Drugs in your medicine cabinet?

07/18/2008

Drugs in your medicine cabinet?
OxyContin

The pharmaceutical company Purdue has now admitted to a fraudulent marketing campaign which downplayed OxyContin’s addictive character. However, the lives of those now addicted are still in the balance.

For 6 years the “hillbilly heroin” has lured new users with promises of euphoria and “low risk” hype. Thousands fell into the snare and are now entrapped in OxyContin addiction, replete with crime and death. What does the recent guilty plea to criminal charges by Perdue executives and high fines mean to these addicts?

Without hope of effective treatment, it means nothing, except for higher priced pills if the availability decreases.

According to addicts that we have surveyed, if drug dealers know that a person is dope sick for OxyContin they will charge more, realizing that the drug is so addictive that the addict will do anything to acquire it.

OxyContin, like all opiates, can become overwhelmingly addictive because the body quickly builds up a tolerance to it. Many who thought they were decreasing their chances of addiction with the time release OxyContin plan find themselves at the opposite end of their expectations and in the throes of addiction.

Persons get addicted to OxyContin in many ways.

In rural communities, where OxyContin is frequently prescribed to the elderly, sick and accident victims, it often winds up in the hands of family members. An experiment with one OxyContin pill, can lead to two a day and then suddenly escalate to 4 or 5 a day. The momentary "perfect high" leads to crime and destroyed lives.

Many individuals are prescribed OxyContin for sports injuries and some join the game of chasing the high, not the ball. There are cases where individuals with no previous drug or criminal history have lost their jobs, families and sometimes freedom, driven by the relentless cravings created by this synthetic morphine. They turn to “doctor shopping”, robbery, stealing prescriptions or the internet to keep their addiction going.

OxyContin is time release, providing 12 hours of synthetic morphine numbness. The time release aspect makes it dangerous for those who chew it to get the 12 hour dose at once. There have been reports of overdose and death from taking a life threatening dose through chewing or shooting a time release tablet.

Weaning off or trying to stop OxyContin all together causes the bones to hurt, skin to crawl and other symptoms described as “sheer hell” by those who have tried it. “It was easier to keep taking the drug, even if it meant stealing or taking risks” states one drug addict.

It is any wonder that another street name for OxyContin is “Killer”?

Chances are you know someone who is taking OxyContin. With nearly six million prescriptions a year, (one billion in sales) OxyContin is the most popular narcotic painkiller in the country.

If someone you know has OxyContin in their medicine cabinet take the time to find out what the real situation is with their drug use. No matter their position in life, whether it is Girl Scout leader or Physician, no one can take with this drug for long and not have problems. Don’t be polite – get the truth. And if the truth is that they are taking a few extra pills here and there, get them some real help. The problem is not likely to get better without helpful intervention.

Side Effects:

Constipation
Nausea
Dizziness
Vomiting
Headache
Dry Mouth
Sweating
Weakness
Impaired thinking or reactions
A large single dose of an opioid could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.

Withdrawal Symptoms:

Restlessness
Anxiety
Chills
Vague Pain
Achy Bones
Weakness
Abdominal Cramps
Nausea and Vomiting
Increased Blood Pressure
Increased Heart rate

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