Oxycontin

[Tenor CS]

About once a week, I see a TV news story or article in the newspaper about how some junkie robs a pharmacy (or at least tries to) in search of Oxycontin.

In the last year, I've had oral surgery and some other surgeries, and was prescribed Oxycontin as my pain reliever.

In my experience, I don't see why this medicine is addictive.

Also, it sucks as a pain killer. It kind of sort of takes the edge off, but that's about it. Hell, for me, Advil works better.

What are these losers getting addicted to?

Must be the dosage you had. When I had it for my back, it made me float in a sky surrounded by multicolored unicorns!! Also its time released, I believe the people stealing it are grinding it and snorting it so it hits all at once and not over time.

I think the kids like to shoot it for a "better" high.

[dunng]

Originally Posted by TRicker

Must be the dosage you had. When I had it for my back, it made me float in a sky surrounded by multicolored unicorns!! Also its time released, I believe the people stealing it are grinding it and snorting it so it hits all at once and not over time.

You seem to know toooo much on this subject...

[Tenor CS]

They should smoke a fine cigar and just relax!

Originally Posted by dunng

You seem to know toooo much on this subject...

As many as I took before my surgery, I actually got an honorary pharmacists liscense!!

[dunng]

And I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

[mosesbotbol]

Never tried them or had the need to try them (luckily), but would like to try a few to see what the hype is about. Those who are addicted as you mention will be addicted on one thing or another. It's not so much that drug, as it is themselves. The drug is the vehicle of thier destructive ways. I know a few who have fell in a bad way to Oxy.

[shilala]

Christian, Oxycontin is the pharmaceutical equivalent of heroin. That's why it's sought after. Like TRicker said, junkers snort it, but it delivers a better buzz when they boot it (inject it).
The scenario where problems occur runs something like this...
Drug seeker finds doctor.
Said drug seeker is taken into a "pain management contract" where he/she promises to only get pain meds from that doctor and will only get them at a specific pharmacy and agrees to be subject to random drug screens.
What generally happens is that the patient becomes emotionally and physically dependant on the drugs and manages to screw up their pain management contract in one way or another. They usually find another doctor so they can get more drugs because the dose that the doctor supplies is no longer adequate for their "needs" or they piss hot for some other drug and are thrown off the program.
Once they can no longer score the drugs, they hit the open market for heroin or oxy.

You know how you mentioned they really don't have much effect for you?
It's because opioids work not only on pain centers, they shut off the pain in the brain. A person with excruciating mental anquish will get a huge relief from opioids.
If you don't have a lot of problems and a troubled mind, they just make you sleepy and sick.
The fact that they ease a troubled mind is why they are so addictive and why people find they "need" more and more. As they get used to their initial dose, it becomes less and less effective for their emotional problems and they start "seeking", which means they're gathering more drugs to get the job done.
That's when they find themselves in a tough place because docs are very reluctant to increase dosages. It's easier for them to find another doc a couple towns over and get double the meds, or find a half dozen doctors who will fill their needs.
There's no real "network" in place for doctors or pharmacies to catch folks who are heavily addicted and get them help.
Even if they can, "help" seldom works for addicts.
It's a real tough racket.

[Texan in Mexico]

At least now I could carry on a halfway decent conversation about Oxy.

[borndead1]

Oxycontin??????


Oh no! I just snorted some OxyClean by mistake!

[G G]

Not sure about the why of it, but I can tell you that I have been to quite a few dead persons that have ODd on it in the past few years.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by ggainey

Not sure about the why of it, but I can tell you that I have been to quite a few dead persons that have ODd on it in the past few years.

Prescription drugs kill more people each year than all the "illicit drugs" combined.

[kaelaria]

If it didn't effect you you simply didn't take enough. I had severe back problems for years (thankfully ended by a great surgeon a few years ago) and was on everything they had including experimentals. In proper dosages, until you get used to it, it works wonders. I ended my use of it at three 30mg dosages (two 15mg tablets) per day. I started at three 10mg tablets a day and every few weeks would have to bump up one level. For those with extreme pain though it's certainly a mid-range drug. Two stronger that I used that come to mind that really helped in the end were morphine injections given by my doctors, and a new at the time tablet called Opana.

Yeah, they pretty much crush it and snort it. Shilala hit the nail on the head for the most part. Although a lot don't get into it for the pain, but more for the rush and it's usually available; they'll make up a pain story to get the meds. Here in the southern counties of WV, Lortab is the pain med of choice. Lortab 10mg goes for about $10-20 a pill, or more here. Hell, you can walk behind some houses and readily get it if you got the cash, and that's why pill counts don't work, where the doc has you bring in your pill bottles and make sure you're taking the right amount. Also, since we're not to far from the Kentucky border, they go to docs or pharmacies across the border, so the State Pharm board review will not work either, although it does pick out quite a few--a doc can go onto a website and see who got what and where and from which doctor, so that way they can see if they're seeing multiple doctors for the meds, in which case the initial doc will often fire the patient. One problem, although I consider it minor, is that doctors readily prescribe it--it's easy money and income; but there are some that refuse to give any pain medications, and those that actually need it (if they're a patient of the stubborn doc) are often in unnecessary pain that the drug is actually intended to treat! Methadone is a good drug, and it's got a long long half-life and duration of action, so that's why it's used for rehab, it allows you to taper down the dose without sending the patient into seizures from withdraw. Something else to treat, Vivitrol is a naltraxone shot, once monthly. It's currently indicated only for alcohol although it is an opioid antagonist, but they're trying to get the FDA to give the OK for opioids--it works great, because no matter how much you take, you won't feel the effects of it (although I'm not sure about the metabolic effects, if it can still harm you if you take too much, which I'm pretty sure it may--especially if you're doing lortab, vicodin, percocet, lorcet, or any of them with acetamenophen in them--too much of that (ie tylenol) and you lose your liver and life).

Here's another interesting fact, opioids and benzodiazepens often go hand in hand, but more commonly it's with xanax, valium, klonopin, and ativan. Klonopin has mood stabilization effects, so it's good for bipolars with anxiety; valium has muscle relaxation properties, so great for muscle spasms with your pain; xanax, however, is the only one that also hits the side of the receptor that alcohol interacts with (alcohol, benzo's, phenytoin/dilantin, and a couple other drugs all hit the same receptor, just different parts of hit; so xanax hit's both it's side and the alcohol's side), thus you get more request for xanax. And it's addictive because of the short half-life/duration (4 hrs) compared to ativan/klonopin/valium (12-24+ hrs), so you have to keep taking it to get the effects to continue. That's when the tolerance comes in because you have to keep taking it more often.

Lets see now, any thing else want to know?

Originally Posted by shilala

Christian, Oxycontin is the pharmaceutical equivalent of heroin. That's why it's sought after. Like TRicker said, junkers snort it, but it delivers a better buzz when they boot it (inject it).
The scenario where problems occur runs something like this...
Drug seeker finds doctor.
Said drug seeker is taken into a "pain management contract" where he/she promises to only get pain meds from that doctor and will only get them at a specific pharmacy and agrees to be subject to random drug screens.
What generally happens is that the patient becomes emotionally and physically dependant on the drugs and manages to screw up their pain management contract in one way or another. They usually find another doctor so they can get more drugs because the dose that the doctor supplies is no longer adequate for their "needs" or they piss hot for some other drug and are thrown off the program.
Once they can no longer score the drugs, they hit the open market for heroin or oxy.

You know how you mentioned they really don't have much effect for you?
It's because opioids work not only on pain centers, they shut off the pain in the brain. A person with excruciating mental anquish will get a huge relief from opioids.
If you don't have a lot of problems and a troubled mind, they just make you sleepy and sick.
The fact that they ease a troubled mind is why they are so addictive and why people find they "need" more and more. As they get used to their initial dose, it becomes less and less effective for their emotional problems and they start "seeking", which means they're gathering more drugs to get the job done.
That's when they find themselves in a tough place because docs are very reluctant to increase dosages. It's easier for them to find another doc a couple towns over and get double the meds, or find a half dozen doctors who will fill their needs.
There's no real "network" in place for doctors or pharmacies to catch folks who are heavily addicted and get them help.
Even if they can, "help" seldom works for addicts.
It's a real tough racket.

I pop a couple of these, drink a beer and let the good times roll. It's like living in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.









I made that up, they gave me this after my knee surgery it made me feel worse than before I took it.

[shilala]

One other thing, Christian. It's highly unlikely you were prescribed Oxycontin for the oral surgeries. It was most likely Oxycodone (Percocet).
It's easy to get the two mixed up, they sound the same and folks don't normally know the difference (nor should they, really).
I don't think there's a dentist or oral surgeon in the world who prescribes Oxycontin. It'd be crazy, and it'd be very irresponsible of the physician. Oxycontin is very stigmatized because of all the press it gets and most docs shudder just to hear the word because of all the negativity that surrounds it. It's also indicated for more severe situations, more chronic or severe pain.
Percocet is what the emergency room sends everyone home with when they get hurt. It's what dentists regularly prescribe for pain or post-procedure. 5/500's are the norm. That's 5mg of Oxycodone and 500mg of tylenol.

[Don Fernando]

Originally Posted by dunng

You seem to know toooo much on this subject...

maybe its what Tim uses to tollerate the other Massholes?

[Tenor CS]

Originally Posted by shilala

One other thing, Christian. It's highly unlikely you were prescribed Oxycontin for the oral surgeries. It was most likely Oxycodone (Percocet).

You're right, Scott. The stuff I got post root canal was Oxycodone. It gave me terrible headaches, right where the top of my neck meets my skull. It was awful. I also got very dizzy. I hated it.

However, I definitely had Oxycontin after my most recent surgeries.The real kick in the teeth is that I think I will need further surgery, and this Oxycontin didn't do jack squat to alleviate my pain.

[GreekGodX]

This is a great convo! Considering Oxycontin is about 2x stronger then morphine at my work you hear lots of patients being "allergic" to non-opiate drugs. They say this just so the doc will order they get oxycontin or some kind of other meds that are opiate based.