“Abuse Proof” Oxycontin?

A newer version of OxyContin, created in an effort to curb the drug’s abuse, is available now. However, skeptics are still debating as to whether the newer “abuse proof” pills will actually serve in reducing addiction statistics. Though the FDA has approved this new version, it requires manufactures to implement testing to help ensure lower abuse percentages.

The new form of OxyContin makes crushing, chewing and dissolving the pills more difficult to addicts seeking to achieve the heroin-esque high it produces.

As opposed to prior OxyContin versions, the new pills host a durable gelatin capsule, offering users a 24-hour continuous release when ingested orally. The design also works to prohibit manipulation that could result in injected or snorted by addicts.

Where’s the Evidence?

Does it work? In a recent statement released alongside the new drug’s approval, the FDA warns that “there is no evidence that the reformulation of OxyContin is less subject to misuse, diversion, addiction, abuse or overdose.”

Unfortunately, there is currently little scientific evidence to support claims that the new version will serve in curbing the drug’s addictive tendencies, an ever-growing issue throughout the U.S.

As such, the FDA has required Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, to research the new pills to help determine whether they actually work to combat abuse, and if so, exactly how.

The above may be partially due to a 2007 case, in which Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to misinforming the public regarding OxyContin’s safety. Purdue Pharma was ordered to pay a fine of $634.5 million – which to date, is one of the biggest penalties ever evoked by a drug-company.   

OxyContin Facts & Effects

OxyContin has been used for decades as a pain relief medication to address post operative pain and pain caused by lower back issues, arthritis, and cancer. It is a Schedule II controlled substance and is known to be extremely addictive. In this entry, we will discuss some of the more interesting facts associated with this substance.

Names

OxyContin is known by a variety of names, including Oxycodone, Percodan, Percocet, Tylox, Roxicet and Endocet. A number of these substances will also combine drugs, like acetaminiophen, with OxyContin. Street names for the drug include Oxycottons, OCs, Oxy, Percs and Percodoms.

Features

OxyContin is manufactured from an opium chemical named thebaine. When taken, OxyContin immediately begins to affect pain response throughout the nervous system, with users experiencing effects akin to those found in heroin use. OxyContin is typically prescribed in 10-80 milligram doses.

Abuse & Addiction

In many cases, OxyContin addiction stems from habits nurtured during surgical recovery, or in an effort to alleviate lower back and arthritis pain. Individuals intent on subduing this pain for prolonged periods may dabble in excess use, resulting in addiction.

Still, others abuse the drug with the sole intent of experiencing the sense of euphoria provided. OxyContin addicts may crush, chew or inject the pills to help the body absorb the drug at a faster pace than by oral consumption.

Side Effects

Some of the more common side effects associated with OxyContin use include nausea, dry mouth, constipation, headaches, drowsiness, weakness and appetite loss. Extreme side effects may include seizures, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, fainting and hallucinations. 

Back Pain and Addiction

A great number of Americans fall into addiction each year, without even realizing they are headed down that path.

Back pain, is one of the most common triggers that get people addicted to oxycontin. Back pain can torment for those who suffer with bulged discs or herniated discs. When that kind of pain strikes, sufferers are not likely to be concentrating on whether or not they may become addicted to the painkillers -- they just want the pain killed.

This is what makes oxycontin so dangerous, is that it is one of the only drugs suitable to treat severe ongoing back pain, but is highly addictive when used in an ongoing fashion.

The best treatment for spinal pain, is not with drugs, but through laser spine surgery. Surgery can help and reset the spine to its normal, pain-free functions without the serious risk of addiction to pain medications.

Institutions, such as Deuk Spine, are working on new ways to make the surgery option more readily-available to and affordable for the general public. With addiction to prescription painkillers rising exponentially, physicians -- as a whole -- are beginning to work on ways to completely alleviate the pain that draws in the addicts, instead of just keeping them medicated for long periods of time.

The Effects Of Oxycontin Abuse

The most common long-term effect of abusing OxyContin, and perhaps the worst effect, is the addiction itself. Addiction ruins a person’s life bit by bit, becoming worse over time. In this way, OxyContin abuse is no different from heroin, cocaine, or alcohol abuse. The addict changes his or her entire lifestyle to allow for more and more drug use.

Some OxyContin abusers begin their abuse with a prescription written for them, either for real pain or faked pain. Some of these people have access to insurance benefits that will pay all or most of the cost of their prescriptions. During this period, an OxyContin abuser can go downhill quickly because there is no financial barrier to increased consumption. Sooner or later, however, the person’s doctor determines that there is an abuse problem going on, and won’t prescribe more. The addict then begins buying the drugs on the black market. The street price of OxyContin is very high. Addicts begin stealing, robbing, and even going into prostitution to raise the money they need to service their addiction.

The most serious risk associated with OxyContin, is respiratory depression. Common opioid side effects are constipation, nausea, sedation, dizziness, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, sweating, and weakness. Taking a large single dose of an opioid could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.
Chronic use of OxyContin can result in tolerance for the drug, which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence and addiction -- the body adapts to the presence of the drug, and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. Properly managed medical use of pain relievers is safe and rarely causes clinical addiction, defined as compulsive, often uncontrollable use of drugs. Taken exactly as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain effectively.

If you find yourself in a position where you are suffering from an addiction, we are here to help.  At Above It All Treatment Center, we can design a treatment regimen that will fit your schedule and start you on the path to a relapse free recovery.  Contact us today.