Opioid-based painkillers can be an effective way to manage pain for injury patients. Over the years, they have been prescribed to millions of folks recovering from surgery or serious injury in the hopes of mitigating the intense pain that comes with those conditions. Unfortunately, these medications can also lead to dependency or overdose, resulting in complications or even death.
Opioids such as hydrocodone carry significant risks of dependency over time, which leads users to increase their dosage to achieve the same impact they experienced initially. It doesn’t take long for these increased dosages to move to dangerous levels, often resulting in an overdose. The risk is so pronounced that the FDA voted in 2013 to make it more difficult for doctors to prescribe hydrocodone to their patients.
Symptoms of a hydrocodone overdose can include:
- blue, clammy, or cold skin,
- bradycardia (heart slowness),
- cardiac arrest,
- coma,
- respiratory depression,
- seizures,
- and even death.
If you or someone you love suffered an overdose after taking hydrocodone, you may be entitled to significant compensation for what you’ve been through. Call our experienced drug injury attorneys today for a free evaluation of your claim. The amount of time you have to receive compensation may be limited, so contact us today.