Oxycontin Addiction and Opioid Addiction: The Problem
Oxycontin Addiction : 10 Signs To Check
Oxycontin Addiction and Opioid addiction is a big problem in America. Numbers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse indicate that there were seven million abusers of Rx drugs in 2009. The frequency of patients overdosing on Rx narcotics (on purpose or by accident) has tripled since the year 1999. High school students are abusing Rx medications at a rate of 10%. Most experimental use of these prescriptions comes from friends or family who are prescribed or in contact with oxycontin. The narcotic Oxycontin is one opioid that has reached epidemic proportions in its’ theft and abuse.
Many people start with oxycontin for a medical issue such as migraines, only to have their use morph into an opioid addiction. Others start by experimenting in school. They later find they needed to keep using to avoid opioid withdrawals. People then begin to think about whether they have an addiction or not. They want to quit the medication, and are having major problems like legal issues. Many never had opioid or other addiction problems before. Here are some signs of oxycontin addiction and opioid addiction:
Top 10 Signs of Oxycontin Addiction
1. You sell your possessions for cash to buy oxycontin
2. You keep using oxycontin even with all the problems caused: such as physical problems, money problems, and family or legal problems.
3. You drugs that can be abused whether legal or not (alcohol)
4. You go to dangerous neighborhoods, have dealings with criminal individuals to get durgs.
5. Others tell you that you use too much pain oxycontin and opioids if they know how much you are taking.
6. You thinking of getting oxycontin and spend your free time getting it.
7. Doctor shop for oxycontin
8. Steal oxycontin and opioids from others.
9.Taking more medication than Rx by your doctor.
10. Your family and work suffer from you use.
Avoid Oxycontin Addiction
Opioid medications including oxycontin have aided many patients in severe pain. These medications have have risks. They have been stolen and sold for money. Kids become addicted and can’t stop using. This has worsened as the number of prescriptions has risen. The one way to avoid oxycontin addiction is to only use medication under the supervision of a single physician. Having many doctors prescribing oxycontin and narcotics to you will eventually lead to trouble. Change the dose of a medication only after discussing this with your doctor. Not doing this can cause a disaster. Changing the medication on you own may lead to you doctor “cutting you off.” Avoid this by making sure you and your physician are partners in dealing with your pain.
The next way to reduce problems with oxycontin is to discuss with your physician other ways to deal with pain. There are many other ways ranging from non-opioid medications to streatching and massage therapy. You should also know that oxycontin can make chonic pain worse. Relying on oxycontn to treat pain changes the body’s nervous system and makes patients more sensitive to pain. Long-term use of oxycontin for pain does not work well for most patients .
Oxycontin Addiction Symptoms Recap
There are signs of oxycontin addiction and opioid addiction. Those close to you can usually see the problems caused by the oxycontin dependence and may tell you. Other signs are doctor shopping, and increasing medication over time. Having trouble in different areas of your life: physical, legal, family, social, and employment is a sign. Every now and then, discuss with your physician stopping oxycontin. This might be the right choice for you. Long-term oxycontin use can cause more problems and pain will not necessarily improve.
Here is more help with Opioid Addiction and Oxycontin Addiction
- Dr. Rich allaboutsuboxone : A site that reviews the use of Suboxone for the treatment of opioid abuse and dependence. It also contains a suboxone doctor directory.
- Codeinewithdrawal: Help for those with codeine addiction
- NLB-National Library of Medicine: Opioid dependence article
- www.methadonetreatmentclinics.net: Site focused on methadone maintenance and opioid addiction
