Oxycodone - Treatment for Habitual Users

Treatment for Habitual Users

Recovery from opiate addiction is an ongoing process. It cannot be achieved without the help of medical professionals and the support of counselors or programs such as Narcotics Anonymous. Often the drug abuser must face a whole change in lifestyle, in order to avoid the friends, places, and situations associated with the drug abuse originally.

Treatment for oxycodone addiction usually begins in a clinical setting, in a rehabilitation center or hospital. There, the addict is given medications to soothe the withdrawal symptoms and counseling to understand what will happen when he or she returns to daily life. If the rehabilitation is mandatory as a result of a drug arrest, the addict may also have to attend "drug education" classes and take urine tests to prove he or she is remaining drug-free.

Sometimes addicts will undergo several rounds of rehab before finally ending all drug abuse. Self-help groups such as Narcotics Anonymous can be very supportive because the members of the group understand how difficult it is to be drug-free after having a habit. Narcotics Anonymous offers group talk therapy, a "buddy system" that pairs new members with older members, and telephone hotlines for those wishing to end destructive drug use.

In some parts of the country, certain clinics have tried "rapid detox" for opiate addiction. This highly controversial detoxificationOften abbreviated as detox; a difficult process by which substance abusers stop taking those substances and rid their bodies of the toxins that accumulated during the time they consumed such substances. procedure involves putting a patient to sleep and then administering a dose of naloxone to rid the body of opiates. The procedure has not been proven to keep opiate abusers drug-free, and it has potentially dangerous side effects. Most health care workers do not approve of this treatment, and it has been outlawed in the state of New Jersey.

Dependency

People who take oxycodone for pain relief may also develop a dependenceWhen a user has a physical or psychological need to take a certain substance in order to function. on the drug. It is necessary to have an honest and trusting relationship with the prescribing doctor and to keep that doctor informed of any changes in the level of pain or the mind-altering effects of the oxycodone. Elderly patients in particular should be closely monitored for any dizziness or changes in motor control that may lead to a fall or other injury. Anyone taking oxycodone products should be completely honest with the prescribing doctor about all other prescription medicines being taken and all other doctors and specialists being consulted for ailments. This reduces the risk of drug interactions and dependency.

Rush Limbaugh

In October of 2003, radio personality and political commentator Rush Limbaugh publicly admitted that he had become addicted to OxyContin. Limbaugh's confession occurred after his housekeeper claimed that Limbaugh had purchased more than 30,000 prescription painkillers, including OxyContin. Evan Thomas reported in Newsweek that the housekeeper claimed that Limbaugh took as many as thirty OxyContin tablets a day.

Limbaugh has a history of back problems dating to his youth. To deal with his addiction, he checked himself into a thirty-day rehabilitation center. He returned to his radio work when the rehab concluded.