 Prevalence
of OxyContin Addiction and Abuse: |
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Oxycontin has become the NUMBER ONE selling
brand-name prescription painkiller with a reputation of being
ABUSED for its HEROIN-like high.
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July 18, 2001 Purdue Pharma Important Drug
Warning Letter OxyContin Withdrawal Anyone who is using OxyContin legitimately and does not have an
abuse or addiction problem should still expect to taper off of the
painkiller to avoid complete OxyContin withdrawal. |
OxyContin AddictionIn a Healthline report patients describe the sensation OxyContin provides that caused them to form an OxyContin addiction. One man recounted how a man at his employment was hurt and was able to find relief by taking OxyContin. The pain reliever did deliver the relief but also made him feel high. After a few months on OxyContin the man started to act as if he were high, missing appointments and forgetting conversations. One doctor that prescribes patients with OxyContin continues to despite acknowledging that a growing number of people developed an OxyContin addiction. She feels that doctors “mandate should be to alleviate pain and suffering in a safe way, but it’s not our responsibility to be Sherlock Holmes,” (MSNBC, 5/21/01).
Patients that do not necessarily develop an OxyContin addiction should still expect to suffer intense withdrawal because OxyContin is similar to getting off heroin, a reason why many people have started to abuse OxyContin for. Pressure on the FDA and Purdue continues to grow for the removal of OxyContin from the market because of the concerns of addiction and abuse. One patient, Ricardo Ramirez, didn’t know that his prescription painkiller OxyContin would end up controlling his life. Both Ramirez and his wife ended up becoming hooked on OxyContin and his mother found, “When he started the OxyContin he just went downhill- down, down, down- until there was nowhere to go. I honestly thought I’d find him dead one of these days.”
Still, Ramirez found he was lucky to only have experienced OxyContin addiction and not an OxyContin death like so many other drug abusers have. What followed the growing number of OxyContin addictions were a string of pharmacy break-ins when addicts became desperate for their OxyContin fix or dealers looking to score the drug to sell on the streets. Ramirez was involved in a pharmacy robbery in addition to stealing a prescription pad to fill his OxyContin craving. Eventually, Ramirez was arrested, charged, and sent to rehab to kick his OxyContin habit. The widespread use of OxyContin has become so alarming that Purdue Pharma has began to reformulate the painkiller to make it harder to abuse and form addiction and has launched a national awareness campaign, (MSNBC, 5/22/01).
Health organizations have also launched OxyContin awareness campaigns to warn patients of the potential OxyContin addiction and abuse that can form when using the drug. If OxyContin remains on the market it will not be for at least a few years before Purdue can find a safer alternative to the painkiller. First FDA approved in 1995, OxyContin abuse has escalated especially in rural areas, but has been surfacing in many areas throughout the country. The continued OxyContin abuse has caused Purdue to remove the highest dosage of the drug, 160 mg, from their shipments while they continue to study the ill effects of the painkiller.
OxyContin labeling has been FDA strengthened and many pharmacies have stopped carrying the prescription drug due to the amount of crime and fraud associated to the painkiller. If you have been prescribed OxyContin for the management of pain, it is important to follow the prescription closely. Patients who have had substance abuse problems in the past should discuss this with their doctors prior to taking OxyContin. Drug addiction occurs because the drug mimics chemical actions your brain produces, but the drug produces an artificial feeling of pleasure. The more educated you are the better chances you have to avoid addiction and abuse of any prescription drugs that may develop.
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What is OxyContin?
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