Causes and Risks:

• hydrocodone
• acetaminophen

Where Found:

• Lortab

Symptoms:

• body as a whole
  • muscle spasticity
• respiratory
  • breathing slow and labored
  • breathing shallow
  • no breathing
• eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • pinpoint pupils
• skin
  • bluish skin (fingernails and lips)
• gastrointestinal
  • spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
  • constipation
  • vomiting
• heart and blood vessels
  • weak pulse
  • low blood pressure
• nervous system
  • drowsiness
  • coma

Home Treatment: DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.

Before Calling Emergency: Determine the following:

• the patient’s age, weight, and condition
• the name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
• the time it was swallowed
• the amount swallowed
• it the medication was prescribed for the patient

Call Poison Control: They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers - for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What To Expect: Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

• Use gastric lavage.
• Administer activated charcoal.
• Administer a laxative.
• Give a counteracting medication (narcotic antagonist) in multiple doses if needed.
• Give intravenous fluids administered as needed.
• Monitor breathing.
• Treat the symptoms.

If an antidote can be given, recovery from an acute overdose occurs within 24 to 48 hours for hydrocodone and within 3 to 4 days for acetaminophen.