Zohydro is the brand name of a new painkiller on the market that is arousing a considerable amount of controversy. It contains 100% hydrocodone, a powerful opiate painkiller. But other painkillers also contain hydrocodone, so what makes this one new? It’s the fact that hydrocodone is ALL it contains.
Other hydrocodone-containing painkillers are mixed with acetaminophen, a non-opiate pain reliever. This is the primary ingredient in Tylenol. Many people know that overdoses of acetaminophen can cause liver damage or even failure resulting in death. This primarily occurs when acetaminophen is mixed with alcohol.
In prescription drugs like Vicodin and Lortab, hydrocodone is mixed with acetaminophen to deter abuse. Apparently, when these products were formulated, it was thought that a person would not want to abuse these pills if they had a second drug that would be toxic at higher doses. But one thing that happens when a person becomes addicted is that he stops thinking about consequences.
When a person builds up a tolerance to the opiate after lengthy use, he may be taking 20 or 30 pills a day. That would be a lethal dose for a new drug abuser. But because of the tolerance, a person who has been taking 30 pills a day for a long time will not die from the high dose of opiate. He could suffer liver damage and die from acetaminophen toxicity, however.
It is completely questionable as to whether or not the inclusion of acetaminophen has ever influenced anyone to avoid abusing hydrocodone products.
Drug Deaths from Hydrocodone
In 2010, opiate painkillers caused 16,651 deaths. That’s 44% of all overdose deaths that year. While this number could also include morphine and oxycodone, hydrocodone-containing pills are the #1 opiate being abused.
The pharmaceutical company Zogenix has recently convinced the Food and Drug Administration that an all-hydrocodone product is needed on the market. A year or so ago, an expert panel gathered by the FDA recommended rejecting the application to market this drug. But the FDA overrode their recommendation and recently approved the drug.
Several states are outraged by the approval, including Massachusetts, a state that has struggled with opiate addiction and overdoses. They tried to ban Zohydro from being prescribed but they were successfully sued by Zogenix and the ban was lifted.
It’s not for us to weigh in on whether or not this drug should be on the market. But one thing is abundantly clear: If a loved one is struggling with any kind of problem drug abuse, he or she needs to get help before he can be harmed by this strong formulation. Even if he’s smoking pot and doesn’t respond to your pleas to get sober, he’s in danger. Our interviews and experience show that it is an easy step for people to progress to use of stronger, more life-threatening drugs. Please call us immediately if we can help your loved one recover from their problems with drugs.
