Pain killer abuse and addiction in IL
Highly effective painkillers such as Oxycodone have no doubt helped many patients experiencing intense pain, but they just cannot be called as miracle drugs because they have their side effects. They may be quite harmless if taken over the prescribed duration, but when they are administered over extended periods, there is always a high probability that they will lead to physical and psychological dependence. If this happens, such painkillers may turn out to be just as addictive and damaging as other harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroine, meth (Methamphetamine), marijuana and others.
Painkillers such as Oxycodone have been around for around 70 years, but before the eighties, they were being used mainly in Europe. The most ironical thing about these drugs is that even though they were specially formulated to avoid the mood altering properties of morphine and heroine, they are now being used for that very same purpose. The abuse potential of these painkillers probably lies in their ability to relieve anxiety and provide the user a pleasant experience and some amount of euphoric experiences as well. Their ready availability and relatively lower costs may also have prompted many individuals to try out these painkillers as a substitute for narcotic substances such as cocaine, heroine etc.
In Illinois, abuse/addiction of painkillers such as Oxycodone has been around for the past 20 to 30 years. Although such painkillers are classified as Schedule II narcotic analgesic and are available only on prescriptions, the abuse has not stopped obviously because there exists a black market where these types of painkillers are readily available. To keep a check on the growing menace of painkiller abuse, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2004 approved the controlled release of all Oxycodone products. The DEA (Drug enforcement Administration) in recent years has also passed many stricter laws regarding the availability and possession of painkillers such as Oxycodone. This has been done to make it difficult for people to obtain and use these highly effective yet potentially harmful painkillers.
Addiction from painkillers such as Oxycodone can occur after weeks or months of continuous usage depending on the condition, age, and general health of the patient concerned. A lot also depends on the existing psychological state of the patient. For example, if the patient has a history of anxiety, depression or other psychological disorders, it is most likely that he will get addicted much sooner as compared to an individual who does not have any such psychological problems. This is why physicians often ask for a detailed medical history of the patient before prescribing such painkillers and before finalizing the duration of the treatment.
Critics may argue that painkillers such as Oxycodone should be banned, but that would certainly not be the right thing to do because more often than not, the problem is not the drug, but the patient himself. The government just cannot ban the product because it is in fact an excellent painkiller, used extensively for managing pain after surgery, chronic back pain, and the intense pain experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. Personal counseling, psychological healing and rehabilitation are some of the better options available to patients taking painkillers such as Oxycodone.
Highly effective painkillers such as Oxycodone have no doubt helped many patients experiencing intense pain, but they just cannot be called as miracle drugs because they have their side effects. They may be quite harmless if taken over the prescribed duration, but when they are administered over extended periods, there is always a high probability that they will lead to physical and psychological dependence. If this happens, such painkillers may turn out to be just as addictive and damaging as other harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroine, meth (Methamphetamine), marijuana and others.
Painkillers such as Oxycodone have been around for around 70 years, but before the eighties, they were being used mainly in Europe. The most ironical thing about these drugs is that even though they were specially formulated to avoid the mood altering properties of morphine and heroine, they are now being used for that very same purpose. The abuse potential of these painkillers probably lies in their ability to relieve anxiety and provide the user a pleasant experience and some amount of euphoric experiences as well. Their ready availability and relatively lower costs may also have prompted many individuals to try out these painkillers as a substitute for narcotic substances such as cocaine, heroine etc.
In Illinois, abuse/addiction of painkillers such as Oxycodone has been around for the past 20 to 30 years. Although such painkillers are classified as Schedule II narcotic analgesic and are available only on prescriptions, the abuse has not stopped obviously because there exists a black market where these types of painkillers are readily available. To keep a check on the growing menace of painkiller abuse, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2004 approved the controlled release of all Oxycodone products. The DEA (Drug enforcement Administration) in recent years has also passed many stricter laws regarding the availability and possession of painkillers such as Oxycodone. This has been done to make it difficult for people to obtain and use these highly effective yet potentially harmful painkillers.
Addiction from painkillers such as Oxycodone can occur after weeks or months of continuous usage depending on the condition, age, and general health of the patient concerned. A lot also depends on the existing psychological state of the patient. For example, if the patient has a history of anxiety, depression or other psychological disorders, it is most likely that he will get addicted much sooner as compared to an individual who does not have any such psychological problems. This is why physicians often ask for a detailed medical history of the patient before prescribing such painkillers and before finalizing the duration of the treatment.
Critics may argue that painkillers such as Oxycodone should be banned, but that would certainly not be the right thing to do because more often than not, the problem is not the drug, but the patient himself. The government just cannot ban the product because it is in fact an excellent painkiller, used extensively for managing pain after surgery, chronic back pain, and the intense pain experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. Personal counseling, psychological healing and rehabilitation are some of the better options available to patients taking painkillers such as Oxycodone.
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Information on this page last updated on 09/17/2007