Sunday, September 28, 2008

Man Arrested for Oxycontin, Gives 32 Aliases

Recently, a man was arrested for speeding along Interstate 90. As the Mower County Sheriff’s Office deputy inspected the car, he found large quantities of oxycontin as well as other prescription drugs. As he was investigating the man regarding the man's identity, he was given 32 aliases as well as 5 date-of-births until the man's identity was verified as a 57-year-old man of Milwaukee, Wis.

This news may sound funny but the case is serious and is a result of oxycontin abuse. He most certainly didn't know what he was doing anymore and it is very sad indeed. Lives are destroyed and wasted because of a silly addiction.

If you're not using oxycontin or other painkillers, better to stay away from those. Your life is worth more than just a funny news article.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Side Effects of Oxycontin Aside from Addiction

We all know that Oxycontin can be addictive. But what are the other side effects that can bring us discomfort. If being addicted to it is not enough to make you stop using it, here are a few more.

  • Headache
  • Dry mouth
  • Changes in mood
  • Drowsiness
  • Confusion
  • Sweating
  • Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
  • Awareness of your heartbeat (palpitations)
  • Loss of appetite
  • Difficulty in breathing (dyspnoea)
  • Loss of memory (amnesia)
  • A drop in blood pressure that occurs when going from lying down to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension)
  • Weakness or loss of strength (asthenia)
  • Skin reactions such as rash and itch
  • Abnormal dreams
  • Anxiety
  • Dizziness/faintness
  • Twitching

Monday, September 22, 2008

Oxycontine Abuse May Lead Adolescents to Lifelong Addiction

No child wants to be a lifelong addict, but their brains might. Recently, researchers have revealed that adolescent brains exposed to oxycontin may sustain lifelong and permanent changes in their reward system, changes that increase the drug's euphoric properties and make such adolescents more vulnerable to the drug's effects later in adulthood.

During adolescence, the brain undergoes marked changes. For example, the brain's reward pathway increases production of dopamine receptors until mid-adolescence and then either production declines or numbers of receptors decline and by abusing Oxycontin during this developmental period, they may inadvertently trick the brain to keep more of those receptors than it really needs. If these receptors stick around and they are re-exposed to the drug as an adult, the rush of euphoria may be more addictive than the feeling experienced by adults who had never before tried the drug.

It is very scary that despite the early use of oxycontin on young people, little is known about how they differentially affect adolescent brains undergoing developmental change. This is a very good reason for us to keep our children away from oxycontin. We may think we're helping them, but this may actually destroy their lives in the future.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Teens More Easily Hooked than Adults

A recent study has found that teens are more likely to get hooked on Oxycontin than adults. Although the use of illegal drugs by teens have declined, the abuse of prescription drugs such as Oxycontin has been on a rise.

According to researchers, the brain undergoes dramatic changes in adolescence and there is evidence that abusing opioids during this key developmental period may cause permanent brain alterations that increase the likelihood that a teen will be more vulnerable to addiction compared with those who first abuse this drugs as adults.

This is a very scary thought for us parents especially those who are working and who are usually not at home. With this very serious problem, we should always have an open communication with our children and be really good role models.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Remoxy, The Substitute

Recently, there has been word about a new "abuse-resistant" formulation of the widely prescribed opioid pain medication OxyContin. It is widely known that Oxycontin is addictive and is widely abused. Oxycontin abusers have found several ways to bypass the drug's time controlled release mechanism.

This new drug, Remoxy, is said to be impervious to what abusers do to bypass Oxycontin and in other words, Remoxy is designed to thwart those tactics, depriving the user of the quick high he or she seeks.

Remoxy still has to be approved though. But one thing I know, it will most probably be a wait and see period since abusers are known to find ways. Hopefully, Remoxy can deliver on it's promise for all the lives at stake.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Effects of Oxycontin

What is Oxycontin?

Street slang: Killers, OC, OXY, Oxycotton

It is a painkiller that has some comparisons to heroin. It is available in tablet form and is shipped in 4 doses: 10, 20, 40 and 80. It is to be taken every 12 hours because it has a time release formulation. For a while now, the use of Oxycontin has been abused by many and has been a subject of many debates. One thing is for sure, Oxycontin can be deadly as well as addictive. Withdrawal is also difficult and needs medical supervision.
But how bad can it be? Let's look at the effects of using Oxycontin and find out.

Short-term Effects

The most serious risk associated with OxyContin is respiratory depression. Other common side effects are constipation, nausea, sedation, dizziness, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, sweating, and weakness. Taking a large single dose of Oxycontin could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.

Long-term Effects

Chronic use of Oxycontin can result in tolerance for the drugs, which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to addiction and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. To withdraw from Oxycontin, one needs medical supervision.

Alternatives

Taking drugs are very dangerous to our health. If we look around, we will notice that there are other alternatives that are natural. These natural alternatives are known to have no side effects and are 100% safe.

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Monday, September 08, 2008

Withdrawal from Oxycontin

Oxycontin, as we all know is an addictive drug and withdrawing from it is just as serious as quitting heroin. The symptoms are felt when the body is accustomed to having Oxycontin in its system and then the drug is suddenly taken away. This is actually not a problem if you take the drug as prescribed. The problem though has stemmed from the abuse of the drug since it's release in 1995.

It has been found that most people who abuse the Oxycontin get around the time release structure of the pill by either crushing, chewing or dissolving the pill in liquid. This bypasses the time release structure and gives the rush of pleasure sought after by drug abusers.

Oxycontin withdrawal is very serious and is not to be done on your own without medical supervision. Here are some of the effects of Oxycontin withdrawal.

* Muscle and bone pain
* Restlessness
* Diarrhea
* Vomiting
* Insomnia
* Cold flashes
* Involuntary leg movements

There are also flu like symptoms when withdrawing from Oxycontin but they can be minimized or avoided altogether with medical supervision otherwise called "detoxification". Contact a reputable facility for Oxycontin withdrawal because this is not something you would want to do on your own and is not considered a "weekend thing".

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