The Basic Facts About Oxycodone Abuse and Treatment

addiction treatment

Ibogaine addiction treatment programs can treat several different types of drug addictions; dependence on the prescription drug oxycodone is just one type of addiction that can be addressed with ibogaine therapy. Here’s a quick look at some interesting facts you may not have known about oxycodone and addiction:

  • Oxycodone is sometimes better known by its brand name, OxyContin — or just “Oxy” for short. Oxycodone is an opioid and a depressant, which means that it slows down messages travelling between the brain and various body parts to mitigate the effects of pain. It is typically prescribed by doctors to relieve moderate to severe pain.
  • Opiate medications are actually nothing new in terms of drug use; some historians say that these substances have been used for thousands of years. These drugs come from poppies: the interior of a poppy seed can be extracted from the plant and dried to produce a sticky brownish gum technically called papaver somniferum — but better known as opium. It can be eaten or turned into other forms to be smoked, injected, or consumed in pill form.
  • Oxycodone is also one of the most commonly abused prescription drugs today. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that approximately 11 million Americans have used this drug inappropriately (which is to say that they have consumed the drug without having a legal prescription or have consumed more than their doctor has prescribed). Prescription drug abuse is a common problem throughout the country as is; around 6.5 million Americans have abused a prescription drug at least once in the past month.
  • The effects of Oxycodone, when used to get high, can appear immediately or can appear after long-term use. When combined with alcohol, the effect of Oxycodone are typically enhanced — often to a fatal level. In the U.S. alone, over 100 people die every single day (on average) because of a drug overdose.
  • Withdrawing from this drug, as with so many other prescription drugs, is not easy. Even patients who take Oxycodone legally, as prescribed by their doctor, can end up with an Oxycodone addiction because they have become dependent on the drug. Withdrawal symptoms typically last for about a week and can include everything from uncontrollable yawning to muscle spasms and severe vomiting.

Addiction treatment is not an easy process by any stretch of the imagination, and if you’re dealing with an addiction to Oxycodone, you may have already found that out. The important thing to remember is that there are many different types of addiction treatment plans available.