Hydrocodone can affect memory, and cause other cognitive deficits. Understanding why this occurs and how to correct it is a top priority for those who want to overcome the lingering side effects of opioid use. For an addict, memory loss is just one of the potential effects of using too much hydrocodone or any opioid medication.1
Persons taking opioid medications develop issues with their memory and thought processes including decision making, imagining future goals and planning future actions. Understanding memory lapse and other cognitive problems as a side effect of hydrocodone addiction is another reason to be hopeful about the benefits of hydrocodone addiction recovery.
Can cognitive decline be reversed after opiates?
After more than 17 years of serving our clients, you are invited to review the published evidence that captures our impressive success. Using a blend of various biophysical and holistic-based therapies, our aim is to rebuild the person’s state of health to a level where lingering effects and symptoms stemming from past drug use can be vastly improved, and in most cases, entirely eliminated. After opioid use, many avenues exist to get a person’s mental clarity, focus, energy and many other natural components of health back up to top level again. Please continue reading to find out more about our successful strategies.
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The standard dose of hydrocodone would be 5mg every 4 to 6 hours, for a patient needing the drug as a means of pain remediation. In a state of hydrocodone addiction, a person may take over 50mg at a time or ingest the medication in other ways to compensate for tolerance and to experience the effects faster. Drug addicts may abuse hydrocodone in other ways by sniffing or snorting it in powder form, or through injection. The signs of hydrocodone addiction are observably apparent in those who abuse the pain pill as their lives are visibly deteriorating, along with their possessions, their relationships, and their bank accounts. However, even those who take the drug as their doctor recommended for a valid pain issue, have a high risk of developing dependency or hydrocodone addiction.
Reasons Hydrocodone Could Be Affecting Your Memory
A research study was done in 2014 that clearly demonstrated the impaired memory of long-term opioid users compared to non-opioid users.1
There may be multiple factors to explain why memory is so affected. One is that a person in the midst of addiction may develop poor eating habits, and other forms of personal neglect that can lead to a general breakdown of health, particularly mental health. A person wanting to recover after memory loss or other hydrocodone side effects would benefit from the Neurotransmitter Rehabilitation program at the Alternative To Meds Center. By focusing on rebuilding brain chemistry and providing proper nutraceutical therapies, patients are able to minimize the length and severity of these hydrocodone side effects and maximize personal health naturally.
Brain Chemistry
Memory loss in hydrocodone users can also be attributed to the effects the medication has on brain chemistry. For example, dopamine is a natural chemical that offers a feeling of reward, happiness, and even euphoria. Hydrocodone, and other pain medications, work by triggering the brain to make additional dopamine available. During the process, it is common for the user to get a wave of pleasurable feelings, sometimes leading the user to go in and out of consciousness (nodding out). Whether the user is experiencing the high, coming down, or in hydrocodone withdrawal, the brain chemistry is not functioning at normal levels, which can lead to dysfunction. This can show up as memory loss, reduced focus, and reduced cognitive sharpness. The pleasurable aspects of hydrocodone come at a cost, but make it very effective as a medication for pain, giving the suffering patient a sense of feeling temporarily better in the mind and body.
But these same desirable effects of hydrocodone are also what make it so addictive. Opioid medications, including the pain pill hydrocodone, are the most deadly and addictive prescription drugs on the market. The addictive biochemistry of the individual will likely lead to long-term dependence on hydrocodone unless proper treatments are given to balance the dopamine levels and work on the underlying addictive issues.
Overmedication
A person being overmedicated is a major player in unwanted symptoms such as memory loss. Sometimes, a person given hydrocodone for pain will also be on other stronger medications for pain. Hydrocodone combined with other opiate medications could lead to a much more potent effect and a higher possibility of encountering memory loss or other memory-related issues.
With opioid abuse, pain pills being taken in excess of the prescribed dosage lead to increased feelings of euphoria. Extreme hydrocodone users achieve a high similar to heroin. These medications are highly addictive and once a person begins taking them in excess, a tolerance develops requiring more and more hydrocodone to mimic the initial desirable effect. An individual using hydrocodone in combination with psychiatric meds could experience a host of additional symptoms.
Drug use leaves toxic residues in the body. We also are barraged daily with toxins from the environment, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat. Clearing out these neurotoxic residues is also key for restoring natural mental health. This is another aspect of the program at Alternative to Meds Center.
Hydrocodone Drug Interactions
Hydrocodone taken in combination with other drugs or alcohol may have serious consequences. For example, both hydrocodone and alcohol are depressants. By taking the two at the same time, there is an increased risk for intensified side effects and symptoms. Changes in breathing, heart rate, memory, or brain issues are all potential problems a person may encounter while abusing multiple drugs. Even a simple glass of wine combined with hydrocodone could multiply the effects and lead to a quicker onset of intoxication as well as potentially life-threatening reactions. In a cognitively compromised state, poor decisions lead to negative outcomes.
Things to Do to Stimulate Memory
For those experiencing memory loss after using hydrocodone or other pain meds, the treatment approach would need to include aspects that treat both the brain chemistry and the addictive patterns. Even for a person that does not consider themselves addicted to hydrocodone, the body’s chemistry becomes dependent on the additional dopamine. Simply going without medication could cause withdrawal symptoms or mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
Alternative To Meds Center treats hydrocodone dependence by using a multifaceted treatment approach. Each client suffering side effects of hydrocodone is given the proper therapies and nutrients to target dopamine levels, plus the full range of nutrients that are necessary for normal CNS function. This process involves the use of orthomolecular medicine as well as a daily regimen of nutrients and toxin removal procedures. Correcting the diet is also of prime importance. Insomnia is another common problem that many struggle with when attempting to stop drug use. We provide an arsenal of therapies and strategies to improve and regulate sleep without further medication. Once a person is able to safely break the dependence on hydrocodone, neurochemistry can be restored naturally and kept in balance through the use of many effective and natural hydrocodone alternatives.
In order to stimulate memory, it is important to live a healthy lifestyle that includes foods that boost brain function, nutrients and supplements that target deficiencies, support a healthy microbiome (where many neurochemicals are produced), physical exercise, and a stress-free environment. Quality of sleep is also a huge determinant of memory and cognitive function. Using science-based therapies we help our clients recover from the problems caused by hydrocodone use, and offer holistic pain management strategies as well, for a full and authentic recovery experience. Counseling such as CBT has also been found to be extremely effective for any drug recovery program. CBT in particular is useful for restoring the quality of sleep, memory and cognitive sharpness, decision-making ability, and focusing on future plans and goals.7-13
Seeking Holistic Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment
At Alternative to Meds Center, we frequently see patients who have been prescribed too many medications. Often, patients have multiple doctors as many resources in providing their medications without the proper coordination of care. Our medical team helps those who are overmedicated find a baseline level of comfort through safe and effective medication tapering services and natural alternatives to hydrocodone and other medications.
Under no circumstances is it wise to stop opioid medication cold turkey. Acute medication withdrawal can be a difficult and medically dangerous process. Before trying to change your medication levels at home, please consult with a doctor, or consider working with our team for an effective holistic detox.
To learn more about medication titration and how Alternative To Meds Center can assist your hydrocodone recovery, including any concerns about memory loss, please call to speak with our highly trained, compassionate staff.
12. Rasch B, Born J. About sleep’s role in memory. Physiol Rev. 2013 Apr;93(2):681-766. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00032.2012. PMID: 23589831; PMCID: PMC3768102. [cited 2022 Sept 9]
This content has been reviewed and approved by a licensed physician.
Dr. Samuel Lee
Dr. Samuel Lee is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in a spiritually-based mental health discipline and integrative approaches. He graduated with an MD at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and did a residency in psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He has also been an inpatient adult psychiatrist at Kaweah Delta Mental Health Hospital and the primary attending geriatric psychiatrist at the Auerbach Inpatient Psychiatric Jewish Home Hospital. In addition, he served as the general adult outpatient psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente. He is board-certified in psychiatry and neurology and has a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Religion from Pacific Union College. His specialty is in natural healing techniques that promote the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
Diane is an avid supporter and researcher of natural mental health strategies. Diane received her medical writing and science communication certification through Stanford University and has published over 3 million words on the topics of holistic health, addiction, recovery, and alternative medicine. She has proudly worked with the Alternative to Meds Center since its inception and is grateful for the opportunity to help the founding members develop this world-class center that has helped so many thousands regain natural mental health.
Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.
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Memory loss in hydrocodone users can also be attributed to the effects the medication has on brain chemistry. For example, dopamine is a natural chemical that offers a feeling of reward, happiness, and even euphoria. Hydrocodone, and other pain medications, work by triggering the brain to make additional dopamine available. During the process, it is common for the user to get a wave of pleasurable feelings, sometimes leading the user to go in and out of consciousness (nodding out). Whether the user is experiencing the high, coming down, or in hydrocodone withdrawal, the brain chemistry is not functioning at normal levels, which can lead to dysfunction. This can show up as memory loss, reduced focus, and reduced cognitive sharpness. The pleasurable aspects of hydrocodone come at a cost, but make it very effective as a medication for pain, giving the suffering patient a sense of feeling temporarily better in the mind and body.
Alternative To Meds Center treats hydrocodone dependence by using a multifaceted treatment approach. Each client suffering side effects of hydrocodone is given the proper therapies and nutrients to target dopamine levels, plus the full range of nutrients that are necessary for normal CNS function. This process involves the use of 
