Oxycontin, also known for its generic version as Oxycodone, is a derivative of the poppy plant, mostly grown in the China Triangle, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Holland along with various other countries with the right soil and weather combination to grow a plant of this nature.
Oxycontin, along with a host of other, by prescription only drugs, are of the opiate family of pain killers due to its powerful and effective pain killing ingredients taken from this plant. These ingredients were found to have miraculous results when it came to finding relief for severe pain. Nonetheless, along with the relief came a very harsh side effect over long-term usage. These side effects are known as "Withdrawals". This is caused when the drug is no longer given to the patient for pain, or if a lesser "non-opiate" drug is given in its place.
The body then goes through a very harsh reality of knowing that it is no longer given this medication. This is when the withdrawals start to begin. The symptoms includes, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, severe stomach cramping, insomnia, severe bones aching, lost of appetite, and the inability to stay still for any length of time. These symptoms persist over a four to five day period.
This is the end result of taking any opiate painkiller over a long period of time. What we are finding out that with this new painkiller, Oxycontin, which by the way is not new it just now being brought to the forefront, is that they are so highly addictive and extremely expensive. We are beginning to see a trend of more patients checking themselves into detox clinics for Oxycotin abuse. What their doctors do not supply for them, they are going to streets to buy them illegally. After what the doctor's prescribes are all gone, sometimes they are left with one to two weeks left before they see their physicians again and they can not hold out until then because they are all out of pills. All CDS (Control Dangerous Substance) can not be refilled. Your physician has to write a new prescription every month.
When Oxycontin first hit the market, the intentions were to only prescribe them for the terminally ill, patients in their last stages of AIDS, or people who were in serious accidents or some other severe injury. This was the purpose of prescribing such a powerful painkiller. Then a very ugly picture emerged, when you scratch the coating off these pills and crush them up, you can either inhale them or put it into some water and cook it up and (main line it) or inject it into your veins for an even a bigger rush. That is when a trend started to emerge. Some users never had a prescription for Oxycontin before. They just started buying them off the street illegally right from the start of their usage.
This drug is more available to the upper and the upper middle class because of the cost of each pill. They cost usually go for about $10.00 per milligram. So for every one 80 mg. tablet it will cost you $80.00. Just like with any other drug, your resistance and drug use increases. We are beginning to see a scary rise in Ivy League University usage from students as well as Prep and Private schools.
The media is also making John Q Public aware of the preventable losses of celebrities who are overdosing on this drug. The Medical community sees a large profit as well as the pharmaceutical industries. The cost of this particular pain medication is extremely high, and the Insurance companies are lefe to foot the bill to pay for this expensive medication.
This drug is fast becoming one of America's new drug crises. The sad fact of all this, is that this is a legal drug and legally it is O.K. for your physician to make the taking of this drug habit forming. It's not a hard thing to do. Oxycontin are so powerful that just one 30 day supply of this medication and you are physically addicted to them.
Oxycontin is fast becoming known as the rich kid's heroine. In all actuality, it all comes from the same source, the Poppy plant. Just as do Morphine, Codeine, Percocet, and a host of other drugs are manufactured from this lethal plant. However, scientist has not been able to duplicate this pain relief medicine that this plant produces, without all the lethal side effects. When science finally does come up with one. We all will be better off down the road, without such an highly addictive pain killer.
For information or help with Oxycontin Addiction Rehab, visit our Oxycontin Treatment Resources page.