1. Oxycontin is the time-release form of oxycodone, usually prescribed for chronic and severe
pain. Because it contains a larger amount of oxycodone, it has become one of the most
abused prescription drugs in the United States.
Street Names Some of the street names for OxyContin include Oxy, O.C., killer and hillbilly
heroin.
What is Oxycontin? OxyContin is a semi synthetic opioid analgesic prescribed for chronic or
long-lasting pain. The active ingredient is oxycodone, which is also found in drugs like
Percodan and Tylox. OxyContin can contain between 10 and 160 milligrams of oxycodone in a
timed-release tablet, compared to five milligrams in Tylox.
How Is OxyContin Used? Generally, OxyContin is prescribed to be taken twice a day, a
benefit over other pain-relieving medications that have to be taken several times a day. It is
usually prescribed to help patients with chronic pain, such as back and neck pain, as well as to
cancer patients to help them decrease pain and improve function.
How Is OxyContin Abused? OxyContin abusers either crush the tablet and ingest or snort it
or they dilute it in water and inject it. Crushing or diluting the tablet disarms the timed-release
action of the medication, but crushing OxyContin in this way can give the user a potentially
fatal dose.
What Are the Effects of OxyContin? Under prescribed dosage, OxyContin is an effective
pain reliever, but when crushed and snorted or injected, the drug produces a quick and
powerful "high" that some abusers compare to the feeling they get when doing heroin. The
NIDA reports that in some areas of the country, OxyContin abuse rates are actually higher
than heroin abuse.
Because OxyContin, like heroin and other opioids, is a central nervous system depressant, and
overdose can cause respiratory failure and death. Some symptoms of OxyContin overdose
include:
• Slow breathing (respiratory depression)
• Seizures
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma
• Confusion
• Tiredness
• Cold and clammy skin
• Small pupils
• Reduced vision
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Clouding of mental functions
Is OxyContin Addictive? Like all opioids, OxyContin is potentially highly addictive. Even pain
patients who use the drug as prescribed are advised not to suddenly stop taking OxyContin,
but gradually reduce the dosage to avoid withdrawal symptoms. However, very few people
who take OxyContin as prescribed ever become addicted to the drug.

2. Abusers of the drug, who take higher than prescribed dosage, can develop a tolerance for
OxyContin which can cause them to take ever-increasing larger amounts to achieve the same
effect. They can become addicted or dependent on the drug quickly.
OxyContin Withdrawal Symptoms OxyContin withdrawal symptoms can include:
• Tiredness or fatigue
• Constant yawning
• Hot/cold sweats
• Heart palpitations
• Joints and muscles ache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Uncontrollable coughing
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Watery eyes
• Depression
Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as six hours after the last dose and can
last up to one week. People who have gone through OxyContin withdrawal compare the
process to the intensity of heroin withdrawal.
Oxycodone is a highly addictive opiate narcotic. Classified as a central nervous system
depressant with pain relieving and muscle relaxing properties, this drug is usually
prescribed for relief of moderate to severe pain. Developed in 1916 as a safe alternative
to morphine or heroin, the addictive properties were not realized as a major health
problem in the United States until the outbreak of substance of abuse in the 1960s.
Oxycodone is listed under Schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA),
meaning it has a high potential for abuse, with legal medical benefits. Access to pure
oxycodone by the general population was strictly controlled for three decades, limiting its
availability for abuse. However, oxycodone combined with non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) has long been marketed as Percocet
(oxycodone/acetaminophen), Tylox (5 mg oxycodone/500 acetaminophen) and Percodan
(oxycodone/aspirin).
In 1995, Purdue Pharmaceuticals of Stamford, Connecticut introduced a new form of
oxycodone, a 12 hour time-released chemical, called OxyContin. Marketed as a safe
alternative to regular oxycodone because of the restrictions imposed by the slow release
formula, OxyContin was regarded as a positive step forward in the effective management
of severe pain, particularly in the terminal ill.
When used appropriately, oxycodone/OxyContin is safe and highly effective; however,
when abused, it becomes a dangerous mind and mood altering chemical, with properties
similar to those of morphine. The euphoric high, combined with pain relieving and
relaxation properties, plus easy access by prescription, has made it one of the most
abused prescription drugs available.

3. OxyContin is marketed in pill form and designed to be digested and absorbed through the
stomach and intestines. Drug abusers quickly learned that crushing the pills destroyed
most of the time-release protector, and that chewing, snorting, or injecting the powder,
provided an intense euphoric rush. These methods also release much more oxycodone
than is medically safe, and can lead to overdose and death.
Oxycodone toxicity (life-threatening overdose) can be fatal. Symptoms include: seizures,
weakness, poor oxygen circulation (cyanosis), confusion, clammy skin, pinpoint pupils,
low blood pressure, slow heart rate, coma, breathing difficulties, and death. Rapid
transport to a suitable hospital, preferably by ambulance, is essential to minimize the
possibility of internal organ damage