The Short Term Effects of Oxycodone Use
Written by Opiates | Published on August 8, 2020 |
Updated on August 8th, 2020
In a study of people admitted to addiction treatment programs, 86% of them said they used OxyContin to get high. This is the brand name of the drug oxycodone, which is an opioid.
Oxycodone is usually a prescribed drug. But in the above study, 78% of the participants said they obtained oxycodone without a legitimate prescription. This is clearly a drug that has a high recreational value, and people are abusing this.
Do you want to know more about oxycodone?
Here are the short-term effects of oxycodone and some more information about this drug.
About Oxycodone
As we’ve said above, oxycodone is a drug that’s usually available by prescription only. This is because it’s used as a powerful painkiller for those who have been in surgery, sustained major injuries, or have severe chronic pain stemming from a health condition.
Oxycodone belongs to the opioid family. This means it directly interacts with your brain’s opioid receptors, which are responsible for pleasure, among many other things. This is what provides the pain relief and euphoria you feel when you take a dose of oxycodone.
You’ll find oxycodone in brand name forms such as OxyContin and Oxy-IR. It’s also commonly used as part of other drugs, such as Percocet, Endocet, or Oxycocet.
When you receive your prescription, it’ll usually be in tablet form. This is swallowed with some water.
When sold on the streets, people may refer to it as OC, O, or hillbilly heroin. Users used to crush up tablets to inject, but newer tablets have been formulated to make this harder. Not only are they crush-resistant, but they also become a thick gel when you try to add water to these tablets.
The Short-Term Effects of Oxycodone
Oxycodone will have much of the same short-term effects of other opioids. As we’ve mentioned, you can use oxycodone legitimately to lessen the intensity of any pain you feel. However, people also use this drug recreationally, as it can give them an intense feeling of euphoria and relaxation.
What are some other short-term effects of oxycodone? They are:
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
- Stiff muscles
- Dry mouth
- Restlessness
- Excessive sweating
If the user isn’t careful, they may accidentally take more than their body can handle.
For example, they might feel like the regular dosage isn’t managing their pain enough, so they increase the dosage on their own. Or they might’ve forgotten when they last took their last tablet and take the next one prematurely. Or if they’re taking oxycodone recreationally, they might up the dosage to chase a better high.
In any case, there’s a big risk of overdose if this happens. The biggest sign that someone’s overdose is they have noticeably slowed breathing.
Once this happens, they might become hypoxic. Hypoxia is where your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen.
As a result, things like coma, brain damage, or even death can occur. As you can see, hypoxia can have both short and long-term ramifications.
What Long-Term Effects Can Develop
With some people, they can keep their oxycodone usage relatively controlled. This means they probably won’t go through many of the negative short-term effects listed above.
However, this doesn’t mean they still can’t develop long-term effects. Taking any type of drug for a prolonged period will have some kind of effect on your body.
With oxycodone, long-term effects can include:
- Decrease in libido
- Mood swings
- Oral health problems
- Menstrual problems
Not only can the above occur, but issues in everyday life can occur too. A dependence on oxycodone can cause the user to chase after that high all the time.
As a result, they’ll prioritize this drug above everything else. Their relationships with significant others, family members, friends, and coworkers will eventually deteriorate.
Not only that, but they’ll skip out on or cease going to work or school and will neglect other responsibilities. It may get so bad that they become withdrawn and stop with basic personal hygiene.
Consider Detoxing From Oxycodone
If, after reading the above, you’ve realized that you or a loved one has an oxycodone addiction, then you should seriously consider detoxing from this medication.
Detoxing is essentially ridding your body of all traces of a substance, which also involves going into withdrawal. Pretty much all drugs have unpleasant side effects for withdrawal, and oxycodone is no exception.
Some side effects you might experience when detoxing from oxycodone include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
- Muscle aches
- Muscle cramps
- Sweating
- A higher heart rate
- Irritability
- Anxiety
The duration and intensity will depend on a few things: how long you’ve used oxycodone for, how frequently you use it, and the dosages you use. The longer, more frequent, and higher dosages, the more intense the withdrawal symptoms will be.
This is why we recommend you withdraw from oxycodone at a professional detox center. Here, they can help you taper usage correctly so you experience fewer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Not only is this more comfortable, but it’s also safer.
Seek Help for Your Oxycodone Addiction Today
As you can see, this medication can have some very detrimental effects on your health. But even if you’ve had a dependence on it for a while, there’s still hope.
By seeking help from a professional detox and rehab facility, you’ll be able to safely withdraw from the drug and walk the path of sobriety with a better chance of success.
Do you want to detox from oxycodone and get into recovery? Then search for a detox center near you now.
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