The pharmaceutical industry has long understood the overzealous use of Oxycontin. Yet, despite the predictability, physicians have not become more cautious in prescribing these opiates.
Opiate addiction is different for everyone. Some addicts can easily beat their dependency, yet for many others it’s very difficult to treat. This is because various individuals build up a tolerance for the drug, not to mention, doctors continue to offer up prescriptions that place former addicts in a cycle.
Why is OxyContin So Addictive?
Manufacturers produce the drug OxyContin with soaring levels of Oxycodone, and variations of Oxycontin are available in several levels of strength, and through an assortment of generic titles; however, more often than not, physicians prescribe the highest strength. Historically, Oxycodone products have been popular drugs of abuse. While scientists have strived to develop slow-release products that work over a 12-hour period, abusers learn to compensate by crushing and snorting, smoking, and injecting the Oxycontin. This alters the drug dramatically and produces a rapid and more intense high. Before long, addicts take larger doses in shorter intervals thereby building up a tolerance level.
The Most Effective Recovery Method
Oxycontin is a highly addictive opiate narcotic and a central nervous system disorder. The primary issue of the addiction is experiencing withdrawal. The intensity of trying to abstain from OxyContin is similar to that from heroin and withdrawal symptoms can last more than a week and can be very uncomfortable both physically and mentally.
The most effective method of treatment is Methadone because it effectively blocks the craving, and even if the addict initially tries to use opiates while in recovery, the Methadone blocks any chemical reaction.
Compared to other major modes of treatment – withdrawal (drug free), therapeutic communities, and treatments with drugs that are addictive – Methadone is what has been most rigorously studied and the one that produced the best results.
Modern technology has allowed doctors to understand how our receptors work within the brain to try and regulate opiate dependency. Scientists found that blocking the receptors and at the same time, controlling them can effectively treat opiate addiction.
Oxycontin dependency has always been dangerous because of society’s opinion on prescription drug use. Motivation is high to use prescription opiates and one of the controversial issues in prescribing Oxycontin is the patients’ assessment and threshold for pain.
Many doctors have confirmed that they do not usually explore the various components of pain in their clinical practice. The reason given most often is the lack of time. It is also difficult to determine how much pain a patient is “actually” experiencing. This makes it easy to over-prescribe Oxycontin. There is a greater need to overhaul how doctors prescribe the drug.
Methadone also has produced in-direct positive results:
- Methadone treatment reduces criminal behavior
Arrests for drug offenses declined because Methadone patients stopped the use and sale/purchase of Oxycontin drugs. The arrests for robbery decreased because Methadone patients no longer have any need to finance their costly addiction to opiates, and because treatment allows many patients to stabilize their lives and return to employment.
- Methadone drastically eliminates any drug use, and often purges the risk of relapse among drug users
Studies highlight that patients dramatically reduce their addiction when choosing Methadone, and less than 10 % of them actually relapse.
- Methadone is economically and socially a good deal
Methadone treatment, costs on average less than $ 4,000 per patient per year. This treatment also reduces criminal behavior associated with the illegal use of drugs, promotes health, and improves social productivity, all elements needed to reduce costs.
- Methadone is effective even outside of the traditional clinic
The essential services of Methadone addiction treatment are an economical means of providing treatment for addiction to Oxycontin, even to those addicts without insurance.
The Controversy Surrounding Methadone
Methadone is not unique to controversial discussions. Every drug is controversial in its own way. The reason Methadone is one of the standout treatments for opiate addiction is because its half life (how long the drug remains in the body before it begins to dissipate and lose effectiveness). The half-life of Methadone is much longer than that of other opiates reaching longer than 60 hours. The half life is important in order to outlast the addictive drug. Its duration is less analgesic (4-6 hours) but in chronic treatment there is an increase in the duration due to an accumulation of the drug in the tissues, allowing dosing every 8-12 hr. This allows the patient to resume normal everyday functions, like returning to work while keeping up with their Methadone treatment.
There is a direct link between the availability of the drug and the patterns of abuse. The only way to overcome abuse of Opiod drugs is by reviewing how easily they are dispensed. In the meantime, Methadone is the more appropriate method of addiction treatment for Oxycontin.
