Understanding Oxycodone Addiction

Learn About Oxycodone Abuse & Addiction

Oxycodone is a synthetic opioid that is found within a number of prescription painkillers including Percodan, OxyContin, Tylox, and Percocet. These medications are most commonly prescribed to those who have been experiencing moderate to severe pain caused by an injury, cancer, surgery, or other condition. When an individual consumes a prescription medication containing oxycodone, he or she will likely experience a decrease in his or her pain, along with an elevated mood and a sense of relaxation. When the individual limits his or her oxycodone use to the dosage and duration recommended by his or her prescribing physician, he or she can safely benefit from the positive effects of the drug.

Sadly, oxycodone’s potency and prevalence have made it a highly abused substance, both by those who look to self-medicate, and those who want to achieve a recreational high. Regardless of why an individual starts to abuse oxycodone, the results can be equally devastating. Oxycodone interacts with parts of the brain that control automatic functions such as heart rate and respiration. Therefore, those who exceed or ignore recommended dosage amounts risk damaging their cardiovascular systems, which can be life-ending.

Oxycodone abuse also exposes an individual to a number of short-term and long-term dangers including the development of addiction. Known clinically as opioid use disorder, oxycodone addiction can take away one’s ability to control the amount and frequency that he or she uses the substance. It will also cause an individual to prioritize the acquisition and use of oxycodone over academic, personal, and professional obligations, as well as other responsibilities.

When an individual tries to overcome his or her oxycodone addiction by ending his or her abuse of the substance, he or she might rapidly start to suffer a series of painful symptoms of withdrawal. If the individual does not have effective professional treatment for oxycodone abuse, these symptoms can be extremely overwhelming and can cause the user to fall deeper into the trenches of oxycodone addiction.

Statistics

Statistics for Oxycodone Abuse

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), nearly 1.9 million Americans have a substance use disorder that includes using a prescription painkillers like oxycodone. ASAM also states that women are more likely than men to struggle with chronic pain and to be prescribed painkillers, and that 48,000 women lost their lives as a result of prescription painkiller addictions between 1998 and 2010. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that 81% of all prescriptions for oxycodone in the world are written in America. NIDA also states that between 2001 and 2014, the yearly death rate from prescription painkiller overdose in the country increased by 340%.

Causes & Risks

Causes & Risk Factors of Oxycodone Addiction

An individual’s risk for abusing and becoming addicted to oxycodone might be impacted by a series of genetic and environmental factors, including the following:

Genetic: Possessing a family background of substance abuse can increase one’s risk for developing an opioid use disorder. The family risk is greatest in those who have a parent or a sibling who has battled addiction or another mental health disorder. Heritable traits, including novelty seeking and impulsivity, can also increase one’s vulnerability for developing a substance abuse problem involving oxycodone or another opioid.

Environmental: Early exposure to substance abuse through friends and/or relatives who abuse oxycodone or other opioids can be an environmental risk factor for someone developing an opioid use disorder. Trauma, poverty, and pain due to injury, disease, or surgery can also increase one’s risk for oxycodone abuse.

Risk Factors:

Family history of substance abuse
Prior substance abuse
Gender (women are more likely than men to be prescribed oxycodone)
Family history of mental illness
Personal history mental illness
Early exposure to substance abuse
Poverty
Receiving a prescription for oxycodone
Trauma

Signs and Symptoms

Signs & Symptoms of Oxycodone Addiction

Those who have been abusing or have grown addicted to oxycodone might demonstrate a number of different symptoms, including, however not limited to, the following:

Behavioral symptoms:

Abusing oxycodone when it is obviously risky or reckless to do so, such as when also abusing another substance or when driving a car
Habitual absences from school or work
Declining performance in school or at work
Attempting but failing to end one’s use of oxycodone
Trying to borrow or steal oxycodone that has been prescribed to someone else
Trying to fraudulently obtain a prescription for oxycodone or attempting to acquire this drug via another illicit means
Lying, secrecy, and deception
Trying to borrow or steal money or goods to exchange for drugs
Abusing oxycodone even after experiencing negative outcomes from prior use

Physical symptoms:

Problems with balance, coordination, and reflexes
Faint pulse
Shallow, slow, and/or labored breathing
Numbness to pain
Dilated pupils
Weight loss
Drowsiness
Excessive yawning
Itchiness

Cognitive symptoms:

Difficulty with concentration or focus
Impaired memory
Impaired judgment
Poor spatial relations

Psychosocial symptoms:

Uncharacteristic anger
Paranoia
Mood swings
Anxiety
Panic
Loss of interest in significant activities

Effects

Effects of Oxycodone Abuse

The continued abuse of oxycodone can cause a number of destructive effects and outcomes, including the following:

Suicidal thoughts
Financial ruin
Job loss
Unemployment
Loss of child custody
Damaged or ruined interpersonal relationships
Academic failure
Legal problems, including arrest and incarceration
Social withdrawal or ostracization
Suicidal actions
Family discord
Sexual dysfunction
Physical injury due to impaired judgment and coordination
Damage to vision
Damage to heart and lungs
Marital strife, including separation and divorce

Co-Occurring Disorders

Oxycodone Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders

Those who become addicted to oxycodone might also be at risk for the following co-occurring mental health conditions:

Bipolar disorder
Depressive disorders
Anxiety disorders
Other substance use disorders
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Withdrawal & Overdose Effects

Effects & Symptoms of Withdrawal from Oxycodone

Effects of oxycodone withdrawal: An individual who has grown addicted to oxycodone might experience the following symptoms of withdrawal when he or she attempts to end his or her abuse of the substance:

Tics, tremors, and shakiness
Muscle spasms
Nausea
Vomiting
Profuse sweating
Watery eyes and runny nose
Painful abdominal cramps
Intense cravings for oxycodone
Loss of appetite
Diarrhea
Insomnia

Effects of oxycodone overdose: An individual who suffers from the following symptoms after consuming oxycodone might have overdosed and needs immediate medical attention: