Lortab, a combo of hydrocodone and acetaminophen like Lorcet, Norco and Vicodin, seems to be a supplemental drug of choice for those addicted to OxyContin and other oxycodone derivatives. Note: I have met a handful or two that somehow stumbled onto Lortab without realizing the addictive effects and ended up “strung out,” but more often I hear people say that they are addicted to other drugs and then couldn’t keep up with their body’s tolerance and so supplemented with Lortab.

Either way, this stuff is scary. A look at HealthBoards.com shows just how many people are struggling with their Lortab addiction. The side effects alone are devastating—blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, constipation, dizziness, fatigue—but on the other hand, withdrawal is so much worse. Constipation turns into stomach cramps and explosive diarrhea. Fatigue becomes overwhelming weariness but combined with involuntary leg movements and restlessness that amount to insomnia that is miserable. The intense craving for the drug combined with the irritability and vomiting, profuse sweating and overall achiness make this and every opiate withdrawal an absolutely miserable experience, one that makes the side effects look good.

A fear of withdrawal keeps a lot of people away from attempting to get clean, and it doesn’t have to be that way. While it’s uncommon for methadone or LAAM maintenance treatment to be prescribed for prescription painkiller addiction, it may be a possibility depending on where you live and what the regulations are. However, a more convenient option might be Suboxone and Subutex, the two pill forms of buprenorphine, a drug that is also an opiate but is reported to have fewer and less severe side effects.

The way it works is this: you stop taking the Lortab immediately and take Subutex for the first couple of days. After that, you take the Suboxone. You may choose it as a maintenance measure, taking as long as you need to detox. Or you may opt to slowly cut back on the drug at a measured rate so that you can be drug-free, sometimes in as few as six weeks.

Why take lower and lower doses of Suboxone instead of Lortab? Suboxone is reported to shorten the length of the detox and mitigate the withdrawal symptoms. Also, though getting high is rarely even a possibility for those who are using the drug to supplement another pain pill addiction, Suboxone definitely doesn’t have as much of an effect in that area, especially if you have a high opiate tolerance.

If you’d like more information on the effects of Lortab, why it’s prescribed and what to expect while you’re taking it, check out MedHelp.com.

Seth Binzer, otherwise known as Shifty, is one of the celebrities sharing his drug addiction recovery with the world on VH1’s Celebrity Drug Rehab. Born in LA, he moved around in his childhood only to return to the City of Angels for his teen years. He immersed himself in the West Coast hip hop scene and became a graffiti artist, meeting all the people who would help him start his music career. His high point came when he was the lead singer for Crazytown and their singles “Butterfly” and “Starry Eyed Surprise” were at the top of the charts.

Though his addiction most likely started much earlier, it was touring that perpetuated Seth’s drug addiction as we see it now on the show. The first episode shows him smoking crack before heading to Dr. Drew Pinsky’s rehab program, and as the show has progressed, we’ve seen him go through withdrawal, ostensibly from crack/cocaine.

The withdrawal symptoms exhibited by him and Jeff Conaway seem like two opposite extremes. It goes to show how different the experience can be for each individual. It really depends on how long you’ve been using, what you’ve been using most, in what doses, and what other health issues you have.

For those who are detoxing off of opiate painkillers like Fentanyl, Lortab, Norco and others, a medical Suboxone detox can help mitigate withdrawal symptoms. Taken in place of the opiate of choice, Suboxone binds to the same receptors in the brain, sort of tricking the body into believing that its receiving its usual dose. It doesn’t have the same high or euphoric effect of other, stronger opiates, however, and so immediately returns to you your mental clarity, allowing you to get back in the swing of things at work and at home. For more information about Suboxone treatment, contact the Meditox call center.

1. Knitting, ok stay with me. Knitting is the new punk. Check out these guys

2. Make a cable. I don’t know about you but I always need cable, and they are never the right size. These guys show you how easy it is to do. Check out the size differential, you will know what I mean when you watch it.

3. Submerge a computer in mineral oil. Now this one seems dangerous, but kinda cool.

4. Ahhhh, the matchstick rocket. I remember messing around like this when I was a kid and nearly burning down the house. You have been warned.

5. Metal wallpaper. There are tons of photoshop how to’s I could have included, but this one is cool for it’s speed and creativity.

6. Ice light. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. Cool, sub-zero even, hehe. But when it melts you have to start all over again.

7. Learn to tie a tie. Good for weddings, funerals and job inteviews. Not only do you get to learn how to tie a tie but you get to see a goofball ninja too.

8. Make your own funky T Shirts. You could even try your hand at selling a few of the better ones. I’m looking for a “I love Chile Doritios”, T shirt

9. Running a hot pc simply means a drag on performance, plus you end up using more electricity and shortening the life of the components. Here is a simple way to cool down your computer without the expense of extra fans.

10. If you are bored, why not teleport something. It’s much easier to achieve these days with the increase of polarity in the Nad system.

11. Floating around the corridor without a care in the world does seem kinda fun. Although it needs to be a non electric leaf blower so as not to be hindered by the electrical cord.

12. You never know when you are going to need more slime, so it’s good to have a good recipe in the drawer for when that slime moment grabs you

13. When I first heard this I thought it couldn’t be true, but the law of physics means you never need to be without light if you have the proper components. Although I’m not sure how practical this is.