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Oxycodone Side Effects opiods addiction
Nov
Like with many prescription medications, oxycodone side effects will vary depending on the dosage and length of use. Opioids can be especially problematic because of the way they make the user feel and their possibility of dependence.
Opioids are a class of highly addictive drugs that interact with opioid receptors in the brain. This type of drug includes any naturally occurring or synthetic drugs that are related to, or derived from, the opium poppy plant.
Because opioids are very powerful prescription painkillers, it’s important to identify any oxycodone side effects and understand how the drug can lead to opioid addiction.
What is Oxycodone?
Oxycodone is an opioid prescription painkiller that interferes with pain signals sent by the body’s central nervous system.
Painkillers like oxycodone bind to opioid receptors in the spinal cord, brain stem, and an area of the brain associated with pleasure.
They essentially mimic the body’s natural ability to block pain. The drug tricks the brain into thinking there is less pain than the body is actually dealing with.
Oxycodone is generally prescribed for moderate to severe pain caused by injury or post-surgery related pain during the recovery period.
In some cases, the opioid painkiller oxycodone is prescribed for chronic pain related to illnesses like cancer, or for lingering pain due to a traumatic injury that has caused permanent damage to the body.
This prescription painkiller comes in a number of different doses and forms like capsules, tablets, liquid, and suppositories, is only supposed to be used for a short time because it is highly addictive and can be lethal when misused or abused.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 75 percent of the 92,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid, like oxycodone.
