Many people know someone who’s taking OxyContin. They may have started with a doctor’s prescription after an accident, injury, illness or surgery. But when they keep taking it, family members and friends can get concerned about the possibility of OxyContin addiction. And well they should be. Going from taking OxyContin for temporary pain relief to Oxycontin addiction can happen fast, and things can get even worse from there. OxyContin is dangerous for several reasons.
While taking OxyContin, even at the beginning, long before they’ve developed OxyContin addiction, the person can experience constipation, nausea, sleepiness, itchiness, vomiting, headaches, dry mouth, sweating, muscle weakness and lack of energy and stamina. They may also be mentally confused. This makes them less able to function normally in life.
They risk even more serious side effects - their blood pressure can drop, breathing can slow down, and they may even stop breathing altogether.
OxyContin addiction can happen after only taking the drug for a week.
Scientists have now discovered that OxyContin and similar painkillers can actually cause pain after you take them for a while. By that time, the person is likely also suffering from OxyContin addiction. So now they have two reasons to keep taking it – they’re addicted, and they’re in pain. The pain won’t go away until they stop taking it, but since they don’t realize the drug is causing the pain, they take more of it hoping to get some relief. They may also take other types of painkillers on top of the OxyContin. The combination can cause even more respiratory and other problems, and it may kill them.
If they try to stop taking the drug, they’ll experience the pain of withdrawal. OxyContin addiction has the same withdrawal symptoms as heroin and it’s usually many times worse than the pain they’re already experiencing. This motivates them to keep taking it.
Eventually, the doctor is going to stop giving them prescriptions and they’re still going to need the drug. In that case, they’re likely to resort to illegal activity to get it – they may go to different doctors and lie so they can get it, they might steal, they might find a drug dealer who sells OxyContin illegally, or they might switch to another drug – turning to heroin is not uncommon as it’s sometimes easier to get and is often less expensive.
All the while, they become more and more crippled in life. Feeding their OxyContin addiction becomes their major focus, and their concern for their job, supporting the family, the well-being and happiness of their wife or husband, children, and friends eventually all take a backseat to their OxyContin addiction and the need to get drugs.
That’s how bad it can get. If they don’t die first.
How likely is it? Purdue Pharma was fined $634 million for lying about the potential for OxyContin addiction. That doesn’t happen if it only involved a few people.
What can you do about it? Frankly, if they can’t just stop taking it - and if you’ve already discussed it they would probably have stopped already if they could - the chances of them being able to stop on their own are slim to none. They need to get into a drug addiction treatment center – no matter how much they try to convince you they can stop any time. It’s far too painful an experience physically, mentally and emotionally to go through without professional help from someone who’s dealt with this same situation many times before. Your option is to find a good drug addiction treatment center familiar with OxyContin addiction and OxyContin rehab.
