Oxycontin

Oxycontin abuse has quickly become one of the most common forms of abuse and addiction in the past few years.

Oxycontin is prescribed for chronic pain such as back pain, cancer, or arthritis. The active ingredient in Oxycontin is oxycodone. It also comes in capsule or liquid form. Oxycontin is also referred to as oxy, O.C., OxyCotton, Oxy 80 and killer. It is legitimately prescribed as a timed-release tablet, providing relief from chronic pain for 12 hours. Generally, pain sufferers need to take the pill only twice a day, whereas another medication would require more frequent use to control the pain.
Oxycontin abuse has increased dramatically in recent years. An abuser can easily develop a physical craving. Oxycontin abusers may crush the tablet and ingest or snort it - or they may dilute it in water and inject it to get a quick, strong high. This can lead to a toxic overdose, releasing too much of the medication into the bloodstream too quickly. 
Respiratory depression is the most serious risk associated with Oxycontin abuse, and this drug should not be combined with other substances that slow down breathing, including alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines.
Other common side effects of Oxycontin abuse include: nausea, constipation, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, dizziness, sweating, and weakness.

Oxycontin addiction can be as powerful as that of heroin.

Chronic abuse leads to increased tolerance, so higher doses must be taken to receive the initial high. Oxycontin will be come physically addictive over time, causing withdrawal symptoms when the drug is not present. Oxycontin is a powerful drug that contains a much larger amount of the active ingredient, oxycodone, than other prescription pain relievers. By crushing the tablet and either ingesting or snorting it, or by injecting diluted Oxycontin, abusers feel the powerful effects in a short time.

Abuse, crime and fatal overdoses have all been linked to Oxycontin addiction.

Many reports of Oxycontin abuse occur in rural, economically depressed areas, where the temptation to make extra income may make some people sell their Oxycontin prescriptions for profit. Those addicted to Oxycontin will go to great lengths to get the drug, including writing fake prescriptions and robbing pharmacies.

Most people who take OxyContin as prescribed do not become addicted.

Individuals who are taking the drug as prescribed should continue to do so, as long as they and their physician agree that taking the drug is a medically appropriate way for them to manage pain. Pain patients, however, may sometimes develop a physical dependence during treatment, that is not an addiction. A gradual decrease of the medication dose over time, as the pain is resolving, brings the former pain patient to a drug-free state without any craving for repeated doses of the drug.
If the patient with an Oxycontin addiction continues to have a strong and uncontrollable craving it almost always leads to eventual relapse in the absence of adequate treatment. It is this uncontrollable craving that differentiates the OxyContin addicted patient from the former pain patient. OxyContin abuse occurs when patients take more than is needed for pain control.
Addiction is characterized by the repeated, compulsive use of OxyContin despite adverse social, psychological, and/or physical consequences. OxyContin addiction is often (but not always) accompanied by physical dependence, withdrawal syndrome, and tolerance.
The absence of this substance produces symptoms of withdrawal, characterized by overactivity of the physiologic functions that were suppressed by the drug and/or depression of the functions that were stimulated by the drug. This drug often causes sleepiness, calmness, and constipation, so OxyContin withdrawal often includes insomnia, anxiety, and diarrhea.
Supervised Oxycontin withdrawal followed by a few months of abstinence-oriented treatment might be sufficient for the non-addicted patient who abuses OxyContin. If, however, this patient subsequently relapses, then that would support a diagnosis of OxyContin addiction, and may require treatment.