By Jill Gonzalez
Oxycontin is a prescription medication that is used to treat moderate to extreme pain, and it is available by prescription only in the United States. For the most part, people who take Oxycontin over a short period of time and strictly follow their prescriptions do not become addicted to the drug. Long-term users of the drug can easily become addicted, and there is still a risk for addiction with short-term use.
It should be noted that physical dependency is quite different from actual addiction. A physical dependency means that the body has developed a tolerance for a particular drug, making it necessary for drug dosages to be increased to feel the effects of the medication. Addiction implies that a psychological dependency has developed from using a particular drug.
Oxycontin has rapidly become one of the most widely abused drugs in the United States. The reason for this is that the drug produces effects within the human body that are very similar to the ones that are produced through the use of heroin.
Oxycontin pills are time released, which means that the pills must be swallowed whole in order for the gradual release of the drug to take place. It is not particularly surprising, however, that chronic abusers of Oxycontin have found alternative ways to ingest the drug so that they can achieve much faster results. Abusers of Oxycontin typically use the following methods for ingesting this drug:
• Chewing the pills (instead of swallowing them)
• Crushing and then snorting the pills
• Dissolving the pills in water so that they can be injected
All of the methods that involve breaking, chewing, or crushing the pills can result in toxic overdose or death. It is extremely dangerous to alter these pills in any way.
Though chronic abuse of Oxycontin is growing among all age groups, the largest growth over the past few years has been with high school students and adults aged 55 and over. Some reports indicate that children as young as 12 years of age have tried Oxycontin at least once.
Even with short-term use, Oxycontin can pose some serious health risks. Respiratory depression is one of the most serious effects of using Oxycontin, so it is important that people stay away from other types of drugs that typically slow breathing and heart rate. These types of drugs include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and certain kinds of allergy and cold medications.
The most typical side effects related to the use of Oxycontin include the following:
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Vomiting
• Weakness
If you know someone with an Oxycontin dependency, you should be aware that withdrawal symptoms associated with this drug can be rather unpleasant. Muscle and bone pain, insomnia, vomiting, and involuntary leg movements are just a few of the withdrawal symptoms that people might experience when trying to stop their use or abuse of Oxycontin.
Because of the dangers involved with abusing this drug and going through withdrawal, it is advisable that people seek professional help in order to stop using Oxycontin.