Hydrocodone Research Paper

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The Benefits and Dangers of Hydrocodone

Today, the United States is suffering from a veritable epidemic of prescription drug abuse, including both legitimate and illicit uses of these otherwise legal drugs including most especially the analgesic hydrocodone. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature to provide a description of the origin of hydrocodone, the effects of the drug on the human body and how it is typically introduced into the body. In addition, a discussion concerning slang references for hydrocodone and its current street costs is followed by current usage statistics, a description of applicable laws and a physical description of hydrocodone. Finally, the paper presents a summary of the literature review and key findings about the research concerning hydrocodone in the conclusion.

Origin of hydrocodone

Although the prescription abuse epidemic that is sweeping the country is relatively recent in origins, the origin of semisynthetic hydrocodone dates back nearly a century to 1920 when Helene Lowenheim and Carl Mannich, two chemists from Germany, first succeeded in synthesizing the drug (The history of hydrocodone, 2018). It was not until 1943, however, during the height of World War II, that the Food and Drug Administration approved hydrocodone for use in the United States and the drug has since been approved for use in other Western nations including Great Britain and Canada (The history of hydrocodone, 2018).

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The effect of hydrocodone the body

Besides the highly desired sense of euphoria hydrocodone produces, the drug also provides an analgesic, pain-killing effect for which it was originally intended and for which it continues to be prescribed (Fiscella & Gibson, 2018). It is important to note, however, that hydrocodone can also result in slowed or even stopped breathing, especially during the first 2 to 3 days of use (Hydrocodone overview, 2018). The drug is also highly addictive and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms that frequently require clinical management upon cessation (Fiscella & Gibson, 2018).

Method of introduction of hydrocodone into the body

The conventional method of introduction of hydrocodone into the human body is orally; however, some hydrocodone abusers have been known to dissolve several capsules or tablets and inject them directly into the body in order to achieve a greater effect. Clinicians, though, caution that this method of introduction is incredibly dangerous and potentially fatal and the high concentrations of acetaminophen found in many hydrocodone….....

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