OxyContin was once a major target for opioid abuse and addiction. In 2010, manufacturers reformulated the drug to make it harder to abuse. A coating applied to each pill ensured it couldn’t be crushed for injection or snorting. In 2021, researchers writing in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring wrote that rates of abuse declined by 19% and opioid use disorder by 27% after this shift.[7]
Even so, some people still abuse these pills. Understanding what OxyContin abuse looks like and how it works could help you stay safe. It can also help people you know who develop problematic drug use.
Early OxyContin Abuse Signs
In 2022, more than 131,700,000 opioid prescriptions were dispensed in the United States, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[6]
Some people use OxyContin for a legitimate reason, such as intense pain. However, some people start to abuse their drugs. Catching the early warning signs can help you step in when the problems begin.
Early OxyContin abuse signs can include the following:
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Turning down social opportunities
- Missing classes or work
- Neglecting personal hygiene
- Looking for new doctors to prescribe drugs
Signs & Symptoms of OxyContin Abuse
OxyContin is a trade name for the opioid, oxycodone hydrochloride. Opioids are painkillers and OxyContin is legitimately used for this purpose in a medical context, but it can also be a drug of abuse, used illicitly to get high. [1]
Repeated opioid abuse carries a variety of health risks, including the risk of a deadly overdose
People who abuse OxyContin and similar medications will generally experience some common symptoms as a result of their use, including these:[2],[3]
- Euphoric rush
- Sedated calm
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Respiratory depression
What Are the Dangers of OxyContin?
OxyContin abuse can lead to serious problems, including short-term risks, long-term effects, social consequences, and problems by method of use.
Short-Term Risks
Some short-term dangers of misusing oxycodone are listed in the medication’s package insert. They include the following:[8]
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Itching
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- Tolerance, which increases the risk of overdose
- Physical dependence
- Withdrawal symptoms
Long-Term Effects
Some long-term dangers of misusing oxycodone include the following:[2-4]
- OxyContin addiction
- Brain damage
- Progression to heroin or fentanyl use, which may increase risk of overdose
- Bowel obstruction
- Extreme sensitivity to pain
- Breathing problems while sleeping
- Weakened immune system
- Heart attack
- Infertility
- Erectile dysfunction
- Osteoporosis and fractures
- Depression
Social Consequences
As OxyContin abuse signs deepen, the social consequences can worsen. You may struggle to have healthy relationships with people who don’t also use drugs.
Your friends and family may wish you’d quit drugs, but you may feel unable to do so. You may also lose your job or your educational opportunities due to your unexplained absences.
Problems by Method of Use
Some of the dangers are specific to the method of administration. For example, those who inject OxyContin may experience the following:[3]
- Track lines
- Collapsed veins
- Increased risk of HIV and hepatitis B and C
- Bacterial infection of the heart lining
- Cellulitis and abscesses
Some risks associated with snorting oxycodone include the following:[3]
- Nosebleeds
- Sinusitis
- Perforated nasal septum
OxyContin Overdose
Repeated oxycodone abuse carries a variety of health risks, including the risk of overdose. This generally involves taking too much OxyContin (and other drugs that may have a stacking effect), which can result in severe respiratory depression, stopped heart, and coma.
Here’s what to do if you think someone is experiencing an OxyContin overdose:
- Treat it as a medical emergency. The faster a person receives treatment, the less likely they are to experience permanent harm.
- Call 911 immediately and stay by the person’s side.
- The drug naloxone (Narcan) can be used to reverse an opioid overdose and should be administered right away if a person seems to be overdosing on a drug like OxyContin. Place the tip of the naloxone bottle in the person’s nose and depress the plunger.
- Stay until help arrives. The naloxone dose could wear off, and the opioid overdose could return in some cases. Medical personnel will treat the person accordingly, ensuring the overdose stays at bay.
Recognizing When Misuse Has Progressed to Addiction
Chronic OxyContin abuse can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction, which is often referred to as opioid use disorder.
Common signs of OxyContin addiction include the following:[3]
- Once-rewarding behaviors feel less rewarding, especially compared to OxyContin abuse
- An inability to stop or reduce opioid abuse, despite logically knowing that such abuse is doing harm
- Being worried or preoccupied with how to get your next dose of drugs
- Spending a significant portion of your week getting, taking or recovering from opioids like OxyContin
- Neglecting important responsibilities
- Interpersonal problems resulting from regular opioid abuse
- Changing your habits, including preferring opioid use over spending time with friends, family, or on activities once enjoyed
- Engaging in risky behaviors to obtain and use OxyContin
- Experiencing withdrawal after stopping or reducing opioid use
OxyContin Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal from opioids like OxyContin isn’t generally life-threatening, but it can be uncomfortable and difficult to get through without relapsing back into opioid abuse. Some of the most common signs of OxyContin withdrawal include the following:[3],[5]
Talk to an addiction professional about the best way to detox from oxycodone
- Excessive sweating
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hot and cold flashes
- Insomnia
- Muscle cramps
- Anxiety
You may recognize that sometimes your loved one seems normal or intoxicated while other times they may be unable to obtain an opioid so they are going through withdrawal. In these times, they may seem sick with the flu and irritable. This is a tell-tale sign that they are not only abusing oxycodone but have a dependence and likely an addiction.
A Need for Treatment
If you or someone you love has been abusing OxyContin, it’s a sign that treatment is needed. The intensiveness of your treatment will depend on the severity of your OxyContin abuse. Treatment may include medication-assisted treatment (MAT), behavioral therapy, alternative therapies, and other supportive approaches.
You can learn to manage opioid addiction with the right help. Take the first step today and give us a call to learn more about Boca Recovery Center.
- OxyContin. National Drug Intelligence Center.
- Prescription Opioids. (June 2021). National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association. (2013).
- Long-term opioid therapy reconsidered. Von Korff, M., Kolodny, A., Deyo, R. A., & Chou, R. (2011). Annals of internal medicine, 155(5), 325–328.
- Clinical Guidelines for Withdrawal Management and Treatment of Drug Dependence in Closed Settings. (2009). World Health Organization.
- United States dispensing rate maps. (December 2023). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Abuse-deterrent opioid formulations and the opioid crisis: A pharmacist’s perspective. Gadd S, Cox N, Samuelson J, et al. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. 2021;43(1):35-41.
- OxyContin Package Insert. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
