How to Know When Someone Is Using OxyContin Published March 31, 2021 By Addiction Helpline America

Spotting An OxyContin Addiction

Drug addiction mostly starts with some experimental substances used in a social setting. For OxyContin, it is, however, different. This is a controlled released product and a brand of oxycodone. It is highly addictive, and it works by changing how the central nervous system and the brain respond to pain.

This powerful medication is prescribed to patients suffering from moderate or severe pain. It is also prescribed to patients in constant pain to help them find the required relief.

OxyContin is recommended to be ingested every 12 hours, and it is available in different doses, mainly depending on your pain. The medication is available in pill form, but it can be crushed and snorted, injected, chewed, and smoked. If a patient takes the OxyContin pill in any other form apart from swallowing, there is potential for abuse.

The drug was marketed well in previous years, displaying the risks and side effects associated with it. However, after some time, the drug was prescribed more than any other drugs. This raised eyebrows, and it was discovered that people were getting high on the drug in certain states.

How Do You Know When Someone Is Using OxyContin?

With OxyContin, addiction is noticeable. It is tough to hide the signs that you are using and abusing the drug. Here are some of the indications that someone is misusing OxyContin.

Taking the pill in non-traditional forms

OxyContin is a pill but can be taken in unorthodox forms. This includes crushing, injecting, snorting, or smoking. Using the drug in any of this form mainly applies to individuals who are addicted to the drug. Using it this way puts the patient at a high risk of overdose.

When taken as prescribed, it is swallowed using water and in the prescribed dosage.

Mixing OxyContin with other drugs or substances

Combining OxyContin with substances such as stimulants and alcohol is an indication of addiction. The drug is supposed to be taken with water. A person using it with other products is probably trying to increase the effects of the drug. This indicates an addiction.

Inability to cut back or stop using OxyContin

For patients in pain, the drug has a soothing effect. It relieves pain and helps you recover. However, when recovering takes longer than expected, it might become impossible to live without the drug.

After recovery, if you find that you can't cut back or stop using the drug, this is a sign of addiction. It is one of the earliest symptoms, and behavior efforts should be made to curb the behavior at this point.

Increased Dosage

When a patient is addicted to OxyContin, there is a high chance that they can try to fake prescriptions and get more medication. If you notice an increase in the drug dosage, chances are, the patient is addicted.

The drug is prescribed mostly according to the level of pain from moderate, which attracts a lower dose, to severe, which requires a higher dose.

Faking Illness

After using OxyContin for a while, the drug can help you recover. However, to someone who is addicted, this never happens. They try to fake sickness in a bid to get more medication or a higher dosage. The addict might fake pain even after the pain is gone to get more medication.

Hallucinations

One of Oxy's effects is it changes how the nervous system and the brain react to pain. This is the same as rewiring the brain. When you overdose, it results in substance-induced psychosis.

It happens when the individual gets a break from reality. It creates voices in your head, creates invisible things in your mind, and more. You could even touch or taste things that don't exist.

Defensiveness

When asked about OxyContin abuse, a person overusing the medication is so defensive. No one abusing a drug wants anyone else to know about the behavior.

Withdrawal Symptoms

When a person overuses a drug for long, the body becomes dependent on it. The body becomes tolerant of the drug, and proper function is impossible without using the drug. If the person stops using the drug, it results in getting physically sick. These are withdrawal symptoms that signify addiction.

If a patient is on a high dose of OxyContin, side effects might be mistaken for overuse. OxyContin is a pain relief medicine supposed to relieve pain and help one recover. If, after recovering, you can't stay without using the pill, chances are, your body has become tolerant to the drug or dependent.

You might feel like the smaller dose you are getting isn't enough for your pain. If this happens, the best option is to see a doctor get alternative medication that isn't as addictive or understand how you can stop using it.

OxyContin Treatment And Detox

According to expert data, there are more than 40,000 addiction rehab programs in the US. So, it can be a bit difficult to pick the perfect treatment center for your self or loved one.

When patients seek help with their Oxycontin addictions, there first step is to start a drug detox. This may include a medical taper of the drug as a way to minimize the severity of withdrawal. Once that is done, patients usually start receiving medical detox treatments.

Medical detox allows patients to take medications to help with their symptoms. Suboxone and Vivitrol are two of the most popular options.

Drug rehab is the next step, and it is extremely important. Patients undergo intensive therapy that includes working with a therapist one-on-one, group therapy, family therapy and much more. During this time, patients learn how to live their lives without Oxycontin and they also receive treatment for any co-occurring disorders.

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