• Slight nausea
• Dizziness
• Lack of energy

When oxycodone is abused, it affects the body much more strongly and results in a harsher range of side effects. Oxycodone is typically abused by taking the drug other than as prescribed or by snorting, smoking or injecting the substance.

What Oxycodone Does to a Person Physically

Oxycodone is a depressant, as it inhibits the functions of the central nervous system. This commonly leads to the following effects:

• Sedation
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness

Because oxycodone is an opioid, it can also have adverse effects on the respiratory system including the following:

• Apnea
• Respiratory arrest
• Circulatory collapse

The longer a person continues to use oxycodone, the greater the damage to the body is. As tolerance to the drug’s pleasurable effects increases, oxycodone users are forced to consume higher quantities of the drug in order to reach the desired high. As with almost any analgesic drug, large doses leads to kidney and liver damage and can cause complications of the heart.

Social Ramifications of Addiction and What Oxycodone Does to Mental Health

Continued oxycodone abuse isolates the user. Addiction shifts your priorities by replacing people with drugs. This leads to the loss of close friends and family. These individuals are often replaced by an apathetic circle of acquaintances with similar drug related interests. Oxycodone abuse destroys motivation and can lead to depression. This is a frequently a slippery slope, because many users remain in denial of their condition and refuse to put the blame where it rightfully belongs. Instead of seeking help to kick their habit, they will simply try to shorten the amount of time between highs.

Beating Oxycodone Addiction

Fortunately there is hope for those struggling with oxycodone abuse. Whether you have been abusing oxycodone for a month, a year or even a decade, it is never too late to turn your life around and improve your health. Oxycodone addiction treatment at a rehab center is by far the most effective option for successful recovery. Rehab offers customers extensive access to the following:

• Drug recovery professionals
• Medically supervised detox programs
• Group and individual counseling
• A specialized recovery program tailored to fit your individual treatment needs

Change What Oxycodone Has Done

Don’t waste any time getting the help you deserve. Our recovery helpline is confidential and available 24 hours a day. We are here to listen to your concerns and provide information and advice about the recovery options that will meet your needs. Don’t let oxycodone control your or a loved one’s life. Call today.

The Time Involved in Oxycodone Tolerance, Dependence and Addiction

Any time a patient or recreational drug user ingests oxycodone for periods of time longer than two weeks the put themselves at a significant risk for tolerance, dependency and addiction. The first warning sign that an individual is becoming addicted to oxycodone is tolerance. Tolerance is evidenced by the fact that the longer someone uses oxycodone, the less effective the drug becomes. This occurs over varying amounts of time, and the process is sped up when oxycodone is used in greater than prescribed doses, used more often than recommended or used without a prescription. The body and brains begin to counteract the effects of oxycodone, and the user will begin to notice that a consistent dose of the drug has a diminished effect. If the response to this scenario is to take more oxycodone until the desired effect is produced, dependency and addiction will develop.

Dependency is often a precursor for addiction and occurs when a user begins to physically and psychologically believe that she or he needs consistent doses of the drug in order to maintain daily function. Dependency makes a person believe that they “need” oxycodone to feel normal. If dependency is allowed to continue, it will lead to addiction and the associated health and overdose risks.

Need Help Finding Resources for Oxycodone Rehabilitation?

If you or someone you care about is struggling with an addiction to oxycodone, we can help. We are available 24 hours a day to provide you with answers to your questions and point you toward quality rehab facilities that can meet your specific needs. The call is always free and confidential. Please call us today and break free from oxycodone.

About Oxycodone Addiction Denial

Denial involves avoiding or rejecting an uncomfortable concept. Oxycodone users and their friends and family often do not want to admit to the existence of a substance abuse problem. Many people don’t realize how powerful and distracting denial can be. When a person in your life is struggling with substance abuse and experiencing problems at work, school or financially, you may will provide an excuse for the behavior and give the person “space” to work things out. Oxycodone addiction has many underlying causes and so does denial. People continue to practice denial up to the point where the issue escalates to such a severe level that excuses no longer apply. Some of the underlying feelings associated with addiction and denial include the following:

• Guilt – taking blame that somehow you are responsible for the person’s addiction
• Embarrassment – being concerned about how others may feel about you in light of your relationship with an oxycodone user
• Justification – saying or thinking such things as, “The person is just going through a rough time” or, “Someone with that type of job and great home environment simply cannot be abusing drugs,” as a way of ignoring obvious signs of addiction

Signs of Oxycodone Addiction

Signs of oxycodone addiction can overcome denial and make all parties involved aware of the problem. These signs may include the following:

• Reduced sense of pain
• Sedation
• Depression
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Slowed breathing
• Needle marks (if injecting drugs)

How Does Oxycodone Addiction Denial End?

If you or the oxycodone user has allowed denial to interfere with getting help, you may want to consider an intervention as a means of ending denial and raising awareness of the problems oxycodone use has caused. By breaking through the wall of denial, you can help oxycodone users understand how reckless and harmful addiction behavior is to both themselves and the people in their life. You may want to seek assistance from a trained professional to help determine the proper strategy and timing for your intervention.

Get Help for Oxycodone Addiction

The first step in oxycodone addiction recovery is to end denial and get a person into treatment. If you or someone you know is addicted to oxycodone, call our toll-free helpline today. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about oxycodone addiction treatment. We are here to help.

The Popularity of Oxycodone

According to the International Narcotics Control Board, in 2007 the United States had the highest consumption of oxycodone worldwide and consumed 82 percent of the world’s total. The U.S. also had the highest per capita use. There are a many reasons why oxycodone has become so prevalent. These reasons include the ease with which the drug can be obtained and the perception that oxycodone is safer than “street” drugs, since it is prescribed by a doctor and approved by the FDA. Oxycodone can be just as dangerous and addictive as other opium-derived drugs such as morphine or codeine.

The Marketing of OxyContin

OxyContin’s popularity has grown rapidly among prescription and recreational users. While there are many factors that contributed to the rapid rise in use, marketing has played a role. Purdue Pharma, the company that produces OxyContin, has paid more than $650 million in fines for felony and misdemeanor misbranding. The fines were given due to the company encouraging dosing more frequently than recommended and distributing promotional materials for the drug such as beach hats, pedometers and swing music CDs. Marketing techniques helped to increase usage and misuse by appealing to a young and impressionable demographic and making the drug seem safe. There have been numerous reports in the media on the growing number of oxycodone abusers and addicts. While these reports aim to educate the public of the dangers of the drug, they often only serve to heighten curiosity or interest in the drug.

Oxycodone Abuse Help

If you or someone you know is abusing oxycodone, we are here to help. Call our toll-free helpline to learn more about abuse, addiction and your options. Oxycodone addiction treatment may be covered by your insurance plan. We are available 24 hours a day to help you find the recovery solutions you need. Call today.

Physical Effects of Oxycodone

Oxycodone works to relieve pain by suppressing the body’s nervous system receptors. While signals of pain are still being sent, oxycodone prevents the brain from receiving these signals. When used correctly, oxycodone can be a helpful tool for pain management. Used incorrectly, this potent drug can cause nervous system damage and slow brain function and reaction. As a muscle relaxer, oxycodone is able to slow or even stop the heart and lungs.

Oxycodone Abuse Methods

Oxycodone products are designed to release the drug slowly into the user’s bloodstream. While this is helpful in alleviating pain over an extended period of time, people who are addicted want to experience a high without the wait. Many people abusing oxycodone crush the tablets and then swallow or inhale the crushed pills or mix the powder with water before injecting directly into the bloodstream. Taking medication incorrectly will only worsen an addiction. Inhaling or injecting crushed oxycodone can have fatal effects if the pills are not sufficiently crushed, as a small piece of uncrushed pill can tear the lining of blood vessels and veins.

Legal Status of Oxycodone

All medications are measured and organized into what are called schedules. These schedules are numbered I through V and are assigned according to the probability of physical or psychological dependence on the substance in question. A dangerous drug with a high probability of addiction will receive a Schedule I rank. Drugs labeled as Schedule I include LSD and heroin. According to the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, oxycodone is considered a Schedule II drug. As oxycodone is only step up from illegal Schedule I categorization, it has firm monitoring standards restricting the amount of oxycodone one person can carry at any given time. The penalties for possessing too much oxycodone or possessing oxycodone without a prescription are severe. Fines and prison time are not uncommon occurrences for oxycodone users or dealers.

Statistics Related to Oxycodone

The following are statistics about oxycodone use and misuse:

• The number of people abusing a pain reliever increased 181% from 1990 to 1998
• In 1997, the National Institutes of Health reported that 600,000 Americans abuse opiates like oxycodone on a regular basis
• The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) stated that oxycodone-related hospital visits increased from 5,211 visits per year in 1998 to a staggering 10,825 visits per year in 2000
• A National study by the DEA showed that 803 deaths in 31 states were oxycodone-related

Learn More about Oxycodone

If you would like to learn more about oxycodone, call our toll-free helpline and ask about addiction and recovery. Our helpline is open 24 hours a day, so there is no wrong time to call.

What Is Oxycodone?

Oxycodone is an opiate. It binds to certain receptors in the brain, blocking pain signals in the nervous system and giving the user a euphoric rush or high. It replaces naturally occurring chemicals in the brain that regulate mood and pain management and suppresses their production. This leaves the user dependent on opiates to feel normal or to function. If the brain’s supply of opiates is cut off, the user will experience a range of potentially severe side effects from withdrawal. They will also experience strong a psychological compulsion to take more pills. If left unchecked this disease will intensify until the user’s life is completely rearranged around finding and taking oxycodone. Oxycodone addiction is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to beat without help.

How Oxycodone Addiction Happens

Most people who develop an oxycodone problem never saw it coming. They were not looking for a recreational high or searching for a thrill. The majority were first exposed to the drug when they were given a legitimate prescription for moderate to severe pain. Tolerance for the drug develops quickly and means the pain-blocking effects and euphoria will be harder to come by without increased quantities or frequency of dosing. If they succumb to the temptation the cycle of dependency, addiction begins. Signs of oxycodone addiction include the following symptoms:

• Dishonesty about use, including “doctor shopping” or prescription manipulation
• Anxiety regarding quitting
• Persistent euphoria or unrealistically confident feelings
• Fear of withdrawal
• Pain when not on the drug
• Moodiness
• Continued use despite negative physical, relational, emotional or legal side-effects

Oxycodone Addiction Recovery

Because oxycodone creates both a physical and emotional or psychological addiction a holistic approach to recovery is required. Many people will try to quit on their own and will fail. They may give up, believing that their addictions are unbeatable. With the right help, however, they can find the freedom they need. The most successful facilities will address the physical addiction by medically assisting the user through the detox phase, and then will take the necessary time and effort to help them recover from their psychological addiction through holistic and comprehensive rehab. Counseling, education, spiritual support and the cultivation of healthy relationships and habits are all a part of the process.

Need Help Finding Oxycodone Rehabilitation?

Our toll-free helpline is available 24 hours a day to help you take your first steps toward recovery. Our specially trained staff can answer any questions you may have about treatment options, insurance coverage or anything else. We are here for you when you are ready to make oxycodone addiction a part of your past instead of your future.

You are in considerable pain, short-tempered, quick to criticize those around you and never feeling relaxed or satisfied. You experience sleepless nights, loss of appetite and emotional highs and lows. You also experience anxiety about your upcoming surgery. One of the greatest struggles you experience is not being able to function fully and feeling frustrated about your inability to act independently.

After surgery, you are frustrated by your inability to handle the most basic functions such as feeding yourself, getting to the rest room or finding a comfortable position. You are prescribed oxycodone to manage the pain, but feelings of discomfort still persist. After several weeks, you start gaining some independence over your body, mind and emotions, but the persistent pain has you checking the clock frequently to see when your next dose of oxycodone is available. On the verge of maintaining a level of comfort, you enter into physical therapy and the pain again becomes excruciating. While your doctor may permit an increase of oxycodone for a limited period of time, you believe your need for the drug is greater than your physician believes and that you should take oxycodone as needed to keep pain at bay.

How Oxycodone Addiction Develops

Months after surgery, you no longer know what you expect from your body or your moods. Your physical and emotional health is still in upheaval, and you look forward to any moments of calm. Those moments are often connected to your use of oxycodone, and you begin to credit oxycodone with any feelings of well-being.

When it is time to lower your oxycodone dosage, you are resistant to the idea. This drug seems to provide the only relief you have experienced over the past few months. You start thinking of alternate ways to acquire oxycodone if your surgeon or primary care physicians restrict your prescription. Your focus is on getting oxycodone, and you don’t even realize that this drug-seeking behavior is a clear warning sign that you are at risk for oxycodone addiction.

You do not seek support. You don’t want to add to your family’s burden or reveal your underlying feelings. Isolating yourself from friends and family is another clear sign of oxycodone addiction. Hiding your oxycodone addiction will only make it worse, however. A secret oxycodone addiction harms you and those who love and care for you. Find someone to talk to about your addiction, and get the help you need.

Get Help for Oxycodone Addiction