What Are The Short Term Effects of Using Hydromorphone?

Hydromorphone is a narcotic that has many negative effects on the body and mind, and they start just as soon as a person ingests hydromorphone for the first time. The short term effects of taking hydromorphone, known as Dilaudid most commonly, can include:

• difficulty breathing; shortness of breath
• chest pain
• behavioural changes and mood swings
• urine retention
• dizziness and fainting
• agitation, irritability and anxiety
• nausea, stomach pain, vomiting; unusual-looking vomit resembling coffee grounds
• black, bloody stool; constipation
• seizures and convulsions
• blurry vision; altered vision of colours
• decreased heart rate
• increased heart rate
• tiredness and fatigue
• dry mouth
• clammy skin
• coughing and sneezing

The high from hydromorphone can last up to five hours; the short term side effects can happen at any time during that high, or shortly thereafter. Once the user comes down from the high, these side effects will subside. However, a long term user will experience them in an on-going manner.

Some of the short term side effects of Dilaudid are minor and therefore manageable. Generally, drug addicts cope with the side effects because they feel the high is worth the pain it causes. Sometimes users will find ways to deal with their side effects, but often the high distracts them from realizing how bad they truly are. Once they come down from the high, they often fall asleep, and are also unaware of the symptoms. However, once they come down, they often experience symptoms of depression, which can make all of their other side effects feel more intense. This drives them to seek the next high. Once they achieve euphoria again, these annoying symptoms become masked.

Users may also experience blood sugar spikes after ingesting hydromorphone. Upon ingesting the drug, the user’s sugar levels will rise, which is known as hyperglycemia. Within a few hours, the levels will fall, which is known as hypoglycemia. The user will likely experience sugar cravings during the come down when this is the case.

Dilaudid addicts often experience hormone imbalances as the drug takes its toll on their physiological state. The way it interferes with chemicals in the brain can leave long-lasting effects, but they begin right away. Users sometimes notice changes in their body and mind because of narcotic drug use.

The most severe immediate result of Dilaudid ingestion is overdose. This can happen quickly if the user has exceeded the amount of the drug they are tolerant to. The body can react extremely negatively, and very quickly, when too much is ingested. The user may become unconscious, or at least unusually sleep, and unable to respond.

The longer a person abuses hydromorphone, the more intense the withdrawal symptoms will be when it is not available. The high from hydromorphone can last for up to five hours, which is a relatively long high, but it is followed by an extreme low that can become a person’s reality very quickly between fixes. The roller coaster of highs and lows makes life as an addict very stressful and difficult. Withdrawing can come with irritability, depression and anxiety.