What are the side effects of abusing oxycodone?
Oxycodone (oxycontin) has many possible side effects and a lot of them affect the gastrointestinal system. Most often these symptoms are manifested in the form of constipation. In the case of an overdose of oxycodone, there are several overdose symptoms that can vary in intensity. The most common include:
- slow breathing
- coma
- confusion
- tiredness
- cold and clammy skin
- small pupils
- reduced vision
- nausea
- vomiting
- seizures
- dizziness
- weakness
- loss of consciousness
- clouding of mental functions
During oxycodone withdrawal, symptoms are intense and can be horrific. Symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal include:
- constant pain in joints and muscles
- vomiting
- nausea
- uncontrollable coughing
- diarrhea
- insomnia
- watery eyes
- excessive yawning
- perpetual tiredness
- hot and cold sweats
- heart palpitations
- depression
Finally, oxycodone detoxification is accomplished similarly to other drug detox and there is no standard protocol for facilitating a patient’s oxycodone withdrawal symptoms. There are a number of detoxification routes a person can take to overcome oxycodone withdrawal symptoms. These include non-medical treatment and medical treatment. During non-medical treatment, the patient simply quits taking the oxycodone. This may be done with the help of a hospital or other patient support system. With medical treatment, oxycodone doses are decreased instead of stopping entirely. Most often, clonadine or methadone – a drug commonly used to help heroin addicts withdrawal- are taken during detox. Research has also shown that a patient suffering from oxycodone withdrawal symptoms might also benefit from behavior-oriented therapy. The goal of every detoxification program is for the individual to slowly decrease their dose of oxycodone until they no longer physically need to take it. Without this process, the withdrawal symptoms from oxycodone may be so severe that oxycodone detox may seem impossible to the person in question.
Reference: www.steadyhealth.com