Who Is More Vulnerable To Developing An Oxycodone Addiction
Some people may have a higher chance of developing oxycodone addiction than others.
Individuals with a history of trauma, particularly in childhood, are most at risk of developing any addiction, including to opiates, says Dr. Heather Roe, an addiction medicine specialist in Wichita, Kansas.
Other factors include having:
- a personal or family history of alcohol and drug misuse
- mental health conditions like depression and anxiety
- several surgeries or injuries that may require repeated oxycodone use
- chronic pain or illnesses, like cancer, that require repeated use
For some people, the fact that opioids come from a medical doctors office with a prescription may make them think theyre safer to use. While taking opioids as prescribed and under a doctors close care is indeed safe, opioids do come with side effects.
If people are unaware of the side effects, they may be more vulnerable to oxycodone addiction, says Crépault.
Unlike heroin or other street drugs, prescription opioids like oxycodone are made by pharmaceutical companies and given out by doctors and pharmacists, he says. That gives them a legitimacy as medicine that can make us forget that they are as dangerous and addictive as heroin and sometimes far more potent.
This can especially be the case when not used as prescribed.
If your body is used to the effects of oxycodone, reducing or limiting its consumption may cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms.
These may include:
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But in all the scrutiny of Purdue and OxyContin, the problem of the drug wearing off early was not addressed.
Purdue sales reps who spent their days visiting doctors to talk up OxyContin heard repeatedly that the drug didnt last. In reports to headquarters, they wrote that many physicians were prescribing it for three or even four doses a day.
Company officials worried that if OxyContin wasnt seen as a 12-hour drug, insurance companies and hospitals would balk at paying hundreds of dollars a bottle.
Some already were.
Dr. Lawrence Robbins started prescribing OxyContin at his Chicago migraine clinic shortly after it hit the market. The neurologist recalled in an interview that 70 to 80% of his patients reported that the drug just lasts four, five, six, seven hours. Robbins started telling people to take it more frequently. But insurance carriers often refused to cover the pharmacy bill for more than two pills a day, he said.
Over the years, he wrote insurance companies more than 25 times on behalf of patients who he believed needed OxyContin more frequently than every 12 hours, he said. In some cases, the insurers relented. When others did not, Robbins switched the patients to another drug.
Robbins said he had no choice: If they are having a real struggle with opioid withdrawal, sure, you have to do something.
For Purdue, doctors like Robbins were a problem that had to be confronted.
The Effects Of Oxycodone Addiction
The effects of Oxycodone addiction can cause a whole host of negative long-term effects in almost all areas of an individuals life. Common effects of long-term Oxycodone use include:
- Loss of friends and family
- Cardiovascular damage
- Loss of job or expulsion from school
- Financial struggles
Withdrawal & Overdose
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Medications For Oxycodone Addiction Treatment
Long-term, slow release methadone or buprenorphine treatment can help minimize cravings, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and generally allow the individual to live their life without the severe side effects of quitting opioid abuse. One of these medications will often be used to treat any type of opioid addiction, including oxycodone. However, some individuals may opt for naltrexone, a medication that is given after withdrawal has ended, blocks the effects of opioids, and precipitates withdrawal in those who begin to abuse narcotics again. Depending on your needs, the severity of your addiction, and your particular situation, you and your doctor can decide together which medication is best for you.
How To Treat Oxycodone Addiction
There are many resources and treatment options available if youre living with oxycodone addiction.
The key is to reach out and use these resources. Thats where recovery from an addiction begins, Crépault says.
As time goes on, the recovery process is about putting lives back together by reconnecting with loved ones and learning how to navigate everyday life, including things like work, school, and other responsibilities, without going back to the addiction, he says.
Theres no one-size-fits-all approach to addiction treatment. What matters is that you find one that works with you.
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How Long To Get Addicted To Oxy
It may take a couple of weeks for someone to become physically dependent on oxycodone, but that varies by person. How quickly someone becomes addicted to oxycodone depends on factors like frequency of use, doses taken, family history of addiction, and use of other drugs or alcohol.
However, we also know that even those who take prescription opioids directed regularly and for long periods can develop physical dependence, which is a risk factor for addiction. Other factors such as the family history of drug use and existing mental illness can also increase the likelihood of drug abuse.
Whether genetically or through learned behavior, those who grow up in households where drug use was common or had close relatives with drug problems are at an increased risk of developing a drug problem themselves. Additionally, many people with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety turn to drugs to alleviate their symptoms, developing an addiction that will co-exist with their current condition.
Those who abuse their prescription opioids are not only at an increased risk of developing an addiction to their medications, but theyre also more likely to turn to harder drugs – like heroin – to feed their developing tolerance. Its important to note that nearly half of those who use heroin started abusing prescription opioids first.
Have A Solution Ready
Many people with an addiction dont know what to do about it. They feel like no one can help them. Show them that they have options. Do the research for them. When you talk, have rehabilitation facilities available in your price range. If you dont have a lot of money, you might want to ask them if they would like to talk to other relative. Remember that it should be their decision to ask other people for help.
Once your partner decides to go to rehab, you have to be supportive. Visit them if you get the opportunity. You should also help them with their transition when they get back home.
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Oxycontin Use And Abuse
OxyContin is the brand name for a timed-release formula of oxycodone, a narcotic analgesic . It’s used to relieve pain from injuries, arthritis, cancer, and other conditions. Oxycodone, a morphine-like drug, is found along with non-narcotic analgesics in a number of prescription drugs, such as Percodan and Percocet .
OxyContin contains between 10 and 80 milligrams of oxycodone in a timed-release formula that allows up to 12 hours of relief from chronic pain. What distinguished OxyContin from other analgesics was its long-acting formula, a blessing for patients who typically need round-the-clock relief.
“If you have pain that’s there all the time, four hours goes by very quickly,” says cancer specialist Mary A. Simmonds, MD. “If you’re not watching the clock, the pain comes back. People tend not to take their pills on time. The pain builds back up, so you’re starting over. It’s not very good management of pain.”
Simmonds gave testimony on the value of OxyContin for alleviating cancer pain at a 2002 Congressional hearing. “For moderate to severe pain, aspirin and Tylenol aren’t effective. We do need opioids.”
It’s the high content of oxycodone that makes OxyContin popular on the street. People who abuse the drug crush the tablet and swallow or snort it, or dilute it in water and inject it. This destroys the time-release mechanism so that the user gets the full effects of the narcotic. Users compare the high to the euphoria of heroin.
Behavioral Signs And Symptoms Of Oxycodone Abuse
The behavioral signs of addiction depend on a range of factors, such as a persons living arrangements, finances, assets, and the severity of the addiction. CBS News, in an effort to educate the American public in the midst of an opioid pill epidemic, provides the following five signs of painkiller abuse:
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Oxycodone Addiction
Opioid addiction, including addiction to oxycodone, is a chronic disease indicated by the compulsive or uncontrollable drug pursuit and use despite any harmful consequences to an individuals job, relationships, finances, and physical and mental health.6 Those who are struggling with oxycodone addiction may experience various symptoms. Oxycodone side effects may include:8
- Severe dizziness.
- Overdose, which can result in death.
These side effects can range from uncomfortable to lethal, depending on the dose, method of use, and users tolerance level. Methods of ingestion that could potentially speed the onset of effects, like snorting or injecting the drug, may put the user at a higher risk of overdose, though this depends largely on the dose and potency of the product prepared to be misused in this manner.
Opioid overdose is tragically common. The effects that oxycodone has on the central nervous system can turn a feeling of relaxation into a struggle to stay alive. Symptoms of an oxycodone overdose include:1,4,6
- Severe drowsiness.
People who overdose on opioids often experience slowed or stopped breathing. This decreases the amount of oxygen that reaches their brain, potentially resulting in coma, permanent brain damage, or death.6
Whats An Addiction To Oxycodone
Substance use disorder, including addiction, exists on a continuum.
Its possible to only have a physical addiction, or dependence, which can go away once you detox off oxycodone.
However, its not uncommon to develop an emotional addiction to oxycodone. For many people, the euphoric effects are challenging to let go of.
In either case, an addiction is an inability to stop using oxycodone, even though youre experiencing physical, emotional, and behavioral difficulties as a result of using it.
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How Often Will I Take It
How often you take it depends on the type of oxycodone that you’ve been prescribed:
- capsules usually 4 to 6 times a day
- slow-release tablets usually 1 to 2 times a day
- liquid usually 4 to 6 times a day
You can take oxycodone at any time of day, but try to take it at the same time every day and space your doses evenly. For example, if you take oxycodone twice a day and have your first dose at 8am, take your second dose at 8pm.
Best Rehab Centers In Peru In
Less than an hour from Peru are alcohol and drug treatment services that include medical detox, inpatient treatment, dual-diagnosis treatment, regular and intensive outpatient programs.
Peru is located in Miami County, where three drug rehab centers are located.
Near Peru, substance abuse treatment offered includes:
- dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders
- intensive outpatient treatment
- partial hospitalization programs
For more treatment options, be sure to view our list of the best rehab centers in Indiana.
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This Is How Easy It Is To Get Hooked On Painkillers
Five successful men who became addicts share the stories of how their lives unraveled
When you think of a drug addict, you probably imagine a guy who looks like an extra from The Wire or Breaking Badsemi-homeless, shabby, and shuffling around on the wrong side of the tracks.
The reality is different. Many guys who get hooked on prescription painkillers are successful professionals. More often than not, their downward spiral into addiction starts with a legitimate prescription from a well-meaning doctor or dentist.
Thats exactly how it happened for five men. Here are their stories, in their own words.
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How It StartedI was prescribed oxycodone after hurting my back making a delivery in 2011. My doctor told me that even if I wasnt in pain, I needed to take the pills every 8 hours because the pain would be worse if the medication wasnt already on board before a flair-up.
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Each month I would walk into his office and he would continue to prescribe me painkillers and recommend I stay away from work and on disability. Then he opened a pain clinic, and I only saw him every 3 months. He would give me a supply of painkillers and send me on my way. This went on for about 7 years.
I knew early on that I was addicted, but I didnt think there was anything I could do. I asked my doctor if there was a medication I could take to get off of the painkillers, and he told me no.
Youve Experienced Withdrawal Symptoms
Lin Sternlicht, LMHC, an addiction specialist and founder of Family Addiction Specialist in New York City, tells WebMD Connect to Care that one easily-identifiable sign of prescription opioid addiction is experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. Withdrawal usually begins within hours or days of last using opioids and can be extremely uncomfortable.
Common withdrawal symptoms can be similar to severe flu which include:
- Muscle or bone pain
- Diarrhea and vomiting
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I Think My Spouse May Be Addicted To Oxycodone: What Do I Do
It all starts with an injury. Your partner gets a prescription for pain killers to help them with the pain. For an intense injury, they may be on the medication for an extended period of time. Soon, the prescribed dose doesnt do it anymore. They start by taking the next dose early. Then, they take two pills instead of one. Before they know it, the prescription has run out and they are buying their pills on the street. You hardly notice them anymore since they are constantly nodding off.
It can be scary when you watch your better half spiral out of control, especially when it involves an addiction to oxycodone. The topic is sensitive. While you want to take action, you dont want to scare them away. You have to handle the situation carefully to get the best outcome. Here are some tips on how to handle the situation if you think your spouse may be addicted to oxycodone.
Signs And Symptoms Of Oxycodone Addiction
The symptoms of OxyContin addiction can vary wildly among individuals. Symptoms will depend upon individual characteristics, the length of addiction, the frequency of use, and amount of oxycodone used. Symptoms common to Oxy abuse include:
Behavioral symptoms:
- Lying about amount of Oxy used
- Multiple doctor visits
- Track marks on arms and legs
Effects of Oxycodone
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Oxycodone Addiction And Teenagers
Prescription drug addiction is on the rise across most demographics in the United States, but perhaps nowhere is this increase more evident than among teens. More and more teenagers are stealing Oxycodone from the medicine chests of family and friends or simply receiving the drug from their peers. In addition, the growth of illicit internet pharmacies has made it easy for web savvy teens to gain access to these powerful drugs with little criminal risk.
The growth in teen Oxycodone addiction has been fueled by the incorrect assumption that prescription painkillers because they are often prescribed by a medical doctor are somehow safer than illicit street drugs such as heroin or cocaine. This is absolutely false! In fact, the fastest growing, drug-related emergency room cases are attributed to OxyContin, Vicodin and other power opiate-based painkillers.
Michaels House helps break the cycle of Oxycodone addiction through a combination of cutting-edge treatment models and traditional holistic care practices. We treat the whole person mind, body and spirit to give you or your loved on the tools you need to maintain sobriety for life.
If you or someone you love is fighting an addiction to opioids, please call our 24-hour, toll-free helpline today. We want to help you begin a healthy life apart from addiction. Please call now.
When Oxycodone Addiction Startswithdoctors Prescription
Surprisingly, a large percentage of those who become addicted to Oxycodone begin using the drug with all the right intentions. Many of these individuals are prescribed Oxycodone as a means of dealing with the high levels of pain they are experiencing as a result of injury, illness or recovery from surgery.
These individuals begin using the drug as directed but soon find themselves addicted to its euphoric, opiate effects. Then, when the prescription expires, many will tell their doctor they are still in considerable pain in order to receive additional refills. When this fails to work, they may engage in doctor shopping the practice of going to multiple physicians and feign injury or illness in order to receive prescription painkillers. When this happens, addiction is present. And it is imperative to seek help from a drug rehab center in their area.
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