Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic painkiller used for pain management, anesthesia, breakthrough cancer pain, or for round-the-clock pain management. Oxycodone is sold under trade names Tylox®, Percodan®, OxyContin®.
Oxycodone a potent opioid agonist, was developed in the 1950s to fill a need for strong and rapid analgesia. Because of these characteristics, fentanyl is commonly used to treat chronic cancer pain or in anesthesia. Fentanyl is related to other opioids like morphine and oxycodone.
OxyContin is the instant release version of Oxycodone and has a high potency has also made it a commonly abused drug. In 2017, 47600 overdose deaths in the United States involved some opioid (over 2/3 of all overdose deaths).
Opioid overdoses kill an average of 11 Canadians daily. Oxycodone was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1995. OxyContin is classified as Schedule II on the DEA drug list.
Oxycodone is a Schedule II drug which means it is at a high risk of being abused. Other narcotics on the Schedule II drug list include hydromorphone (Dilaudid®), methadone (Dolophine®), meperidine (Demerol®), oxycodone (OxyContin®, Percocet®), and fentanyl (Sublimaze®, Duragesic®). Other Schedule II narcotics include morphine, opium, codeine, and hydrocodone.
The chemical formula is 4, 5α-epoxy-14-hydroxy-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6-one hydrochloride. Oxycodone is a white, odorless crystalline powder derived from the opium alkaloid, thebaine.
Oxycodone is a synthetic opioid that is a class of drugs that are naturally found in the opium poppy plant. Some opioids are made from the plant directly, like heroin while others, like OxyContin, are made by scientists in labs using the same chemical structure (semi-synthetic or synthetic).
That means that oxycodone is similar to morphine & heroin because it is in the same opiate category but it is different because it is not derived directly from the poppy plant, rather it is produced in a lab and is actually 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally.
The half-life of Oxycodone means the amount of time that stays in your system before it is fully absorbed. The half-life of Oxycodone is about 90 minutes, meaning that it is very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolized.
Its onset of action is less than 60 seconds with a half-life of 90 minutes and a duration of action near 30–60 minutes. The peak effects of Oxycodone occur in 2–5 minutes. Since the lifespan is fairly short, that also affects how long it stays in your system.
Extended-release oxycodone in oral tablet come in the following mg: 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, and 80 mg.
These doses do not contain oxycodone and acetaminophen they are pure oxycodone. A higher oxycodone dosage has a higher risk of oxycodone overdose.
The most common adverse reactions (≥5%) reported by adult patients in clinical trials comparing Oxycodone with placebo are constipation, nausea, somnolence, dizziness, pruritus, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, asthenia, and sweating.
Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic used in anesthesia, for breakthrough cancer pain, or for round-the-clock pain management it is different from other painkillers because of how strong it is and fast acting. Many other painkillers like Percocet and Vicodin have time releases and do not have the immediate onset that comes from OxyContin.
Oxycodone addiction is difficult to overcome without medical detox. Effective treatment involves a clinical and medical approach to recovery followed by maintenance and continued therapy. The levels of care typically involved in oxycodone rehab include the following:
The best outcomes occur when participants are willing and ready to change their behavior patterns and fully participate in therapy. If you are seeking help for oxycodone or opiate addiction, our admissions team is standing by 24/7 to help.
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Dr. Bickley graduated from U.C. Irvine with honors: Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key International Honor Society, Cum Laude. He has been featured on national radio and print media. He is also a frequent lecturer at National Conferences. He holds an A.S. degree in Drug & Alcohol Studies, and two B.A. degrees in Criminology & Psychology, and masters and doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. He is a licensed California Drug & Alcohol Counselor Level II, a licensed Clinical Supervisor and is certified in treating Eating Disorders.
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