Oxycontin Withdrawal

OxyContin withdrawal is no less serious than quitting heroin despite the fact that OxyContin withdrawal may have started with a legitimate doctor prescription. OxyContin withdrawal indicators are physical symptoms that are felt when the body has become accustom to having OxyContin in its system and then the drug is suddenly taken away. OxyContin withdrawal symptoms are not a problem if the drug is taken as prescribed. However, since it's debut in 1995, OxyContin has quickly moved from legitimate usage to abuse and addiction for many individuals. When this happens OxyContin withdrawal becomes a very serious condition that must be supervised by a medical doctor.

Many people begin taking OxyContin legitimately as prescribed by their doctor for mild to severe pain. Often though, some individuals begin to increase their dosage beyond the prescribed amount without consulting their doctor and begin abusing the drug unintentionally. The active ingredient of OxyContin is oxycodone which is a synthetic opiate that gives the user similar feelings to that of heroin. OxyContin is manufactured by Purdue Pharam L.P. for the purpose of being a long lasting pain reliever effective up to 12 hours.

People often abuse the drug by getting around the time-release structure of the pill by crushing, chewing or dissolving the pills in liquid. This effectively by-passes the time-release and gives an initial rush of pleasure that drug abusers seek. This experience is remembered by the mind and body and soon the individual finds himself or herself seeking this pleasure more and more often. The body becomes accustom to the amount of OxyContin it is processing and higher dosages are needed for the same effect. Soon, a significant tolerance and continuous usage has developed, both indications of addiction.

So it is no surprise that if you stop the drug, OxyContin withdrawal symptoms are felt throughout the body. The body has become used to its supply of OxyContin and has rearranged its chemicals to adapt to its increased pleasurable effects on the body. Ironically, continuous usage leads to a tolerance so that the individual needs a certain amount of OxyContin just to feel normal. Dosage levels that might make another person quit "high" only let the addicted person get past the pain of OxyContin withdrawal, far from the sought after pleasurable effects.

OxyContin withdrawal symptoms are as serious as heroin withdrawal. As stated earlier, they are chemically very similar. Also like the heroin addict, OxyContin withdrawal is not something you can get through on your own without medical supervision. You may have already experienced some of these symptoms if you ran out or tried to stop using OxyContin on your own:

muscle and bone pain

restlessness

diarrhea

insomnia

vomiting

cold flashes

involuntary leg movements

These and other severe "flu" like symptoms can be minimized or avoided under proper medical supervision called detoxification. Spencer Recovery Center has treated hundreds of clients for opiate addiction. OxyContin withdrawal is not a process you can go through on you own, "sweating it out" in your bedroom over the weekend, and expect to be successful in beating your addiction.

Spencer Recovery Centers have the medical facilities, professional doctors, and licensed counselors to help you beat your OxyContin addiction once and for all. There is no need to live in fear and run away from OxyContin withdrawal. Give us a call today for a private consultation and we can help you step through this barrier and into a life clean and free of addiction.

Facts and figures related to OxyContin were found at The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.