Oxycodone addiction treatment that actually works

Oxycodone is a painkiller typically prescribed for moderate to severe pain. Oxycodone by itself is often sold under the brand name OxyContin, while other common formulations combine it with medications like acetaminophen or aspirin (brand names for these include Percodan, Oxycet, Percocet).

Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic opioid compound derived from the opium poppy flower. These kinds of compounds bring relief by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, which changes the user’s perception of pain and triggers a release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that produces euphoria.

Due to its role in the recent and ongoing opioid epidemic, oxycodone is more tightly regulated now than it was in the past. However, is still widely prescribed, and it also finds its way onto the street where it can be purchased illegally.

Even when taken correctly, oxycodone can lead to a number of side effects, including:

• Lightheadedness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Skin rash
• Itching
• Sweating
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Mood changes such as anxiety and fear

Note that these side effects, as listed, don’t necessarily reflect the reality of addiction. People with an opioid use disorder often use such high amounts that the side effects become extreme.

For example, fatigue is a common side effect, but someone addicted to oxycodone may take so much that they drift in and out of consciousness.

Oxycodone use crosses the line into abuse and addiction (referred to clinically as opioid use disorder) when it is misused for the high produced by the drug instead of pain relief. As a person consumes more of the drug over time, the body becomes physically dependent on the medication.

Physical dependence means users must consume more of the drug to get the desired effects, as well as to prevent the intense, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms which occur when the drug is not present in their system.

Oxycodone addiction often leads to psychological addiction as well, causing anxiety, cravings, and other effects when they aren’t taking the medication.

Oxycodone addiction behaviors include:

• Taking more than the prescribed dosage
• “Doctor shopping” for multiple prescriptions
• Tampering with oxycodone before taking it
• Taking oxycodone in any way other than orally

When a person’s craving for oxycodone is dire enough, they may find relief in a cheaper, more plentiful alternative – heroin. This is a very common scenario in today’s opioid epidemic.

Even when taken properly under the direction of a physician, it is possible to develop a physical dependence on oxycodone. Oxycodone prescriptions may include dosing instructions from your doctor that allow you to slowly taper off of the medication to reduce and eliminate physical dependency.

This kind of medication management is important – those who are physically dependent will experience opioid withdrawal symptoms if they stop their prescription too suddenly. If the opioid withdrawal symptoms are extreme, they can drive the person to continue using the substance despite significant harm—the definition of addiction.

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Restlessness
• Yawning
• Sweating
• Tearing eyes
• Runny nose
• Chills
• Muscle and back aches
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Irritability, anxiety
• Dilated pupils
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heartbeat or breathing

These problems vary in severity and duration depending on the specific oxycodone dose taken and duration of use.

In general, oxycodone detox involves substituting longer-acting opioids such as Suboxone for the shorter-acting drug of abuse, and the patient is stabilized and slowly tapered off the long-acting substitute.

The patient will be most uncomfortable during the first one to three days of the opioid withdrawal phase, so a combination of a mild sedative and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Motrin (generic name ibuprofen) is frequently prescribed along with the long-acting opioid to help make the patient more comfortable.

Medications to treat opioid addiction such as Suboxone (buprenorphine with naloxone) work through the same opioid receptors in the brain that oxycodone affects without producing the same euphoric high, making them safer and less likely to result in addiction.

As a result, these medications help reduce cravings and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, allowing patients to actively participate in treatment while the dose of Suboxone is slowly tapered down.

Usually, after day three, oxycodone will be fully eliminated from the system, and with the correct dose of Suboxone, withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings will have almost completely subsided.

Absolutely, which is why prescriptions are filled for specific doses tailored to specific people, and the effects can have adverse reactions in others. Taking an excessive oxycodone dose can result in a life-threatening overdose.

Oxycodone overdose symptoms include:

• Slowed or shallow breathing
• Extreme drowsiness leading to coma
• Cold and clammy skin
• Pinpoint pupils
• Slowed heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Death

These symptoms can be deadly if not treated immediately.