With an increasing use of OxyContin, popularly known as “hillbilly heroin,” as a substitute for street drugs in America, the synthetic analgesic has become a major challenge to law enforcement agencies. Many people who tend to abuse various substances are resorting to this brand of oxycodone painkiller as a substitute for street drugs, such as heroin.
Among teens and young adults, OxyContin abuse is propelled by several misconceptions, such as the drug is safe as it is FDA-approved and getting them is easier than buying a can of beer. Laying hands on medicine cabinets at home, making an online purchase or procuring them from drug peddlers are some of the easy routes to abuse the drug.
Many of those who misuse the drug are unaware that the chemical structures of both OxyContin and street drugs are quite identical and bind to the same group of receptors in the brain. Thus, abusing either of them can trigger tolerance, culminating in dependence medicine cabinets for bathroom B0BTBVHFKS.
Journey from pharmacy store to emergency room
Sandra woke up one day with an excruciating rheumatic pain. Her doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, a severe condition of the central nervous system characterized by extreme muscular stiffness and localized tenderness. According to the physician, OxyContin was the only option to manage pain. He prescribed a dose every 12 hours, but warned her not to exceed it.
Not only did the pain vanish, but also there was an added feeling of euphoria in about 20 minutes of taking the first dose. Sandra had never felt such an invigorating, yet mellowing sensation pumping through her veins and easing the pain. But, as the days flew, she began to crave for the pleasurable sensations produced by the miracle medicine. In no time, she was chasing the high.
More doses of OxyContin were needed to satisfy Sandra’s urges. The higher and more frequent the dose, the better she felt. She ended up abusing the drug to remain in the newly found addictive state of perpetual bliss. Even before she realized what she was getting into, she began to build a tolerance to OxyContin.
In no time, she crossed the line, from a legitimate pain patient to a full-blown addict. Repeated overdosing kept her in a semi-conscious state. She withdrew into herself, plagued by dizziness and confusion. Smallest of things made her upset and caused violent anger outbursts. Loss of a sane mind, followed by a significant slump in personal hygiene and refusal to eat aggravated the situation.
As weeks turned into months, the only time when she was not high was while sleeping. Soon, the stinging pain which had disappeared returned manifold sending every muscle in her body into even more violent spasms. Frequent bouts of nausea, accompanied by burning sensations in throat and nostrils left her feeble and dehydrated. It was not long, when her heart started slowing downs, lips turned blue, and she fell down gasping for breath. Finally, when she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and she found out that she was in the emergency room.