Friday, January 21, 2011

Oxycontin: Cure or Addiction?

Oxycontin is essentially an opiate, a drug of narcotic nature. It has been approved, for the treatment of chronic pain, by the FDA. Oxycontin is a boon to those suffering from chronic pain—the disorder itself is a well documented medical condition, an affliction in the central nervous system and the spinal cord which causes a constant and unbearable sensation of pain. It is known to be caused when the body’s pain control system fails and there are noticeable chemical and physical changes in the structure and composition of the spinal cord. If this affliction is left unchecked then the disease, being progressive, spreads to other areas. The body fails to produce opiates and thus an artificial opiate, like oxycontin, has to be ingested for relief.


As with most opiate based painkillers, oxycontin has undergone abuse as well. Addicts obtain false prescriptions of oxycontin to acquire this drug from any local pharmacy. Like any painkiller, oxycontin is both addictive and fatal in high doses. So any use outside of medical purposes is both dangerous and illegal. Several compositions and concentrations of oxycontin are available in the black drug market. Government agencies are having a hard time getting the culprits and regulating the drug to prevent its misuse or abuse.

The innocent sufferers in this drug war have been the doctors.


The government has started taking strict actions against not only the abusers of oxycontin but also against the doctors who are prescribing the drug to patients who ultimately abuse them. Now the doctor is in no way responsible or knowledgeable on how or why his/her prescriptions will lead to the abuse of the drug. The doctor does his/her duty giving out a relief for chronic pain—even if he/she does come to know about the misuse, he/she cannot withdraw the prescription as it would be akin to torture for the patient and may prove fatal. Doctors know that without oxycontin, the problem of chronic pain will worsen over time and it will become irreversible after a certain period. The very same doctors have been tagged as drug traffickers and had their medical licenses made void by the government, or worse, been sent to prison.


Who the real victims of oxycontin abuse are, it is hard to tell. But if you think you are addicted to oxycontin then you must stop now before the fatal side effects start to manifest themselves. Get yourself to your nearest oxycontin rehab. Remember, rehab for oxycontin works and you will be free from any form of addiction in no time.

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