Individuals who heat medications like Dilaudid for the purposes of shooting up put themselves in extreme danger of deadly side effects. If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid abuse and addiction, call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? now to find safe, reliable rehab options.
Why Do People Shoot Dilaudid?
Many people take prescription pain medications exactly as prescribed without any serious side effects. However, some individuals abuse their medications, take someone else’s prescription, or buy these drugs illegally. All of these types of use are considered abusive and dangerous. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, “The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health… reported that 1.0 million individuals aged 12 and older used Dilaudid for nonmedical purposes in their lifetime.”
People abuse Dilaudid and drugs like it because of the intense, euphoric effects it can cause when taken in high doses. This is often easier to obtain and happens much more quickly when an extended-release––or even a regular––medication is crushed or heated so the individual can then mix it with liquid and inject it. The high will come on much more intensely and much faster when someone does this. Still, many individuals who abuse Dilaudid do not consider the serious risks involved in shooting up prescription painkillers.
The Deadly Effects of Shooting Dilaudid
When a person shoots up with a drug like Dilaudid, as previously stated, the effects of the drug come on much faster than they are meant to. Therefore, an overdose could potentially occur, causing the individual to have too much of the drug in their system and to be vulnerable to deadly effects.
According to the National Library of Medicine, a hydromorhone overdose can cause one’s breathing to slow and potentially even stop. It can also cause brain damage and, in the event that the individual does not receive help in time, death. The symptoms of a Dilaudid overdose include
Pinpoint pupils are a warning sign of Dilaudid overdose.
- Bluish-colored fingernails, lips, and tongue
- Slow, labored breathing, shallow breathing, or no breathing
- Cold, clammy skin
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Lightheadedness
- Loss of consciousness
- The inability to wake the individual
- Low blood pressure
- Muscle twitches
- Pinpoint pupils (or pupils so small they look like the head of a pin)
- Stomach spasms
- Weakness
Shooting the drug increases one’s chances of experiencing this type of deadly effect because of the fact that all the drug’s effects come on stronger and more quickly when this type of abuse is involved. Drinking or using other drugs at the same time only increases this risk. When someone shoots Dilaudid, they are putting their life on the line constantly, not to mention the fact that addiction is usually never far behind.
Seek Help Now
If you or someone you know has been abusing Dilaudid, now is the time to seek help. Call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? and let us match you with rehab programs that will take your needs into account and allow you to recover safely from your opioid abuse and addiction.
