Patient was educated on the side effects of using Oxycontin as follows:

  1. Respiratory depression
  • Oxycontin affects the respiratory center in the brain through action on the opioid receptors in the brain.
  • This induces slowing down of respirations and the breathing pattern can become irregular.
  • This can result in reduced gas exchange with elevated carbon dioxide and reduced oxygen levels in the body. Overdose of Oxycontin can also cause respiratory arrest.
  1. Feeling of high and addiction
  • Oxycontin, in the process of altering the perception of pain in the brain, promotes more dopamine in the brain.
  • Increased dopamine in the brain produces a feeling of high, by interacting with the brain’s reward circuit.
  • This feeling of high, experienced by the individuals on Oxycontin use, becomes highly desirable and thus adds the potential for addiction to Oxycontin.
  • This makes Oxycontin one of the most commonly abused drugs.
  1. Tolerance and addiction
  • Individual taking Oxycontin at a recommended dose for prolonged time develop tolerance to the drug and experience blunting of the therapeutic response to Oxycontin at that dose.
  • Diminishing therapeutic response prompts an individual to increase the dose of medication intake, to derive the desired effect.
  • This sets the cycle for addiction and abuse.
  1. Withdrawal syndrome
  • Reducing your dosage gradually over a period is the preferred way to quit Oxycontin.
  • Sudden withdrawal from Oxycontin may induce intense unpleasant sensations, such as, nausea, vomiting, intense muscle aches, sleep disturbances, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.