10 Oxycontin Withdrawal Symptoms
Not unlike heroin, Oxycontin, a Schedule II opiate class narcotic, carries a high risk for abuse and addiction. Oxycontin works as a pain reliever for conditions involving moderate to severe pain.
According to the University of Maryland, Oxycontin produces pain-relieving effects for up to 12 hours on a time-release basis. The drug’s powerful analgesic effects, while effective, should only be used for short-term treatment purposes. In cases where the drug is abused, the potential for abuse and addiction increases considerably.
Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms develop out of the chemical imbalances in the brain caused by ongoing drug use. Once the body develops a physical dependency on the drug, Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms can start to surface within 24 hours of a person’s last use.
If you suspect you or someone you know may be experiencing Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms, here are 10 of the most common Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms to watch out for:
1. Mood Swings
Oxycontin withdrawal can cause confusion and muddled thinking.
The brain chemical imbalances caused by Oxycontin will at some point start to throw off a person’s emotional stability. Feelings start to fluctuate between depression, elation and irritability on a more frequent basis the longer a person uses. Most Oxycontin’s withdrawal effects stem from the brain’s attempts to restore and/or maintain chemical balance.
2. Muddled Thinking Processes
With ongoing use, a person’s thinking processes start to grow sluggish. Poor decision-making abilities, an inability to concentrate and confused thought processes start to surface.
3. Loss of Energy
Oxycontin’s slowing effects on the body’s metabolism processes leaves users feeling fatigued for much of the time as chemical imbalances grow worse.
4. Random Muscle Aches & Pains
Oxycontin works by interfering with nerve signal transmissions between the body and the brain. As brain chemical imbalances worsen, random muscle aches and pains develop as nerve signal transmissions start to misfire.
5. Body Temperature Fluctuations
Body temperature fluctuations develop as the drug’s effects throw off brain regions responsible for body temperature regulation. This type of Oxycontin withdrawal symptom causes a person to experiences alternating chills and hot flashes on a frequent basis.
6. Bouts of Anxiety
As areas of the brain regulating cognitive and emotional processes start to decline, users experience feelings of anxiety that have little to nothing to do with their external environment.
7. “Nodding Out”
Oxycontin’s pain relieving effects also bring on sedative effects that grow stronger over time. With prolonged use, users start to experience brief lapses in consciousness, commonly known as “nodding.”
8. Digestive Problems
Oxycontin withdrawal symptoms may take the form of constipation and stomach cramps as the drug’s effects interfere with muscle contractions along the digestive tract.
9. Breathing Problems
High doses of Oxycontin can potentially impair a person’s ability to breathe. At this point, the drug’s sedative effects on brain chemical processes disrupt the area of the brain that regulates respiratory functions.
10. Persistent Drug Cravings
This Oxycontin withdrawal symptom is a key warning sign of addiction. Drug cravings develop as a person’s belief systems come to view Oxycontin as necessary for his or her survival. In turn, these effects start to drive compulsive drug-seeking and drug-using behaviors.
