Oxycontin Overdose: A National Threat

February 21,2013

What was once a medical tool to alleviate and control pain, became a source of addiction that many could not foresee...

The drug abuse scene changed nearly a decade ago when the prescription pills containing oxycodone hit the streets. What was once a medical tool to alleviate and control pain, became a source of addiction that many could not foresee. Steadily, these prescription drugs became so popular that people entering rehabilitation were more likely to be suffering from an addiction to oxycodone than any other drug. Eventually, the death toll began to rise until death due to overdose of oxycontin outnumbered the deaths due to car accidents in some states.

Oxycontin is a prescription pill designed to manage severe pain over a long period time. Composed of pure oxycodone, the pill is designed to release several doses of the drug over a long period of time, generally twelve hours. While oxycodone alone is extremely addictive, oxycontin contains higher doses of the drug in a single pill. Designed to help patients with chronic long-term pain, the drug is now popularly used to self-medicate for depression, anxiety and other emotional pain.

While even those who are prescribed the medication may find themselves battling addiction, those who abuse the drug just for the high are especially susceptible to its pull. Even worse, people quickly realized how to forgo the time release mechanics of Oxycontin. Just by chewing the pill the full dosage is released into the body. Other methods include snorting the crushed pill or directly injecting it into the blood stream. All of these methods can have extremely hazardous effects and pose serious risk for overdose. For those who are not already used to high amounts of the drug, this can lead to immediate overdose. The full dosage is intended for slow release over a twelve hour period, when consumed all at once users often are not aware of the potential overwhelming amount of the depressant. When too much is taken breathing and heart rate diminish. Coma as well as death can occur at this point too. It is important that if too much oxycodone is ingested and overdose is suspected, that the person in question is sent to the hospital immediately. Reading the labels on prescription medication is very important. It has been found that the majority of people abusing Oxycodone, Oxycontin or other narcotic medications do not know the dosages or the risks in taking more than prescribed.

Should a person make it through the effects okay after chewing an Oxycontin pill, tolerance will build rapidly. This leads to more serious consequences as addiction will grow twice as quickly and overdose continues to be a threat. Should more than one pill of Oxycontin be chewed, the high dosage will double or triple accordingly. This will often result in death.

While other pills containing oxycodone, such as Percocet or hydrocodone, are also abused, no other pill poses a hirer risk for overdose alone than Oxycontin. If you or a loved one is prescribed Oxycontin for long-term pain management, it is essential to keep the medication out of reach of children and to keep a close eye on the amount of pills in the bottle. Oxycontin is highly sought after amongst those whoa re addicted to the narcotic pain killers. It can be hard to tell at first glance whether or not a person is addicted to the prescription medication. However over time it can become obvious as long term effects begin to set in. At higher doses people often pass out or sink into a vegetative state.

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Call Florida Center Recovery and speak to one of our certified drug rehab therapists to find out more about our addiction treatment programs, and how we incorporate various proven therapies like the 12 step program, cognitive therapy and holistic drug treatment therapy to achieve results. Everyday is a new day to make a change. Please contact our drug and alcohol addiction treatment center to speak with a certified counselor about how to begin the recovery process.

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MARK KILLAR

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