Oxycodone is synthetic heroin and one of the most abused prescriptions. It is the cause cause of thousands of overdose deaths every year. Oxycodone is an opioid that was first designed to manage end of life pain for cancer patients, but was quickly marketed to physicians for moderate pain. Oxycodone has been most commonly used for after surgeries, broken bones, chronic pain, clinically sensitive pain response, and cancer-related pain. Oxycodone is highly addictive and very difficult to recover from.
The marketing of such an addictive drug for moderate pain has been huge contributor to the current opioid crisis.
What is the difference between Oxycodone and OxyContin? Oxycodone is a narcotic painkiller. OxyContin is the brand-name of a long-acting (also called extended-release) form of oxycodone. OxyContin has been designed to release oxycodone continuously over 12 hours. Oxycodone is available as a generic and under the brand names Oxaydo, Xtampza ER, and Roxicodone. It produces a more immediate burst of the drug and therefore, shorter lasting (averaging 6 hours).
Oxycodone is manufactured by modifying the chemical thebaine, an organic chemical found in opium.
Oxycodone is the active ingredient in a number of commonly prescribed pain relief medications such as Percocet, Percodan, and Tylox. Each of these contains oxycodone in small doses combined with other active ingredients like aspirin. OxyContin, another prescription form of oxycodone, is available in doses ranging in strength from 10mg to 80mg tablets. Intended use of OxyContin is for long-term relief (up to 12 hours) of moderate to severe pain associated with conditions such as cancer and arthritis.3 A unique property of OxyContin is that the tablets are time released, that is the effects of the drug and its analgesic properties take effect over a set period of time rather than all at once. It is similar to codeine and methadone in its analgesic (pain-killing) properties .
Oxycodone tablets are now tamper-proof, because it has been commonly crushed and snorted or injected. Now, when crushed or becomes wet, the pills are rendered useless.
ADDICTION AND WARNING SIGNS: Oxycodone can be bought illegally, but abuse can simply start with a prescription. Because Oxycodone can be prescribed, it may be difficult to realize if you or a loved one has a problem. When all you can think about is how you are going to get more and stopping use causes you withdrawal symptoms, you should look into getting help. If you have started stealing, buying the medication (or something comparable) from someone else or off the street, or “doctor shopping” (visiting multiple doctors complaining about pain to get multiple prescriptions) then you or your loved one most likely have a problem. People who snort oxycodone may have frequent nosebleeds, stuffy noses, and a reduced ability to smell. People who inject the pill may have marks from needles commonly on their arms. Vigorous scratching is a common indication, as well as pinned eyes and bouts of euphoria followed by drowsiness and nodding out.
Currently, oxycodone products, and all of the medications containing it, are Schedule II controlled substances.
The chemical structure of oxycodone is similar to another pain reliever – codeine – and is almost as potent as morphine in its ability to produce opiate-like effects. Oxycodone works on the body through the central nervous system by altering the user’s sense of pain and his or her emotional response to pain. In other words it attempts to change pain messages being sent to the brain so the user will be relieved of moderate to severe or chronic pain linked to such conditions as cancer and arthritis. Illicit users ingest the drug for a number of reasons. Some use it to control withdrawal symptoms of heroin or morphine while others use and/or abuse the drug only in an attempt to achieve a euphoric high.
The potential dangers of oxycodone can be traced as far back as the 1960’s when the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime classified it as a dangerous drug as part of The Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Ordinance, 1960. Abuse in the United States has been a continuing problem since the early 1960’s, prompting the United States Government to classify it as a Schedule II drug. Until 1995, when the Food and Drug Administration approved OxyContin there was little concern over the abuse of oxycodone producers. But, in 1996 when the manufacturer of OxyContin began to market and distribute the drug, concerns and reports of illicit use and abuse began to increase. Since then hundreds of thousands of people have died from overdoses.
Oxycodone products should only be used under a doctor’s supervision and with a prescription. Signs of addiction can be monitored and controlled more effectively than if the user is not under a physician’s care. When used illicitly, the chances of becoming addicted to it increase exponentially. Oxycodone, for example, has many similarities to other drugs of abuse including alcohol, heroin, and marijuana, in that they elevate levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter linked with pleasure experiences. As a result, prolonged use and abuse of oxycodone medications eventually change the brain in such a way that a user cannot quit on his or her own, a typical sign of addiction.
Because Oxycodone is synthetic heroin, the risk for withdrawal symptoms are similar. The opportunity for withdrawal symptoms when using prescription opioids (e.g., oxycodone) is extremely high, especially when the user stops suddenly. Withdrawal symptoms may be severe and can include anxiety, nausea, insomnia, muscle pain, fevers, and other flu like symptoms.
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