistently take Lortab and then quit, it can cause the body to go into severe withdrawals, and potentially an overdose.
Some common symptoms of overdose include:
- Loss of consciousness or coma
- Blue color of skin, fingernails, lips
- Stomach and intestinal spasms
- Difficulty breathing
- Slow or stopped heartbeat
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- Seizures
- Excessive sleepiness
- Spasms of the stomach or intestinal tract
- Cold, clammy skin
- Dizziness
- Narrowing or widening of the pupils
- Fainting
- Limp or weak muscles
- Liver failure
If you think that you or someone you know is suffering from an overdose from drugs, it’s important to contact help right away, call 911. AToN Center’s detox and opioid recovery program can help ease the pain and discomfort of opioid withdrawal and treat those who survive an opioid overdose.
Addiction Opioid Treatment at AToN Center
AToN Center in California is a resort style, luxury alcohol and drug rehab center that specializes in opioid drug treatment. Our certified clinicians and staff are available all day and night to ensure you have everything you need during your treatment stay.
When you come to AToN Center, you will feel safe, we are not an inpatient hospital, we are a residential inpatient facility to experience treatment. Our facility is inviting and comfortable, full of amenities including yoga, acupuncture, a pool, meditation and much more. Our five-star chefs cook healthy and nutritious meals every day for our clients, ensuring that both the body and mind are remaining healthy.
If you are suffering from addiction to Lortab or other drugs, please reach out to a staff member at AToN Center immediately and get the help you deserve for your addiction problem.
