Taken from the opium alkaloid, oxycontin is a white, odorless, crystalline powder. It is also called oxycodone hydrochloride which is known as a potent painkiller. This drug is used as a mild to severe pain reliever for patients with chronic pain. Cancer patients are commonly prescribed with this substance and it has been praised for its long lasting pain relieving quality.
Besides its pain relieving benefits, the drug could provide the body with a relaxing and euphoric feeling. The drug has a time-release structure that will last for 12 hours. When taken properly, which is through swallowing it whole, it is safe and not destructive. However, the drug becomes abused and people are more likely developing an addiction to the drug. Abusing it is through chewing, crushing, or dissolving the pill into liquid form, and then snorting the solution. When the drug is released, the effect is similar to heroin. Oxycontin addiction shows through chronic use and increasing tolerance so that more of the drug is needed to feel the same effects day by day. Consequently, like any other addiction, life is slowly disrupted and destroyed.
Once oxycontin addiction kicks in, an individual needs to increase the dosage to avoid experiencing pain. Side effects of the addiction include insomnia, muscle and bone pain, sweats, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramping, and muscle twitching. Severe side effects could be detrimental.
Oxycontin is a prescription drug and is prescribed to lessen pain. Yet it’s not as innocent as it seem. It also brings detrimental effects once exploited. Once an individual experiences the “high” brought on by oxycontin, the person is reinforced to take in more to achieve the same “high” feeling. This condition is now called addiction. One former oxycontin dependent testified that within a very small amount of time of taking in the tablet, he felt like superman, he could work all day, go home, and play with his kids. He has the notion that he could do everything he wanted. Common sense would tell us that the immediate effects of the drug are very inviting. As time would pass, nonstop intake of the drug would lead to dependence. The problem begins when you could not get away with the drug.
An oxycontin addict may admit that they have become dependent on the drugbut it’s the physical will to stop using the drug that is too difficult to deal with. Why is this so? One, an individual becomes very dependent on the drug and two, discontinuing usage would mean painful side effects. Yes, the drug may be man’s best friend but once you turn your back on it, it becomes a snake that poisonously bites it could kill you. Once the usage of the substance is stopped by an addict, he/she is more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal syndrome is characterized by dysphoria, the opposite of euphoria, which entails sadness, depression, anxiety, and craving. Nothing really lasts forever.
Treatment for oxycontin addiction is done with a medical professional. There are a number of means to treat oxycontin addiction. This includes medication and behavioral and counseling approaches. Methadone can be used as an effective medication that eliminates withdrawal symptoms and relieves drug craving. Rapid detox is also one option to treat opioid addiction. Furthermore, medication is accompanied with counseling and behavioral therapy since addiction is not only biological but psychological.
Oxycontin is a drug prescribed by doctors to eliminate mild to severe pain and it is used among cancer patients who experience extreme pain. Nevertheless, when addiction sets in, one should be prepared to go rehab for a treatment.
