Posts Tagged ‘Addicted to Oxycontin’

A significant number of people have died from being addicted to Oxycontin.

Known as “the poor man’s heroin”, Oxycontin is an opioid analgesic medication extracted from opium-derived thebaine and is used to relieve moderate to severe pain.

Due to its chemical similarity to heroin but without its reputation, abusers would indulge in the availability and ease of use of this substance without being aware of the dangers posed by this drug. Children and teenagers will also ransack their parent’s medicine cabinet looking for Oxycontin, and due to their smaller bodies, they will be more susceptible to the effects of adult-strength pills. Thus, the average use of Oxycontin has increased by 300% during the past decade, and emergency room visits due to Oxycontin-related issues have jumped up to 500% during the same period. The most likely demographic for Oxycontin addiction are white women between the ages of 10 to 40.

Oxycontin works by stimulating the opiate receptors in the brain, causing extreme pleasure as well as pain reduction that lasts for many hours. Many people treat Oxycontin like any other street drug without knowing it contains oxycodone in its purest form. What’s more, the time -release nature of the orally-ingested drug means there is a delay in the effect after consumption. Therefore, they will try to grind the pill and snort the powder or dissolve it in water to be injected it straight into the bloodstream to deliver a high directly into their system. Unfortunately, the potency of the drug increases the likelihood of an overdose. The most severe short-term effect of Oxycontin addiction is respiratory depression, where an addict’s breathing slows down significantly enough to cause a coma or even death. Oxycontin can also be lethal when combined with other medication or alcohol, which can cause cardiac arrest, stroke, high blood pressure and death.

What’s more, those addicted to Oxycontin will resort to deception and theft to secure enough supplies to maintain a constant dosage every 6 hours in order to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Many will shop around for physicians who will prescribe the drug to them or even steal from pharmacies that stock the pills. Long-term Oxycontin abusers will also develop a tolerance for the drug and will require larger and larger doses in order to attain the same high. The price of Oxycontin pills range from $200 to $700, depending on geographical location and potency, so savings are quickly depleted to support the addiction. Ironically, the steep price for the drug force many addicts to resort to cheaper street-bought heroin in order to get a similar fix. There is also a risk of imprisonment due to criminal acts related to the addiction, as well as steep legal fees that would drain family resources.

To detect those addicted to Oxycontin, loved ones must look for withdrawal symptoms associated with it, such as insomnia, profuse sweating, stomach cramps, twitching, vomiting, diarrhea and joint pains. An addict will also become sluggish, irritable and unmotivated, with a loss of appetite and longer hours of sleep. He will also withdraw from social gatherings and activities he has previously enjoyed, and may display violent behavior and fits of anger. Severe cases will have the addict destroy relationships between lovers and families, and lose jobs and homes due to blind pursuit of an Oxycontin high. The loss of these emotional and social entanglements will mean that the addict is free to pursue his high, causing him to sink deeper into addiction. Loved ones may first attempt to talk to the addict about his condition and give in to treatment right then and there. If the addict is in denial about his condition and react angrily, they may try to stage an intervention composed of his friends, colleagues and family to try to make him face his problem. While involuntary rehabilitation is possible, an unwilling addict can easily slip back into Oxycontin abuse. Only by admitting that he has an addiction problem and is willing to stop it will successful treatment be likely to succeed.

There are withdrawal symptoms associated with Oxycontin. These make it hard for addicts to stop taking the drug without assistance or medication to reduce the symptoms. The best chance for an addict to recover is by admitting himself to a Oxycontin treatment facility, such as Hawaii Island Recovery. The addicts and his loved ones can look for a list of Oxycontin treatment centers in the vicinity then schedule an interview with the staff to determine their success rate and diagnosis of the level of addiction with the patient. The staff can also answer any question the family might have regarding program steps. Families can also get recommendations for treatment centers from former addicts who have successfully fought their addiction. These former addicts can be found in local support groups or online in discussion rooms and forums. The usual program duration is from 30 to 60 days, or can last up to several months for severe cases. An Oxycontin addiction treatment expert can recommend the level and duration of treatment for each case of addiction that will improve the chances of complete recovery.

Loved ones should also continue supporting recovering Oxycontin addicts during and after their rehabilitation. Support groups are common for this drug, so finding and joining one shouldn’t present a problem. These groups meet regularly and compare notes on how long they have stayed clean, as well as their relationship and career status. Those in the group will vocally cheer on for continuing successes among their member and provide strength and morale until the next meeting.

Of course, there is a chance that a recovering addict can relapse into Oxycontin abuse once more because to the drug’s availability or his supplier and addiction group is pressuring him once more to addiction. They can once more go into treatment like at Hawaii Island Recovery’s Big Island Recovery program, and then take steps to change his lifestyle to reduce the chance of exposure to the drug and the drug lifestyle. Whether they fail or not the first time, those addicted to Oxycontin must try and recover from their addiction in order to resume their previous lives for the sake for own selves and their loved ones.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction please contact Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911.

Those addicted to Oxycontin should explore Hawaii Island Recovery’s Big Island treatment program to see how medical, holistic and alternative therapy can make a difference in their recovery.

Oxycontin abusers no longer feel any pleasure from normal activities of daily life. It is therefore an important step in their treatment that they rediscover that there is more to life than just the effects of the drug.

Oxycontin is a medicine prescribed for people in pain because it is a very effective analgesic. If this drug is properly used, it is capable of improving the quality of life for a lot of people who suffer from chronic pain and is frequently prescribed for people with cancer.  Oxycontin works in the same way as Morphine. Those who are taking this drug experience feelings of pleasantness and euphoria. As these people take more of this drug for a longer period of time, they became so used to these feelings that they may develop cravings for it. These cravings for the drug result from the impact of the feelings of pleasantness and euphoria in the person’s memory. If they continue to rely on the drug to sustain these feelings, these persons may be addicted. However, as a person uses more Oxycontin for a longer time period, his body adapts to the drug and starts developing tolerance to it therefore to get the same effect, the person needs to take higher doses of the drug. This poses as a significant public health threat because high doses of this drug can be fatal.

Oxycontin has oxycodone, a time-released substance that may be found in common painkillers. However, the amount of oxycodone found in Oxycontin is significantly higher compared to other painkillers; sometimes it may even be ten times higher. This drug is meant to be orally ingested whole. Those addicted to Oxycontin are known to ingest the drug in different ways. Some people chew the tablets while others crush the tablets and snort the powdered remains. Oxycontin is also soluble in water. Some abusers may even crush the tablet into powder, dissolve it in water, and inject the solution directly into their bloodstream. Inhaling and injecting the drug directly into the bloodstream lead to faster release and absorption of the drug into the system. This rapidly activates the brain’s reward centers without providing anything beneficial for the body leading to increased reliance on the drug for pleasure instead of deriving and getting satisfaction from other areas of their lives. Since the body eventually develops tolerance to the drug, long-term abusers no longer experience the same level of pleasure and euphoria. Despite that, they persist in using the drug because without the drug the pain they are suffering from is too overwhelming without it.

Those addicted to Oxycontin may suffer from vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, cold sweats, muscle or bone pain, involuntary movements of the leg, and general restlessness if they go without Oxycontin. As the reliance on the drug increases, they may lose interest in other things that they used to enjoy. People and activities that these users previously found satisfaction from increasingly lose importance for the Oxycontin abuser. Since these people and activities do not fit their Oxycontin abuse lifestyle, those addicted to the drug begin to resent them.

Oxycontin may also act as a substitute for heroin and may be used by those that have abused heroin in the past. The drug is also a prescription drug therefore several health insurance policies would cover any cost associated with its use. There is also a variety of ways in which to obtain the drug. Some people use pharmacy diversion where the staff in the pharmacy takes the drug from the shelves. Some acquire it from the pharmacy through the use of fake prescriptions. Some users are also known to practice “Doctor Shopping” where they have consultations with several physicians and have these physicians prescribe the Oxycontin. After the drug is acquired, they may abuse it or sell it to other abusers. Because of its easy acquisition, this drug poses a major problem in the United States.

Since the drug is an analgesic, taking too much of the drug may depress the body’s normal functions. Oxycontin may cause respiratory depression. The normal rate of respiration for adults at rest is between twelve to twenty breaths per minute. Those who have taken Oxycontin may suffer from respiratory depression and have lower respiratory rates leading to lower oxygen levels in the body, which may result to permanent brain damage. The drug also depresses the central nervous system leading one to become confused or sleepy or have mood swings. This is especially dangerous if the one taking the Oxycontin has to drive because he might have slower reflexes or worse, fall asleep in the driver’s seat and cause harm to himself or others. If the one taking Oxycontin falls asleep, with the added danger of depressed respiration, he might not even wake up.

Oxycontin is a dangerous drug and addiction to the drug requires professional intervention. Oxycontin is an opiate and as such requires proper detoxification and a carefully planned and expert assistance. Recovery not only needs proper service and intervention, it also requires the right setting. Remember, Oxycontin addiction deprives people of their normal ways of getting pleasure. People, places, and activities that formerly provided peace and enjoyment for abusers are no longer important for Oxycontin abusers. Besides a properly supervised treatment plan and detoxification, those addicted to Oxycontin need to be reminded again of the things that gave them pleasure and enjoyment. They need to be weaned from their dependence from drug-induced euphoria and rediscover what other pleasures the rest of the world has to offer. A Hawaii Island Recovery, with its magnificent views of the Pacific, its snow capped mountains and warm sandy beaches, and its tropical rainforests teeming with life, is one of the best ways for abusers to be reminded that there is much beauty in the world to experience and derive enjoyment from.

If you are an addict, Hawaii Island Recovery can help. Call 866-906-6911.