OXYCONTIN : Precautions for use.

What is Oxycontin ?
OxyContin is a trade name for the drug oxycodone hydrochloride. OxyContin is a controlled-release form of oxycodone prescribed to treat chronic pain. When used properly, OxyContin can provide pain relief for up to 12 hours.
Oxycodone has a high abuse potential and is prescribed for moderate to high pain relief associated with injuries, bursitis, dislocation, fractures, neuralgia, arthritis, and lower back and cancer pain. It is also used postoperatively and for pain relief after childbirth. OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, and Tylox are trade name oxycodone products.

How does it work?
Oxycodone is an agonist opioid. Opioid agonists are some of the most effective pain relievers available. Oxycodone is a central nervous system depressant.Unlike other analgesics, opioid agonists have an increasing analgesic effect with increased doses. Meaning that the more you take, the better you feel. Other analgesics, like aspirin or acetaminophen, have a threshold to their effectiveness. You can see why, particularly for people who suffer chronic pain, a medication like OxyContin can be so beneficial: It can potentially provide up to four times the relief of a non-opioid analgesic, so even the most severe degree of pain can be managed.
Once oxycodone enters the body, it works by stimulating certain opioid receptors that are located throughout the central nervous system, in the brain and along the spinal cord. When the oxycodone binds to the opioid receptors, a variety of physiologic responses can occur, ranging from pain relief to slowed breathing to euphoria.
Why is Oxycontin in the news ?
Recently, there has been a lot of media focus on this prescription drug due to increasing reports of its abuse
When abused, OxyContin, like other opiates and opioids, can be dangerously addictive. Rather than ingesting the pill as indicated, people who abuse OxyContin use other methods of administering the drug.
To avoid the controlled-release mechanism, they either chew, snort or inject the medication to get an instant and intense "high."
Frequent and repeated use of the drug can cause the user to develop a tolerance to its effects, so larger doses are required to elicit the desired sensation and the abuser gets increasingly addicted to the drug.

People who take the drug repeatedly can develop a tolerance or resistance to the drug's effects. Thus, a cancer patient can take a dose of oxycodone on a regular basis that would be fatal in a person never exposed to oxycodone or another opioid. Most individuals who abuse oxycodone seek to gain the euphoric effects, mitigate pain, and avoid withdrawal symptoms associated with oxycodone or heroin abstinence.

SIDE EFFECTS (when taken as directed):
Constipation, dryness of the mouth, confusion, sedation, light-headedness, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating
SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE:
Slow breathing, seizures, dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness, coma, confusion, cold or clammy skin, small pupils
Do’s and Donts

You should never break, chew, or crush the OxyContin tablet since this causes a large amount of oxycodone to be released from the tablet all at once, potentially resulting in a dangerous or fatal drug overdose.

Only a physician can determine if OxyContin is a good choice to manage a your pain. If you have pain every day that lasts for a large part of the day, and the pain is moderate or severe in intensity, depending upon other factors in your medical history, OxyContin may be a good choice for you. Speak with your physician.

If you feel you only need to take a pain reliever occasionally and this adequately treats your pain, OxyContin is NOT the right drug for you. If you only need a pain reliever for a few days, for example following a dental or surgical procedure, OxyContin is not the right drug for you.

OxyContin may interfere with your ability to do certain things that require your full attention. You should not drive a car, operate heavy machinery, or do other possibly dangerous activities while taking OxyContin

Combining OxyContin with some other types of medication such as sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and other pain medications may be dangerous due to the risk of interactions of these medications that can result in injury or death. You should speak with your physician before taking any other medicines with OxyContin.

You should also tell your physician about all prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements/herbal remedies that you are taking before starting OxyContin.

You should not drink any beverage that contains alcohol while you are taking OxyContin. This includes beer, wine, and all distilled liquors. OxyContin and alcoholic beverages may have dangerous interactions that can result in serious injury or death.

When you no longer need OxyContin, the dose should be gradually reduced so that you do not feel sick with withdrawal symptoms. You should ask your physician for a plan on how to gradually decrease the dose and when to stop the OxyContin.