Oxycontin Addiction: Oxycontin is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high
pain relief associated with injuries, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, neuralgia,
arthritis, lower back pain and pain associated with cancer. It contains oxycodone,
an opium derivative and is produced in a time released tablet. Oxycontin commonly
referred to as OC, OX, Oxy, Oxycotton and kicker, was introduced in 1996 and has
had a rapid escalation of abuse. The tablets can be chewed, crushed and snorted
like cocaine, crushed and dissolved in water and then injected like heroin. The
most serious side effect is respiratory depression, particularly dangerous for
the elderly. Oxycontin
addiction and demand has resulted in pharmacy robberies and forged
prescriptions. The estimated number of people aged 12 or older with an oxycontin
addiction has increased from 1.9 million in 2002, to 3.1 million in 2004.
The largest increase occurred among young adults aged 18 to 25.Residential Treatment is a level of care that entails that the client live (resides) within a treatment facility for a specified duration of care; most often 28 days. Residential Treatment Programs and Centers usually include group and individual therapy sessions and span the confinement continuum from open campus to lock down facilities.Oxycodone Addiction Oxycodone works by stimulating certain opoid receptors that are located throughout the central nervous system, in the brain and along the spinal cord. When the oxycodone binds to the opoid receptors, a variety of physiologic responses can occur ranging from pain relief, to slowed breathing to euphoria. Withdrawal reactions include anxiety, irritability, sweating, trouble sleeping and diarrhea. Substance Abuse
Substance abuse has a range of definitions related to disaproval over use or overuse of mood altering substances. These fall into four main categories: Substance abuse may lead to addiction or substance dependence. Medicaly, dependence requires the development of tolerance leading to withdrawal symptoms.
Known as a highly effective and powerful drug, Methadone is a narcotic that fits the same category of heroin. This particular category is termed as opioids. Because Methadone is extremely safe, this is a drug that has been subject to a rigorous pattern of medication which is considered to be very safe for use because it is most effective to treat addiction. For over three decades, Methadone has served well to address the growing problem of opioid related addiction. However, methadone addiction itself has grown into a problem today but first, our focus of discussion will briefly cover how methadone works to treat opioid addiction.
How Methadone Works
When methadone is used, it is believed to prevent morphine or narcotics like heroin from getting to interact on receptors for painkillers that are basically natural and termed as endorphins. By ensuring that the effects caused by drugs that have an addictive nature are blocked, methadone reduces the physical craving that is normally triggered off. But it is pertinent to note that the use of methadone itself is capable of creating its own effects such as a drowsy kind of feeling or a feeling of light euphoria that may last up to a day or two but none of this is likely to cause any kind of depression that a majority of the opiates are known to do. The use of methadone on a continuous basis may even restore the normal body capabilities comprising immune, adrenal and sexual functions.
Having established its credentials as a highly effective therapeutic medicine that can definitely serve to rehabilitate addicts of narcotic drugs, this drug is widely used across U.S., Sweden, Thailand and even Hong Kong. Because it is extremely useful to help an addict pierce the veil of destructive life threatening habit, a majority of the drug maintenance programs make use of methadone in its oral form.
Dosage of Methadone
If the dosage is meant to treat a typical grown up or an adult, the dosage would be usually in oral form comprising 5-20 mg. If it is prescribed as a tablet rather than an oral kind of solution, this would comprise 2.5-10 mg but if methadone is used as a means for effective detox, an initial dose comprising 15-100 mg in the from of oral kind of solution would be administered each day and gradually reduced till it is clear that the medication is not required any longer for the patient. When injection of methadone is used, it is only in the rarest of the rare detoxification cases where the patient is completely incapable of taking the medication of methadone orally. Sometimes, it is possible to administer methadone as a kind of infusion into the patients vein with the supervision of a doctor or a well known health care professional whose expertise on the use and effects of the medicine is well established to ensure that special consideration and care is given.
Caution Pointers During Methadone Use
When you follow the instructions that are laid out by the health care professional, remember not to suddenly stop using methadone because your body might suffer the shock badly. It is important to keep reminding yourself that your body has become accustomed to methadone use so a gradual transition would be better than a sudden stop.
When you use methadone, it is natural to feel drowsy so it would be best not to drive or engage in any kind of activity that mandates alertness of the mind. You have to be careful when you use methadone so avoid standing or sitting up too fast because you may feel of dizzy or even faint. Whether you drink or not, it is best to avoid any alcohol drinks when you use methadone because that would worsen drowsiness, confused feelings and breathing as well. So the bottom line is to just say no to alcohol when you are using methadone.
It is best to steer clear from other drugs or medicines as these may be likely to tire you or even increase the feelings of drowsiness, and so on.
An effect that is naturally a result of using methadone is the problem of constipation, which is extremely uncomfortable and unhealthy for the body. To counter the problem of constipation, it is best to opt for a laxative or a stool softener so that bowel movements become easier to handle. But if bowel movements still do not take place for more than three days, it is best to revert to your doctor for help.
Methadone Side Effects
Every drug brings with it a small, unwanted gift of side effects that cannot be wished away. This is the same with the use of methadone as well but here are some side effects that you should not hesitate to inform your doctor about:
difficulty in breathing
skin turning cold or clammy
feeling of confusion or faintness
feeling restless or nervous
a difficulty in urine passing
The following are side effects that dont need to be immediately addressed to the doctor unless it becomes painful or too troublesome to bear with:
blurred kind of vision
clumsiness in movements
problem of constipation
feeling of dizziness or fainting spell
extremely dry mouth
flushing and headaches
nausea or vomiting
Methadone Addiction
It was during the latter half of the 1990s that the problem of methadone addiction emerged as a serious issue. There were cases of methadone overdoses as well that made a dramatic impact in awareness of methadone addiction and abuse. It indicated the trend among drug addicts to switch their loyalties to use methadone in the absence of other drugs that were normally used. As a result, the FDA gave their green signal of approval for use of a substitute for methadone in treating drug addicts. The name of the substitute is Buprenorphine, which is a drug belonging to the narcotic category and is effective in curbing emergence of withdrawal symptoms in addicts who are dependent on the drug. Another drug known as Levomethadyl acetate is also used in place of methadone.
With these facts on methadone addiction, the hope of the future lies in drastically reducing the growing figures in drug dependent addicts.
This article was last modified on 12/24/2007.
References: American Methadone Treatment Association, News Report, pp.114, August, 1998.
American Methadone Treatment Association, 1998 Methadone Maintenance Program and Patient Census in the U.S., New York, NY, April 1999.
Boundy, Donna, "Profile: Methadone Maintenance: The 'Invisible' Success Story," Moyers on Addiction, New York, NY: Public Broadcasting Service, 1998.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/closetohome/treatment/html/methprofile.html
Firshein, Janet, "The Politics of Methadone," Moyers on Addiction, New York, NY: Public Broadcasting Service, 1998.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/closetohome/policy/html/methadone.html
Broekhuysen, Erin Steiner, ONDCP Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
Mathias, Robert, "NIH Panel Calls for Expanded Methadone Treatment for Heroin Addiction," NIDA NOTES, 12(6), Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse, November/December 1997. http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol12N6/NIHPanel.html
Recer, Paul, "Experts Call for Less Regulation of Heroin Addiction Treatment," Athens Daily News, p. 10a, August 21, 1998.
http://www.athensnewspapers.com/1997/112097/1120.a3heroin.html
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