Roxicodone Abuse and Detox | Futures of Palm Beach

roxicodone abuse There are 23.1 million people in need of treatment for drug addiction in the United States, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports. A significant chunk of them are dependent on prescription painkillers known as opioids. These drugs are claiming lives with each passing day and perpetuating a cycle of addiction to opiates. Prescription drug addiction comes with its own set of concerns. The likelihood of overdose is often higher simply because it’s easier to accomplish. In addition, the drugs are generally not difficult to access. Many can be received just by feigning pain to a doctor. Other times, you might find them in the household medicine cabinet. Even in cases of real pain being present, addiction can develop after consistent use of these drugs. Unfortunately, it often leads to even more detrimental drug abuse. NPR notes around 80 percent of heroin users report past use of prescription opioid pain relievers, signaling a gateway trend that links the two. Roxicodone is one of these painkillers.

What Is Roxicodone?

Roxicodone is commonly referred to as “Roxy” or “Roxies.” A brand name for immediate-release oxycodone hydrochloride, Roxicodone poses serious threats to the livelihood and well-being of misusers and abusers. It is generally prescribed to people suffering from moderate to severe pain. Approximately 6.8 million American people filled prescriptions for opioid painkillers between 2009 and 2013, as reported by The New York Times. Many users come across the drug via friends and family members or street dealers. People from all walks of life and all socioeconomic demographics abuse Roxicodone. If you have a mental health disorder, you are more likely to fall prey to addiction than someone without such an issue. Among all mentally ill individuals, around 29 percent are suffering from drug or alcohol abuse issues, per Helpguide. Roxicodone is the perfect example of a drug that is easily abused to numb the symptoms of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.

The most prolific concern with Roxicodone is that it is immediate-release in nature. This mean the entire potency of the drug enters your bloodstream when used. In contrast, extended-release versions of many opioid pain relievers deliver portion-controlled doses of the drug over a period of time. While some users have alternative sources, most get their pills legitimately and legally from their own prescription. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration Chronicles, 58.2 million prescriptions were written for oxycodone alone in 2010. Swallowing these pills might be the way many start using them, but over time, tolerance develops, and many users will switch to snorting or injecting the drugs. Snorting the crushed pills generally delivers a faster high, whereas injection can be done with a water and Roxy solution to achieve the same high. Both methods are highly dangerous. Injection drug users also open themselves up to a host of other risks, including infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C.

Many users who become addicted to Roxicodone will experience phantom pains when they’re not using — false sensations of pain that don’t actually stem from any sort of injury or ailment. If you’re concern that you might be addicted to Roxicodone, look for the following additional warning signs:

Secretive use of Roxy
Obsessive thoughts about using the drug
Tolerance
Irritability and restlessness
Doctor shopping

The most obvious risk of abusing Roxicodone is overdose with the potential for fatality. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 16,235 people died from a prescription opioid pain reliever-related overdose — 71 percent of the 22,767 pharmaceutical overdose deaths that year. Other risks are present though and shouldn’t be ignored merely because they aren’t life-taking.You might be fortunate enough not to die at the mercy of your addiction, but someone else could. Drug addicts often engage in risky behavior when under the influence, and that may include getting behind the wheel or behaving in aggressive and/or violent ways. According to the NIDA, 18 percent of drivers who die as a result of an accident they’ve caused test positive for illicit substances, prescription drugs, or over-the-counter drugs.You’ll also face the repercussions of drug abuse in your personal life. Your finances will likely suffer as a result of your addiction. Furthermore, you might lose some valuable friends and loved ones along the way who just can’t bear to stick around anymore and watch your life spiral out of control.

Help Is Available

As we continue to learn more about how these drugs affect patients and what can be done to prevent relapse and extend sobriety, more effective treatment options become available. The first step you’ll take at rehab is an intake interview. This is the time to lay all your cards on the table and be honest about where you are in your addiction. From what you’re using and how often to the depths you’ve gone to in order to get your supply and why you started using in the first place, the more information your treatment team has, the better. Detox from opiate painkillers like Roxicodone is more bearable than ever before due to the use of treatment drugs like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Methadone carries a 60 to 90 percent success rate, per the California Society for Addiction Medicine. Buprenorphine results have varied considerably among studies, with the most recent being somewhat less promising at 49 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health. Naltrexone has shown promising results as an implant with a 53 percent success rate in recent research, as published by NIDA.

At Futures of Palm Beach, we can help you achieve the healthy, balanced life you want. Call us today for more information on how we can help you stop abusing Roxicodone and achieve sobriety.