oxycontin abuse
Oxycontin Withdrawal Symptoms PDF Print E-mail

Oxycontin is a powerful prescription pain reliever. When this drug is abused it will give you the same high as you would get with HIGH GRADE heroin. However, Oxycontin has worse consequences since overdosing on Oxycontin can be fatal. This is because Oxycontin acts as a depressant of the Central Nervous System, which can decrease a person’s breathing to the point that it is fatal. This is why it is so important that a person stop the cycle of abusing this drug.

Oxycontin has some very serious withdrawal symptoms. This is especially true when the person has been abusing really high doses of this drug for a long time because the body adapts and develops a tolerance for this drug. When this happens, the body also develops strong cravings. These are also due to a person’s memory of pleasant, euphoric memories that are associated with taking Oxycontin. The subconscious memory is actually what causes a person to continue to seek Oxycontin.

There are a lot of symptoms of Oxycontin withdrawal. These include:

  • Hot and cold sweats: This can be treated by cold baths and the use of blankets.
  • Heart palpitations: These can be treated by breathing and relaxation techniques.
  • Constant pain in the person’s joints and muscles: Taking an over-the-counter pain medication such as Aspirin can treat this.
  • Nausea and vomiting: Taking an over-the-counter medication such as Coke syrup can treat this.
  • Diarrhea: Eating blueberries can treat this.
  • Watery eyes and excessive yawning: There is nothing that can be done for these symptoms.
  • Dry mouth, sore throat, gums or tongue: Doctors suggest sipping ice water or fruit juice and chewing gum.

    Holistic Drug Rehab

  • Headaches: Warm baths or showers and relaxation or meditation techniques can treat these.
  • Irregularity: Adding more raw fruits, raw vegetables and whole grain cereals, as well as drinking between six and eight glasses of water each day can treat this.
  • Trouble sleeping: Relaxation and meditation techniques can be used to treat this. It also helps if the patient does not drink any beverages that have caffeine in them after 6PM at night.
  • Fatigue (feeling tired all of the time): Taking naps can treat this. During Oxycontin withdrawal your body needs a chance to heal so you cannot push yourself too much or expect too much of yourself.
  • Hunger: Finding something that is low calorie and nutritional to eat can help this.
  • Tenseness, irritability and depression: Hot baths and exercise can treat these symptoms.
  • Coughing: Sipping on warm herbal tea or sucking on cough drops or hard candy can treat this.

Those persons who properly use this medication to treat their cancer or chronic pain do not have these Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms. This is why the Federal Drug Administration had no problem with approving this drug in 1995. In fact, the Federal Drug Administration has also approved other drugs with opium derivatives. The two other drugs that are the most common opium derivative medications are Percodan and Percocet. Nevertheless, this should not lighten or lessen the effects that Oxycontin withdrawal will have on a person’s body. This is why it is very important to understand how you should use this medication and never abuse this drug so that you can be sure that you will not have to undergo the symptoms of Oxycontin withdrawal.

Another thing that is important to understand about Oxycontin withdrawal is that Oxycontin has many similarities to other drugs that are commonly abused including alcohol, heroin and marijuana. These drugs all elevate the levels of dopamine in a person’s body. This means that there is intense pleasure linked with the experience. Therefore when these drugs are used improperly over a long period of time a psychological addiction also occurs. Oftentimes this psychological addiction can be the worst part of Oxycontin withdrawal.

If you, or someone that you know is addicted to Oxycontin, you really need to get help. Do not let the Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms stand in your way.

Holistic Drug Rehab

About the author:
dependencyFree.com focuses on substance abuse issues and providing a directory of related help sources.

Article may be reprinted - provided that link to author's site remains in place.

 
08-08-2008
Thank you for being patient as we improve our site!